JavaScript HTML DOM
With the HTML DOM, JavaScript can access and change all the elements of
an HTML document.
The HTML DOM (Document Object Model)
When a web page is loaded, the browser creates a Document Object Model of
the page.
The HTML DOM model is constructed as a tree of Objects:
The HTML DOM Tree of Objects
With the object model, JavaScript gets all the power it needs to create dynamic
HTML:
JavaScript can change all the HTML elements in the page
JavaScript can change all the HTML attributes in the page
JavaScript can change all the CSS styles in the page
JavaScript can remove existing HTML elements and attributes
JavaScript can add new HTML elements and attributes
JavaScript can react to all existing HTML events in the page
JavaScript can create new HTML events in the page
What You Will Learn
In the next chapters of this tutorial you will learn:
How to change the content of HTML elements
How to change the style (CSS) of HTML elements
How to react to HTML DOM events
How to add and delete HTML elements
What is the DOM?
The DOM is a W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) standard.
The DOM defines a standard for accessing documents:
"The W3C Document Object Model (DOM) is a platform and language-neutral
interface that allows programs and scripts to dynamically access and update the
content, structure, and style of a document."
The W3C DOM standard is separated into 3 different parts:
Core DOM - standard model for all document types
XML DOM - standard model for XML documents
HTML DOM - standard model for HTML documents
What is the HTML DOM?
The HTML DOM is a standard object model and programming interface for
HTML. It defines:
The HTML elements as objects
The properties of all HTML elements
The methods to access all HTML elements
The events for all HTML elements
In other words: The HTML DOM is a standard for how to get, change, add,
or delete HTML elements.
JavaScript - HTML DOM Methods
HTML DOM methods are actions you can perform (on HTML Elements).
HTML DOM properties are values (of HTML Elements) that you can set or
change.
The DOM Programming Interface
The HTML DOM can be accessed with JavaScript (and with other programming
languages).
In the DOM, all HTML elements are defined as objects.
The programming interface is the properties and methods of each object.
A property is a value that you can get or set (like changing the content of an
HTML element).
A method is an action you can do (like add or deleting an HTML element).
Example
The following example changes the content (the innerHTML) of the <p> element
with id="demo":
Example
<html>
<body>
<p id="demo"></p>
<script>
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "Hello World!";
</script>
</body>
</html>
The getElementById Method
The most common way to access an HTML element is to use the id of the
element. In the example above the getElementById method used id="demo" to find
the element.
The innerHTML Property
The easiest way to get the content of an element is by using
the innerHTML property. The innerHTML property is useful for getting or replacing
the content of HTML elements. The innerHTML property can be used to get or
change any HTML element, including <html> and <body>.
JavaScript HTML DOM Document
The HTML DOM document object is the owner of all other objects in your
web page.
The HTML DOM Document Object
The document object represents your web page. If you want to access any
element in an HTML page, you always start with accessing the document object.
Below are some examples of how you can use the document object to access
and manipulate HTML.
Finding HTML Elements
Method Description
document.getElementById(id) Find an element by element id
document.getElementsByTagName(name) Find elements by tag name
document.getElementsByClassName(name) Find elements by class name
Changing HTML Elements
Property Description
element.innerHTML = new html Change the inner HTML of an element
content
element.attribute = new value Change the attribute value of an HTML
element
element.style.property = new style Change the style of an HTML element
Method Description
element.setAttribute(attribute, value) Change the attribute value of an HTML
element
Adding and Deleting Elements
Method Description
document.createElement(element) Create an HTML element
document.removeChild(element) Remove an HTML element
document.appendChild(element) Add an HTML element
document.replaceChild(new, old) Replace an HTML element
document.write(text) Write into the HTML output stream
Adding Events Handlers
Method Description
document.getElementById(id).onclick = Adding event handler code to
function(){code} an onclick event
Finding HTML Objects
The first HTML DOM Level 1 (1998), defined 11 HTML objects, object collections,
and properties. These are still valid in HTML5.
Later, in HTML DOM Level 3, more objects, collections, and properties were
added.
Property Description DOM
document.anchors Returns all <a> elements that have a 1
name attribute
document.applets Deprecated 1
document.baseURI Returns the absolute base URI of the 3
document
document.body Returns the <body> element 1
document.cookie Returns the document's cookie 1
document.doctype Returns the document's doctype 3
document.documentElement Returns the <html> element 3
document.documentMode Returns the mode used by the browser 3
document.documentURI Returns the URI of the document 3
document.domain Returns the domain name of the 1
document server
document.domConfig Obsolete. 3
document.embeds Returns all <embed> elements 3
document.forms Returns all <form> elements 1
document.head Returns the <head> element 3
document.images Returns all <img> elements 1
document.implementation Returns the DOM implementation 3
document.inputEncoding Returns the document's encoding 3
(character set)
document.lastModified Returns the date and time the document 3
was updated
document.links Returns all <area> and <a> elements 1
that have a href attribute
document.readyState Returns the (loading) status of the 3
document
document.referrer Returns the URI of the referrer (the 1
linking document)
document.scripts Returns all <script> elements 3
document.strictErrorChecking Returns if error checking is enforced 3
document.title Returns the <title> element 1
document.URL Returns the complete URL of the 1
document
JavaScript HTML DOM Elements
This page teaches you how to find and access HTML elements in an HTML
page.
Finding HTML Elements
Often, with JavaScript, you want to manipulate HTML elements. To do so, you
have to find the elements first. There are several ways to do this:
Finding HTML elements by id
Finding HTML elements by tag name
Finding HTML elements by class name
Finding HTML elements by CSS selectors
Finding HTML elements by HTML object collections
Finding HTML Element by Id
The easiest way to find an HTML element in the DOM, is by using the element
id. This example finds the element with id="intro":
Example
const element = document.getElementById("intro");
If the element is found, the method will return the element as an object (in
element).
If the element is not found, element will contain null.
Finding HTML Elements by Tag Name
This example finds all <p> elements:
Example
const element = document.getElementsByTagName("p");
This example finds the element with id="main", and then finds all <p> elements
inside "main":
Example
const x = document.getElementById("main");
const y = x.getElementsByTagName("p");
Finding HTML Elements by Class Name
If you want to find all HTML elements with the same class name,
use getElementsByClassName().
This example returns a list of all elements with class="intro".
Example
const x = document.getElementsByClassName("intro");
Finding HTML Elements by CSS Selectors
If you want to find all HTML elements that match a specified CSS selector (id,
class names, types, attributes, values of attributes, etc), use
the querySelectorAll() method.
This example returns a list of all <p> elements with class="intro".
Example
const x = document.querySelectorAll("p.intro");
Finding HTML Elements by HTML Object
Collections
This example finds the form element with id="frm1", in the forms collection,
and displays all element values:
Example
const x = document.forms["frm1"];
let text = "";
for (let i = 0; i < x.length; i++) {
text += x.elements[i].value + "<br>";
}
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = text;
JavaScript HTML DOM - Changing HTML
The HTML DOM allows JavaScript to change the content of HTML elements.
Changing HTML Content
The easiest way to modify the content of an HTML element is by using
the innerHTML property. To change the content of an HTML element, use this
syntax:
document.getElementById(id).innerHTML = new HTML
This example changes the content of a <p> element:
Example
<html>
<body>
<p id="p1">Hello World!</p>
<script>
document.getElementById("p1").innerHTML = "New text!";
</script>
</body>
</html>
Example explained:
The HTML document above contains a <p> element with id="p1"
We use the HTML DOM to get the element with id="p1"
A JavaScript changes the content (innerHTML) of that element to "New
text!"
This example changes the content of an <h1> element:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1 id="id01">Old Heading</h1>
<script>
const element = document.getElementById("id01");
element.innerHTML = "New Heading";
</script>
</body>
</html>
Example explained:
The HTML document above contains an <h1> element with id="id01"
We use the HTML DOM to get the element with id="id01"
A JavaScript changes the content (innerHTML) of that element to "New
Heading"
Changing the Value of an Attribute
To change the value of an HTML attribute, use this syntax:
document.getElementById(id).attribute = new value
This example changes the value of the src attribute of an <img> element:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<img id="myImage" src="smiley.gif">
<script>
document.getElementById("myImage").src = "landscape.jpg";
</script>
</body>
</html>
Example explained:
The HTML document above contains an <img> element with id="myImage"
We use the HTML DOM to get the element with id="myImage"
A JavaScript changes the src attribute of that element from "smiley.gif"
to "landscape.jpg"
Dynamic HTML content
JavaScript can create dynamic HTML content:
Date : Tue Apr 11 2023 11:36:53 GMT+0100 (West Africa Standard Time)
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<script>
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = "Date : " + Date(); </script>
</body>
</html>
document.write()
In JavaScript, document.write() can be used to write directly to the HTML
output stream:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<p>Bla bla bla</p>
<script>
document.write(Date());
</script>
<p>Bla bla bla</p>
</body>
</html>
JavaScript Forms
JavaScript Form Validation
HTML form validation can be done by JavaScript. If a form field (fname) is
empty, this function alerts a message, and returns false, to prevent the form
from being submitted:
JavaScript Example
function validateForm() {
let x = document.forms["myForm"]["fname"].value;
if (x == "") {
alert("Name must be filled out");
return false;
}
}
The function can be called when the form is submitted:
HTML Form Example
<form name="myForm" action="/action_page.php" onsubmit="return
validateForm()" method="post">
Name: <input type="text" name="fname">
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
JavaScript Can Validate Numeric Input
JavaScript is often used to validate numeric input:
Please input a number between 1 and 10
Submit
Automatic HTML Form Validation
HTML form validation can be performed automatically by the browser:
If a form field (fname) is empty, the required attribute prevents this form from
being submitted:
HTML Form Example
<form action="/action_page.php" method="post">
<input type="text" name="fname" required>
<input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>
Automatic HTML form validation does not work in Internet Explorer 9 or earlier.
Data Validation
Data validation is the process of ensuring that user input is clean, correct, and
useful.
Typical validation tasks are:
has the user filled in all required fields?
has the user entered a valid date?
has the user entered text in a numeric field?
Most often, the purpose of data validation is to ensure correct user input.
Validation can be defined by many different methods, and deployed in many
different ways.
Server side validation is performed by a web server, after input has been
sent to the server.
Client side validation is performed by a web browser, before input is sent to a
web server.
HTML Constraint Validation
HTML5 introduced a new HTML validation concept called constraint validation.
HTML constraint validation is based on:
Constraint validation HTML Input Attributes
Constraint validation CSS Pseudo Selectors
Constraint validation DOM Properties and Methods
Constraint Validation HTML Input Attributes
Attribute Description
disabled Specifies that the input element should be disabled
max Specifies the maximum value of an input element
min Specifies the minimum value of an input element
pattern Specifies the value pattern of an input element
required Specifies that the input field requires an element
type Specifies the type of an input element
For a full list, go to HTML Input Attributes.
Constraint Validation CSS Pseudo Selectors
Selector Description
:disabled Selects input elements with the "disabled" attribute specified
:invalid Selects input elements with invalid values
:optional Selects input elements with no "required" attribute specified
:required Selects input elements with the "required" attribute specified
:valid Selects input elements with valid values
JavaScript HTML DOM - Changing CSS
The HTML DOM allows JavaScript to change the style of HTML elements.
Changing HTML Style
To change the style of an HTML element, use this syntax:
document.getElementById(id).style.property = new style
The following example changes the style of a <p> element:
Example
<html>
<body>
<p id="p2">Hello World!</p>
<script>
document.getElementById("p2").style.color = "blue";
</script>
</body>
</html>
Using Events
The HTML DOM allows you to execute code when an event occurs.
Events are generated by the browser when "things happen" to HTML elements:
An element is clicked on
The page has loaded
Input fields are changed
You will learn more about events in the next chapter of this tutorial.
This example changes the style of the HTML element with id="id1", when the
user clicks a button:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1 id="id1">My Heading 1</h1>
<button type="button"
onclick="document.getElementById('id1').style.color = 'red'">
Click Me!</button>
</body>
</html>
