.serialize()

jQuery

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.serialize()

Categories: Forms | Ajax > Helper Functions

.serialize() Returns: String

Description: Encode a set of form elements as a string for submission.

  • version added: 1.0.serialize()

    • This method does not accept any arguments.

The .serialize() method creates a text string in standard URL-encoded notation. It operates on a jQuery object representing a set of form elements. The form elements can be of several types:

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                                      <form>
                                    
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div><input type="text" name="a" value="1" id="a" /></div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div><input type="text" name="b" value="2" id="b" /></div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div><input type="hidden" name="c" value="3" id="c" /></div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <textarea name="d" rows="8" cols="40">4</textarea>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      </div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div><select name="e">
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <option value="5" selected="selected">5</option>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <option value="6">6</option>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <option value="7">7</option>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      </select></div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <input type="checkbox" name="f" value="8" id="f" />
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      </div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      <div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                        <input type="submit" name="g" value="Submit" id="g" />
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      </div>
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    
                                      </form>

The .serialize() method can act on a jQuery object that has selected individual form elements, such as <input>, <textarea>, and <select>. However, it is typically easier to select the <form> tag itself for serialization:

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                                    $('form').submit(function() {
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      alert($(this).serialize());
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                      return false;
                                  

                                

                                

                                  

                                    });

This produces a standard-looking query string:

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                                    a=1&b=2&c=3&d=4&e=5

Warning: selecting both the form and its children will cause duplicates in the serialized string.

Note: Only "successful controls" are serialized to the string. No submit button value is serialized since the form was not submitted using a button. For a form element's value to be included in the serialized string, the element must have a name attribute. Values from checkboxes and radio buttons (inputs of type "radio" or "checkbox") are included only if they are checked. Data from file select elements is not serialized.

Example:

Serialize a form to a query string, that could be sent to a server in an Ajax request.

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                                        <!DOCTYPE html>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <html>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <head>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <style>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        body, select { font-size:12px; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        form { margin:5px; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        p { color:red; margin:5px; font-size:14px; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        b { color:blue; }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        </style>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js"></script>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </head>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <body>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <form>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <select name="single">
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          <option>Single</option>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          <option>Single2</option>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        </select>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <br />
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <select name="multiple" multiple="multiple">
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          <option selected="selected">Multiple</option>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          <option>Multiple2</option>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          <option selected="selected">Multiple3</option>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        </select>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <br/>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="checkbox" name="check" value="check1" id="ch1"/>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <label for="ch1">check1</label>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="checkbox" name="check" value="check2" checked="checked" id="ch2"/>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <label for="ch2">check2</label>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <br />
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="radio" name="radio" value="radio1" checked="checked" id="r1"/>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <label for="r1">radio1</label>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <input type="radio" name="radio" value="radio2" id="r2"/>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                        <label for="r2">radio2</label>
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </form>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <p>
                                        <tt id="results">
                                        </tt>
                                        </p>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        <script>
                                        
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          function showValues() {
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                            var str = $("form").serialize();
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                            $("#results").text(str);
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          }
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          $(":checkbox, :radio").click(showValues);
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          $("select").change(showValues);
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                          showValues();
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </script>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                       
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </body>
                                      
                                    

                                  

                                  

                                    

                                      
                                        </html>
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