title: how to get a jquery variable value
body: <p>I have a jquery variable</p>
  
  <pre><code>$('#myValue')
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>In firebug if I hover over the variable at runtime I can see the the variable value "help". How can I get the the value "help" from the jquery variable and assign it to a javascript variable;</p>
  
  <p>I have tried: </p>
  
  <pre><code> var text = $('#myValue')
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>this jut creates an empty object</p>
  
  <p>I have also tried </p>
  
  <pre><code>  var text = $('#myValue').text()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Which returns an empty String "".</p>
  
  <p>And I have tried</p>
  
  <pre><code>var text = $('#myValue').val()
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Which returns undefined.</p>