Keeping form data for later use

Okay.. here is the test form that I'm working with:

<form name="formthis" id="formthis">
Input a: <input type="text" name="inputa" id="inputa" />
<br />Input b: <input type="password" name="inputb" id="inputb" />
<br />Input c: <select name="inputc" id="inputc">
            <option value="">Select</option>
            <option value="this">THIS</option>
            <option value="that">THAT</option>
        </select>
<br />Input d: <input type="checkbox" name="inputd" id="inputd_1" value="inputd_1" />1 <input type="checkbox" name="inputd" id="inputd_2" value="inputd_2" />2 <input type="checkbox" name="inputd" id="inputd_3" value="inputd_3" />3
<br />Input e: <select name="inpute" size="3" multiple="multiple" id="inpute">
                    <option value="Option A">Option A</option>
                    <option value="Option B">Option B</option>
                    <option value="Option C">Option C</option>
                    <option value="Option D">Option D</option>
                    <option value="Option E">Option E</option>
                </select>
<br />Input f: <input type="radio" name="inputf" id="inputf_a" value="Alpha" />Alpha <input type="radio" name="inputf" id="inputf_b" value="Bravo" />Bravo <input type="radio" name="inputf" id="inputf_c" value="Charlie" />Charlie 
<br /><input type="button" name="submitBtn" id="submitBtn" value="DO IT" onclick="return saForm();" />
<br /><textarea name="txtarea" id="txtarea" width="100%" height="200"></textarea>
</form>

The saForm() function is currently set to just iterate through the form elements by name retrieved from the server.

function saForm(){
    var thisForm = $('#formthis').serializeArray(), thatForm = JSON.stringify(thisForm), frm = document.getElementById('formthis'), elems = frm.elements;
    frm.reset(); // Clear form data after submitting, for testing purposes.
    $.ajax({
        type: "POST",
        url: "doit.cfc?method=myFunction",
        data: {theData: thatForm}
        }).done(function(data){
            var datab = JSON.parse(data), j;// Turns JSON string into JS array-like object with keys (associative).
            for(var j in datab){
                var frminpt = datab[j], $el = $("[name=" + frminpt.name + "]"), type = $el.attr('type'); alert(frminpt.name + " is a " + type);
                }
            });
    }

This is working fine, except for single and multiple SELECTs.  They alert as undefined.  Why?  I can't set the selected options if I can't identify the element as a SELECT.

V/r,

^_^

I once had an SO account for all of about four days.  I requested to have it deleted because SO (and all the associated sites/forums) is more of a popularity contest than an actual help/support forum.  There are more trolls and jerks who downvote just for the sake of downvoting than there are people who are serious about helping others.  Granted, there are some super-smart people who peruse SO; but they can often be overshadowed by class-a jerks.

V/r,

^_^

I appreciate haxtbh's suggestion, but it really isn't an option.  Is anyone, here, familiar enough with JavaScript and jQuery?

V/r,

^_^

!

I'll give that a shot, Dave Ferguson.  Thank you.  I'll report back and let you know how it went.

V/r,

^_^

BRILLIANT!!!

Thanks, Dave Ferguson.  I had to make a minor adjustment ($el.attr('data-type') instead of $el.attr('type')) and it works excellent (except it doesn't see a file input, but that's cool.)

Much appreciated.

V/r,

^_^

I'll give that another shot.. it didn't work until I changed it to 'data-type'.

And, I may have spoke too soon.  Your suggestion works for everything except _multiple_ selects (but only because the JSON format doesn't do "fieldName":"Val1,Val3" - it's "fieldName":"Val1","fieldName":"Val3")

Still.. I'm way ahead of where I was before your response.  Thank you!

V/r,

^_^

I'm using $el.data('type'), but when using alert(), it is undefined.

Nevermind.. I was tired, yesterday, and made a mistake that removed the name of the elements, so NOTHING was defined.  (sheepish grin)

V/r,

^_^

Sigh.  Now I'm experiencing another issue.

Apparently, when a page with a select-multiple is loaded (ergo, no options are selected), the select-multiple does not exist.

I'm trying to set options selected based upon what is being returned, but I keep getting "$(...).val() is null" and the pointer is pointing to the code that references the select-multiple.

I've tried if(!$('#selectName')){ $('#selectName').val([]);}, but this isn't doing anything, apparently.

How can I initialize a select-multiple upon page load?

V/r,

^_^

Finally.  SMH.

I create a blank array at the start of the function.

Using a for() loop, when it comes to the "select-multiple" type, I .concat() the array.

After the loop, I set the value of the multi-select to that array.

Head-desk!  Head-desk!  Head-desk!

V/r,

^_^

UPDATE:  THERE ARE NO LINKS IN THIS POST.  WHY IS IT BEING "MODERATED"?