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HTML 5 <option> tag

Definition and Usage

The option element defines an option in the drop-down list. 

Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML 5

In HTML 5, the <option> element is also used in the new element <datalist>.

Tips and Notes

Note: The <option> tag can be used without any attributes, but you usually need the value attribute, which indicates what is sent to the server.

Note: Use this tag in conjunction with <select> or <datalist> elements, elsewhere it is meaningless. 

Example

Source Output
<select>
<option value ="volvo">Volvo</option>
<option value ="saab">Saab</option>
<option value ="opel" selected="selected">Opel</option>
<option value ="audi">Audi</option>
</select>

Attributes

Attribute Value Description 4 5
disabled disabled Specifies that the option should be disabled when it first loads 4 5
label text Defines a label to use when using <optgroup> 4 5
selected selected Specifies that the option should appear selected (will be displayed first in the list) 4 5
value text Defines the value of the option to be sent to the server 4 5

Standard Attributes

class, contenteditable, contextmenu, dir, draggable, id, irrelevant, lang, ref, registrationmark, tabindex, template, title

For a full description, go to Standard Attributes in HTML 5.

Event Attributes

onabort, onbeforeunload, onblur, onchange, onclick, oncontextmenu, ondblclick, ondrag, ondragend, ondragenter, ondragleave, ondragover, ondragstart, ondrop, onerror, onfocus, onkeydown, onkeypress, onkeyup, onload, onmessage, onmousedown, onmousemove, onmouseover, onmouseout, onmouseup, onmousewheel, onresize, onscroll, onselect, onsubmit, onunload

For a full description, go to Event Attributes in HTML 5.

Try-It-Yourself Demos

Simple drop down box
How to create a simple drop-down box on an HTML page. A drop-down box is a selectable list.

Another drop down box
How to create a simple drop-down box with a pre-selected value.

From http://www.w3schools.com (Copyright Refsnes Data)