Can I select DOM nodes with XPath attribute patterns using jQuery?

Question

I've got a little problem: I don't know whether it is possible to select all DOM nodes with some attribute patterns using jQuery.

For example, I need to select all nodes with id attribute set to a string starting with "_dom".

I've found something like this:

$("input[name^='news']").val("news here!");

but as far as I can see, this code applies the sample to the <input> nodes only.

Can I use wildcards for the node names?

Answer 1

Yes, you can use a wildcard to select all the nodes in the document:

*[id^="_dom"]

If you want to use XPath, you should use Basic XPath with jQuery 1.2

Answer 2

var nodesWithIdAttributeStartingWith_dom = $("*[id^=_dom]");

should do what you need.