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input:hidden object

Browser support:

Creates a hidden text control.

The control is not rendered, and it is invisible for the user. With this element you can send hidden data with a form to a server.

This control is one of the form controls.

The contents of the control can be submitted to a server if the following conditions are met:

A form element must contain the hidden control.
The action property of the container form must be set to the URL of the server.
The name property of the hidden control must be specified and non-empty.

When the container form is submitted, the name and the text content of the hidden control are sent as a name/value pair.

You can access the text content of the control with the value property. For example, if you create a custom check box on your form, you can use the hidden input element to send the state of the custom control. See Example 2 for details.

Syntax:

Methods that return the object:

•	var inputObj = document.createElement ("input"); inputObj.type = "hidden"

The base interface, through which you can add new functionalities to the input:hidden object, is the HTMLInputElement interface.

If you want to see the HTML objects by categories, please visit this page.

HTML page for this element: input:hidden

Possible members:

Properties

Methods

Events

Style properties

attributes

Represents a collection of attribute nodes that belong to an element.

baseURI

			10

Returns the base URL for the object.

behaviorUrns

Represents a collection of the Uniform Resource Names for all behaviors attached to an element.

canHaveChildren

Retrieves a Boolean value that indicates whether the element can contain child elements.

canHaveHTML

Retrieves a Boolean value that indicates whether the element can contain HTML formatted text.

className

Sets or retrieves the style class or classes that belong to the element.

currentStyle

Represents the computed style settings for an element.

dataFld

Specifies or returns which field of a given data source should be bound to the specified object.

dataSrc

Sets or retrieves the identifier of the data source that is bound to the element.

defaultValue

Specifies or returns the initial value of the object. The initial state can be set with the value attribute in HTML.

filters

Represents a collection of all filter objects applied to an element.

form

Returns a reference to the form element in which the object is placed.

forms

Represents a collection of all form elements in the current document.

hideFocus

Specifies or returns whether a dotted rectangle (focus rectangle) is drawn around an object while it has focus.

Sets or retrieves a unique identifier for the object.

isContentEditable

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the contents of the object are editable by the user.

isDisabled

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the object is disabled.

isMultiLine

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the contents of an element can be multiline or not.

isTextEdit

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the createTextRange method can be used for the element.

lang

Specifies or returns the language of the element.

language

Sets or retrieves the scripting language for the current element. Use it only for the script element.

localName

9

Returns the local part of the qualified name of the current node.

name

Sets or retrieves the name of a form control that affects the contents of the message submitted to the server.

namespaceURI

9	3.6

Sets or returns the namespace URI of the current node.

nextElementSibling

9	3.5

Returns a reference to the next child element of the current element's parent.

nextSibling

Returns a reference to the next child of the current element's parent.

nodeName

Returns the name of the current node.

nodeType

Returns an integer that indicates the type of the node.

nodeValue

Sets or returns the value of the current node.

outerHTML

Sets or retrieves the outer HTML content (the source code including the opening and closing tags) of an element.

outerText

Sets or returns the text content of an element including the text content of its descendants.

ownerDocument

Returns the document object that contains the current node.

parentElement

Returns the parent element of the object in the DOM hierarchy.

parentNode

Returns the parent element of the current node in the DOM hierarchy.

parentTextEdit

Returns the closest ancestor element of the current element in the DOM hierarchy that can be used to create a TextRange object.

previousElementSibling

9	3.5

Returns a reference to the previous child element of the current element's parent.

previousSibling

Returns a reference to the previous node of the current element's parent.

readyState

Returns a string value that represents the state of the object.

recordNumber

Returns an integer value that indicates the ordinal position of the item within the data set that generated the current object.

runtimeStyle

Represents the overridden style settings for an element.

scopeName

Retrieves the local name of the namespace declared for the current element.

sourceIndex

Returns the position of the current object in the all collection of the document.

style

Represents the inline style settings for an element or a CSS rule.

tagName

Returns the tag name of the current element.

tagUrn

Sets or retrieves the Uniform Resource Name (URN) of the namespace declared for the current element.

textContent

9

Sets or returns the text content of an element including the text content of its descendants.

textLength

Returns the length of the text in a form control.

type

Sets or retrieves the type of the input element.

uniqueID

Returns the unique identifier generated by the browser for the object.

unselectable

Sets or retrieves whether the selection process can start in an element's content.

value

Specifies or returns the value of the control.

addBehavior

Attaches the specified behavior to the current element.

addEventListener

9

Registers an event handler function (event listener) for the specified event on the current object.

applyElement

Inserts the specified element as a child or parent of the current element.

attachEvent

Registers an event handler function (event listener) for the specified event on the current object.

clearAttributes

Clears all attributes from the current element, except the id, name, style, value and event attributes.

click

Simulates a mouse click on the current element.

cloneNode

Returns an exact copy of the current node.

compareDocumentPosition

9

Compares the placement of the specified node with the current node in the DOM hierarchy.

createTextRange


		10.5

Creates a new TextRange object and aligns its start and end points to the text content of the current element.

detachEvent

Removes the specified event handler from the current element that was registered earlier with the attachEvent method.

dispatchEvent

9

Dispatches the specified event to the current element.

fireEvent

Initializes an event object and dispatches it to the current element.

getAdjacentText

Returns the contents of the TextNode located at the specified position relative to the current element.

getAttribute

Returns the value of the attribute with the specified name from the current element.

getAttributeNode

Returns the attribute node with the specified name from the current element.

getAttributeNodeNS

9

Returns the attribute node with the specified namespace and name from the current element.

getAttributeNS

9

Returns the value of the attribute with the specified namespace and name from the current element.

getExpression


9

Returns the dynamic expression for the specified DHTML property on the current element.

hasAttribute

8

Returns whether the current element has an attribute with the specified name or not.

hasAttributeNS

9

Returns whether the current element has an attribute with the specified namespace and name or not.

hasAttributes

8

Returns whether the current element has any attributes specified or not.

hasChildNodes

Returns whether the current node has any child nodes or not.

insertAdjacentElement

Inserts an element at the specified position relative to the current element.

insertAdjacentHTML

Inserts a HTML formatted text at the specified position relative to the current element.

insertAdjacentText

Creates a new TextNode from the specified text and inserts it at the specified position relative to the current element.

isDefaultNamespace

9

Returns whether the specified namespace URI is the default namespace in the scope of the current node.

isEqualNode

9

Returns whether the current node is equal to the specified one.

isSameNode

9

Returns whether the current node is the same node as the specified one.

isSupported

9

Returns whether the specified DOM module and version is supported by the current node.

mergeAttributes

Copies all attributes and its values from the specified element to the current element.

normalize

Puts the subtree that belongs to the current node into a 'normalized' form.

releaseCapture

Releases the mouse capture from the browser window that was previously set by the setCapture method and restores the normal event processing.

removeAttribute

Removes the attribute with the specified name from the current element.

removeAttributeNode

Removes the specified attribute node from the current element.

removeAttributeNS

9

Removes the attribute with the specified namespace and name from the current element.

removeBehavior

Removes the specified behavior from the current element.

removeEventListener

9

Removes the specified event handler from the current element that was registered earlier with the addEventListener method.

removeExpression


9

Removes the dynamic expression from the specified DHTML property on the current element.

removeNode

Removes the current element with or without its children from the document tree.

replaceAdjacentText

Replace the contents of the TextNode located at the specified position relative to the current element with the specified text.

replaceNode

Replaces the current element with the specified element.

select

Highlights the entire text in the element.

setAttribute

Adds an attribute with the specified name and value to the current element.

setAttributeNode

Adds the specified attribute node to the current element.

setAttributeNodeNS

9

Adds the specified attribute node to the current element.

setAttributeNS

9

Adds an attribute with the specified namespace, name and value to the current element.

setCapture

Sets the current object to capture mouse events that occur within the entire browser window.

setExpression


9

Sets a dynamic expression for the specified DHTML property on the current element.

swapNode

Interchanges the positions of the current element and the specified element in the document hierarchy.

behavior

Sets or retrieves the URL of a behavior file.

cssText

Sets or retrieves the contents of a style declaration as a string.

hasLayout

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the object has layout or not.

layoutFlow

Specifies or returns the flow and direction of the content in an element.

length

9

Returns the number of properties that have been set in the current style object.

pixelBottom

Specifies or retrieves the value of the bottom style property, in pixels.

pixelHeight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the height style property, in pixels.

pixelLeft

Specifies or retrieves the value of the left style property, in pixels.

pixelRight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the right style property, in pixels.

pixelTop

Specifies or retrieves the value of the top style property, in pixels.

pixelWidth

Specifies or retrieves the value of the width style property, in pixels.

posBottom

Specifies or retrieves the value of the bottom style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the bottom property.

posHeight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the height style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the height property.

posLeft

Specifies or retrieves the value of the left style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the left property.

posRight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the right style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the right property.

posTop

Specifies or retrieves the value of the top style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the top property.

posWidth

Specifies or retrieves the value of the width style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the width property.

Example HTML code 1:

This example illustrates the use of the hidden input element. For example, if you want know how long it takes the user to fill a registration form, simply create a hidden input field with a value of the actual server time when generating the registration form on the server. When the form is submitted, you can get the duration from this value.

<form method="post" action="#URL#">
    <input type="hidden" value="19:03:31" name="startTime" />
    Username: <input type="text" name="userName" />
    <br />
    Email: <input type="text" name="email" />
    <br />
    Password: <input type="password" name="password" />
    <br />
    Repeat Password: <input type="password" name="repassword" />
    <br /><br />
    <input type="submit" value="Register" />
</form>

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Example HTML code 2:

This example creates a custom check box element (a span element). The red color represents the unchecked state, the blue color represents the checked state. The example uses a hidden input element to submit a state of a custom check box:

<head>
    <style>
        .unchecked {
            width:15px;
            height:15px;
            margin-right:10px;
            border:1px solid blue;
            background-color:red;
        }
        .checked {
            width:15px;
            height:15px;
            margin-right:10px;
            border:1px solid red;
            background-color:blue;
        }
    </style>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        function ToggleState (elem) {
            if (elem.className == "unchecked")
                elem.className = "checked";
            else
                elem.className = "unchecked";
        }

        function CheckAndSubmit () {
            var regForm = document.getElementById ("regForm");
            var acceptAgreementCustom = document.getElementById ("acceptAgreementCustom");
            var acceptAgreement = document.getElementById ("acceptAgreement");

                // set the value of the hidden input element to "checked" or "unchecked"
            acceptAgreement.value = acceptAgreementCustom.className;

            if (acceptAgreement.value != "checked") {
                alert ("You must accept the User Agreement to register!");
                return;
            }

            regForm.submit ();
        }
    </script>
</head>
<body>
    <form id="regForm" method="post" action="#URL#">
        <span class="unchecked" onclick="ToggleState (this)" id="acceptAgreementCustom"></span> <!-- the custom check box -->
        <label for="acceptAgreementCustom">I accept the User Agreement and Privacy Policy</label>
        <input type="hidden" name="acceptAgreement" id="acceptAgreement" /> 
        <br /><br />
        <input type="button" value="Register" onclick="CheckAndSubmit ()" />
    </form>
</body>