he HTML DOM Document Object
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HTML DOM Nodes
In the HTML DOM (Document Object Model), everything is a node:
The document itself is a document node
All HTML elements are element nodes
All HTML attributes are attribute nodes
Text inside HTML elements are text nodes
Comments are comment nodes
The Document Object
When an HTML document is loaded into a web browser, it becomes
a document object.
The document object is the root node of the HTML document and the
"owner" of all other nodes:
(element nodes, text nodes, attribute nodes, and comment nodes).
The document object provides properties and methods to access all node
objects, from within JavaScript.
Tip: The document is a part of the Window object and can be accessed as
window.document.
Browser Support
Object
Document
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The Document Object is supported in all major browsers.
Document Object Properties and Methods
The following properties and methods can be used on HTML documents:
Property / Method
Description
document.activeElement
Returns the currently focused element in the document
document.addEventListener()
Attaches an event handler to the document
document.adoptNode()
Adopts a node from another document
document.anchors
Returns a collection of all <a> elements in the document that
document.applets
Returns a collection of all <applet> elements in the documen
document.baseURI
Returns the absolute base URI of a document
document.body
Sets or returns the document's body (the <body> element)
document.close()
Closes the output stream previously opened with document.o
document.cookie
Returns all name/value pairs of cookies in the document
document.createAttribute()
Creates an attribute node
document.createComment()
Creates a Comment node with the specified text
document.createDocumentFragment()
Creates an empty DocumentFragment node
document.createElement()
Creates an Element node
document.createTextNode()
Creates a Text node
document.doctype
Returns the Document Type Declaration associated with the
document.documentElement
Returns the Document Element of the document (the <html>
document.documentMode
Returns the mode used by the browser to render the documen
document.documentURI
Sets or returns the location of the document
document.domain
Returns the domain name of the server that loaded the docum
document.domConfig
Obsolete. Returns the DOM configuration of the document
document.embeds
Returns a collection of all <embed> elements the document
document.forms
Returns a collection of all <form> elements in the document
document.getElementById()
Returns the element that has the ID attribute with the specifie
document.getElementsByClassName()
Returns a NodeList containing all elements with the specifie
document.getElementsByName()
Returns a NodeList containing all elements with a specified n
document.getElementsByTagName()
Returns a NodeList containing all elements with the specifie
document.hasFocus()
Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the document ha
document.head
Returns the <head> element of the document
document.images
Returns a collection of all <img> elements in the document
document.implementation
Returns the DOMImplementation object that handles this do
document.importNode()
Imports a node from another document
document.inputEncoding
Returns the encoding, character set, used for the document
document.lastModified
Returns the date and time the document was last modified
document.links
Returns a collection of all <a> and <area> elements in the do
attribute
document.normalize()
Removes empty Text nodes, and joins adjacent nodes
document.normalizeDocument()
Removes empty Text nodes, and joins adjacent nodes
document.open()
Opens an HTML output stream to collect output from docum
document.querySelector()
Returns the first element that matches a specified CSS select
document.querySelectorAll()
Returns a static NodeList containing all elements that matche
selector(s) in the document
document.readyState
Returns the (loading) status of the document
document.referrer
Returns the URL of the document that loaded the current doc
document.removeEventListener()
Removes an event handler from the document (that has been
the addEventListener() method)
document.renameNode()
Renames the specified node
document.scripts
Returns a collection of <script> elements in the document
document.strictErrorChecking
Sets or returns whether error-checking is enforced or not
document.title
Sets or returns the title of th
