help with selectors and attr

help with selectors and attr

Can someone please tell me why the following doesn't work?

        <select name='s[columns][1]' id='s_columns_1'>
            <option>title</option>
            <option>body</option>
        </select>

$('select[name*="columns"]')[0].attr('name')


It tells me attr is not a function.

$('select[name*="columns"]')[0]

returns a reference to the select field but I cannot access or update any attributes.


Here is my full code if you want it.


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.2/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">   
                   
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('#btnAdd').click(function() {

        var num        = $('.searches').length;
        var newNum    = new Number(num + 1);

        // create the new element via clone(), and manipulate it's ID using newNum value
        var newElem = $('#search_' + num).clone().attr('id', 'search_' + newNum);

        //rename the fields to their new index
        newElem.find('select, input').each(function(i) {
            this.name= this.name.replace(/\[\d\]/, '['+newNum+']');
            this.id= this.id.replace(/_\d/, '_'+newNum);
        });

        // el = newElem.find('select[name*="columns"]')[0]; //select columns

        // alert(el.attr("name"));

        // insert the new element after the last "duplicatable" input field
        $('#search_' + num).after(newElem);

    });

});
</script>
</head>
<body>
   
    <form action='' method='post'>
       
    <div class='searches' id='search_1'>
        <select name='s[columns][1]' id='s_columns_1'>
            <option>title</option>
            <option>body</option>
        </select>       
        <select type='text' name='s[conditions][1]' id='s_conditions_1'>
            <option>like</option>
            <option>equals</option>           
        </select>
        <input type='text' name='s[values][1]' id='s_values_1'>
    </div>
   
    <button type='button' id='btnAdd'>Add</button>
    <input type='submit' value='search'>
   
    </form>
</body>
</html>






Cheers