How do I add a function to a specific element type in jQuery?

Question

I can do this

jQuery.fn.validate = function(options) {
    var defaults = {
        validateOPtions1 : '',
        validateOPtions2 : ''
    };

    var settings = $.extend({}, defaults, options);

    return this.each(function() {
        // you validation code goes here
    });
};

but that will make validate() available for every element. I could do this to any element: $('some selector').validate().

Is there a way I can make this only available to, say, form elements? eg. $('.mySpecialFormClass').validate()?

Pointy · Accepted Answer · 2010-04-14 21:02:08Z

2

You'd have to have the function throw an exception if you really don't want it to work for anything but a <form> tag.

jQuery.fn.formsOnly = function() {
  return this.each(function() {
    if (!$(this).is('form')) throw "Forms only!";
    // whatever
  });
};

answered Apr 14, 2010 at 21:02

Pointy

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Aaron · Accepted Answer · 2010-04-14 20:57:05Z

1

The answer is simple:

$('form').validate();

Selectors work a bit like this in jQuery (just as in CSS)

$('elementType.className')

See this page for more details on selectors.

answered Apr 14, 2010 at 20:57

Aaron

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3 Comments

Chad Johnson Over a year ago

I want to make it so that .validate() is unavailable to anything except elements of type 'form'. So, if I called, $('div').validate(), an 'undefined function' should would be thrown. For instance, .val() (I believe) only works with form element (input, select, textarea).

Pointy Over a year ago

@Chad that's not the case - you can use val() with anything you want. It won't work, of course, but the framework doesn't make it impossible to even call it.

Aaron Over a year ago

In that case, I agree with Pointy's answer.

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