[RESOLVED] .defaultValue for a dropdown?

[amichael]

I'm relatively new to javascript. I know you can find the default (original) value of a text input field by using this.defaultValue. Is there an equivalent property for a dropdown list (<select><option>), or radio button list or checkbox list? .defaultValue doesn't seem to work.

I can simply add a hidden field to keep track of the value but I'm not sure if there is a better way to do it.

[mataichi]

Radio & Checkbox = defaultChecked
Doesn't look like drop down list has one.

Not sure if this is what you are looking for, because I think this will only tell you if any individual input was checked or not, not for the entire group what was checked. Could be wrong on this though.

[Y_Less]

Just save the select tag's value when the page first loads:

var selectDefault = selectTag.value;

Then you can use that later, even if it changes:

if (selectTag.value != selectDefault) // Value has changed

[VolcomMky]

Are you talking about the "selected" option in a droplist?

Like..

<select name="dropList">
<option value="DefaultValue" selected>Default Item</option>
<option value="AnotherValue">NOT Default Item</option>
</select> 

[amichael]

Thank you both for your replies. You pointed me in the right direction.
There is a defaultSelected property for <option> elements, similar to defaultChecked for radio buttons and checkboxes. But there doesn't appear to be any property to get the value of the collective group of elements (i.e. selectTag.defaultSelected).
I can either loop through the elements or just store the value somewhere, like a hidden field or a var like Y_Less suggested.