← Back to jQuery Course | Chapter 2: Selectors | Lesson 9 of 10

Form Filter Selectors

The checked filter selects checked checkboxes and radio buttons.

In this page:

  1. Checked Inputs
  2. Selected Options
  3. Enabled Controls
  4. Disabled Controls
  5. Focus Filter
Syntax
javascript 
$("input:enabled")
$("input:disabled")
$("input:checked")
$("option:selected")

Checked Inputs

':checked' matches any checkbox or radio input whose checked property is currently true, letting you find selected options directly. It updates live as the user interacts with the form, not just at page load.

Example: Checked Inputs

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <input type="checkbox" checked><input type="checkbox">

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").text($(":checked").length);
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Selected Options

':selected' targets <option> elements inside a <select> that are currently chosen by the user, which is the equivalent of :checked for dropdown menus. This filter only makes sense inside a select element, since plain inputs have no concept of a selected option.

Example: Selected Options

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <select><option>A</option><option selected>B</option></select>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").text($(":selected").text());
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Enabled Controls

':enabled' matches form controls that can currently accept user input, excluding any element with the disabled attribute set. It's often paired with :disabled to style or handle both states differently.

Example: Enabled Controls

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <input><input disabled>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").text($(":enabled").length);
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Disabled Controls

':disabled' is the mirror of :enabled -- it matches controls the user can't currently interact with, often used to visually distinguish or re-enable them via script. Disabled form controls also can't receive focus or be included when the form is submitted, which this filter helps you account for in your scripts.

Example: Disabled Controls

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <input><input disabled>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").text($(":disabled").length);
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Focus Filter

':focus' matches whichever single element currently has keyboard focus, useful for applying styles or logic tied to exactly the field the user is actively typing into. This is commonly used to validate or highlight whichever field a user is currently filling in, without tracking focus manually.

Example: Focus Filter

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <input id="a"><input id="b">

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#a").focus();
      $("#output").text(String($(":focus").attr("id")));
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>
Related Topics

Child Filter Selectors · Visibility Filter Selectors · Content Filter Selectors · Basic Filter Selectors

{# common_mistakes/chapter_summary/browser_support: on Hindi pages the view already swaps in the hi_ translation fields (or blanks these out if untranslated), so this renders correctly for both languages without a lang_code check here. #}
Common Mistakes
  1. Using :selected to find checked checkboxes, when it works on <option> elements and :checked is the one for checkboxes and radios.
  2. Selecting :checked once and expecting the result to update, when a jQuery object is a snapshot and the selector must run again after the user changes something.
  3. Confusing :disabled with the readonly attribute, since a readonly input is still :enabled.
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