I'm trying to get an error message when select is set to default and nothing is selected. For input fields the code works, but I can't figure out where I'm wrong for the select part. Anyone help me?

Fiddle: /

//Error Msg for input field
function validateForm() {
  let x = document.forms["myForm"]["fname"].value;
  if (x == "") {
alert("Name must be filled out");
return false;
  }
}

<input type="text" name="fname" form="myForm">
<select id="select-sex" form="myForm" name="radios"> 
 <option id="opt-default" form="myForm" selected>Select...</option>
 <option id="sexuomo" name="radios" value="Male" form="myForm">Uomo</option>
 <option id="sexdonna" name="radios" value="Female" form="myForm">Donna</option>
</select>


<button onclick="validateForm()">Submit</button>
<form name="myForm" id="myForm" onsubmit="return validateForm()" method="post">
</form>

I'm trying to get an error message when select is set to default and nothing is selected. For input fields the code works, but I can't figure out where I'm wrong for the select part. Anyone help me?

Fiddle: https://jsfiddle/snake93/1sLtk2a7/2/

//Error Msg for input field
function validateForm() {
  let x = document.forms["myForm"]["fname"].value;
  if (x == "") {
alert("Name must be filled out");
return false;
  }
}

<input type="text" name="fname" form="myForm">
<select id="select-sex" form="myForm" name="radios"> 
 <option id="opt-default" form="myForm" selected>Select...</option>
 <option id="sexuomo" name="radios" value="Male" form="myForm">Uomo</option>
 <option id="sexdonna" name="radios" value="Female" form="myForm">Donna</option>
</select>


<button onclick="validateForm()">Submit</button>
<form name="myForm" id="myForm" onsubmit="return validateForm()" method="post">
</form>

• javascript
• html
• jquery
• css

• document.querySelector('#select-sex').value == 'Select...' will retrn true if its not filled out – doo_doo_fart_man Commented Oct 9, 2021 at 16:10

2 Answers 2

Just repeat your logic you used on the input for the select:

//Error Msg for input field
function validateForm() {
  let x = document.forms["myForm"]["fname"].value;
  if (x == "") {
    alert("Name must be filled out");
    return false;
  }
  let y = document.forms["myForm"]["radios"].value;
  if (y == "Select...") {
    alert("Select must be filled out");
    return false;
  }
}

<input type="text" name="fname" form="myForm">
<select id="select-sex" form="myForm" name="radios">
  <option id="opt-default" form="myForm" selected>Select...</option>
  <option id="sexuomo" name="radios" value="Male" form="myForm">Uomo</option>
  <option id="sexdonna" name="radios" value="Female" form="myForm">Donna</option>
</select>


<button onclick="validateForm()">Submit</button>
<form name="myForm" id="myForm" onsubmit="return validateForm()" method="post">
</form>

However, a much more scalable solution is to add the required field to your inputs, then use checkValidity():

function validateForm(){
  const isValid = myForm.checkValidity();
  if(!isValid){
    alert("Please fill all fields");
  }
  return isValid;
}

<form name="myForm" id="myForm" onsubmit="return validateForm()" method="post" novalidate>
  <input type="text" name="fname" form="myForm" required>
  <select id="select-sex" form="myForm" name="radios" required>
    <option id="opt-default" value="" form="myForm" selected disabled>Select...</option>
    <option id="sexuomo" name="radios" value="Male" form="myForm">Uomo</option>
    <option id="sexdonna" name="radios" value="Female" form="myForm">Donna</option>
  </select>
  <button>Submit</button>
</form>

An <option> without a value= defaults to the text value of that option. ie

<option>Seleziona</option>

is the same as

<option value="Seleziona">Seleziona</option>

So you either need to check for "Seleziona" or you need to give it a value.

<option value="">Seleziona</option>

Note: Seleziona es from OPs fiddle

Updated snippet:

//Error Msg for input field
function validateForm() {
  let name = document.forms["myForm"]["fname"].value;
  let gender = document.forms["myForm"]["radios"].value;
  if (name == "" || gender == "") {
    alert("Name and gender must be filled out");
    return false;
  }
}

<input type="text" name="fname" form="myForm">
<select id="select-sex" form="myForm" name="radios">
  <option id="opt-default" form="myForm" value="" selected>Seleziona</option>
  <option id="sexuomo" name="radios" value="Male" form="myForm">Uomo</option>
  <option id="sexdonna" name="radios" value="Female" form="myForm">Donna</option>
</select>


<button onclick="validateForm()">Submit</button>
<form name="myForm" id="myForm" onsubmit="return validateForm()" method="post">
</form>