[Javascript] accessing a <label>

[Rick Pasotto]

On Sun, Jun 03, 2007 at 06:10:48PM -0600, Nick Wiltshire wrote:
> If the input is directly inside the label (as it should be) and you have a 
> reference to the input, the label can be accessed through input.parentNode
> 
> On Sunday 03 June 2007 15:00, Rick Pasotto wrote:
> > How do I access the <label> element associated with an <input>?
> > I'd like to add a class to change the background if validation fails.

The input *can* be inside the label thus giving an *implicit* reference
but that doesn't work if the label and the input are, for example, in
different cells of a table. An *explicit* reference using "for=" seems
better to me and is what I was using.

<label for="name">Your Name:</label>
<input type="text" id="name" name="name" size="30"/>

After I posted I found info that resulted in this:

function getLabelById(arg) {
	//get all labels
	var labels = document.getElementsByTagName("label");
	for (i=0;i<labels.length;i++) {
		//find the field that the label refers to (using for attribute)
		var thisId = labels[i].getAttribute("for");
		if ((thisId)==null) { //alert('feckin ie') ... as ever
			thisId = labels[i].htmlFor;
		}
		return thisID;
	}
}

Can anyone think of a better way?

-- 
"Life is like an over long drama through which we sit being nagged
 by the vague memories of having read the reviews." -- John Updike
    Rick Pasotto    rick at niof.net    http://www.niof.net