HTML DOM Level 2 Reference: HTMLElement

HTMLElement is the parent class of all HTML elements.

Browser/User Agent Support

IE Mozilla Netscape Opera Safari Netscapte
3.0+ 1.0+ 2.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

IE	Mozilla	Netscape	Opera	Safari	Netscapte
3.0+	1.0+	2.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

Constructors

Constructor IE Mozilla Netscape Opera Safari Netscapte
HTMLElement Constructor
HTMLElement is the parent class of all HTML elements.
3.0+ 1.0+ 2.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

Constructor	IE	Mozilla	Netscape	Opera	Safari	Netscapte
HTMLElement Constructor HTMLElement is the parent class of all HTML elements.	3.0+	1.0+	2.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

Properties

Property IE Mozilla Netscape Opera Safari Netscapte
accessKey
Character for the hotkey that gives focus to the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

all
Array of all of the elements in the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

align
Alignment property for the element. Used for display elements. (e.g. "center")
4.0+ no no no no no

attributes
Array of attributes for the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

begin
Gets or sets a time delay to lapse before the element starts "playing".
5.5+ no no no no no

behaviorUrns
Array of behaviors attached to the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

canHaveChildren
If true, indicates that the element can have child nodes.
5.0+ no no no no no

canHaveHTML
If true, indicates that the element can contain HTML tags.
5.5+ no no no no no

childNodes
Array of the child nodes of the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

children
Array of the child nodes of the element.
4.0+ no no 8.0+ 1.3+ no

className
Name of the CSS class that the element belongs to.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

clientHeight
Height of the content of the element (in pixels).
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

clientLeft
Number of pixels between the offsetLeft property of the element and the start of the content of the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

clientTop
Number of pixels between the offsetTop property of the element and the top of the content of the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

clientWidth
Width of the content of the element (in pixels).
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

contentEditable
Indicates whether the content of the element is editable. Possible values are "inherit", "true", or "false".
5.5+ no no no no no

currentStyle
Reference to the Style object specifying the styles applied to the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

dir
Direction of the text in the element. Possible values are "ltr" (left-to-right) or "rtl" (right-to-left).
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

disabled
If true, indicates that the element is disabled.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

document
Reference to the parent Document object for the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

filters
Array of Microsoft CSS filters on the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

firstChild
Reference to the first child element of the element, if one exists.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

hasMedia
If true, indicates that the element is an HTML+TIME media element.
5.5+ no no no no no

hideFocus
If true, the element does not give any visual cues to indicate when it has focus.
5.5+ no no no no no

id
Unique identifier for the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

innerHTML
HTML content within the tags of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: Buggy on Mac.
innerText
Text string enclosed by the tags of the element. Any HTML tags will be interpreted as part of the text string, not as HTML.
4.0+ no 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

isContentEditable
If true, indicates that the user can edit the contents of the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

isDisabled
If true, indicates that the element is disabled from user interaction.
5.5+ no no no no no

isTextEdit
If true, indicates that a TextRange object can be created using the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

lang
Language code for the content of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

language
4.0+ no no no no no

lastChild
Reference to the last child element of the element, if it exists.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

localName
Local XML name for the element.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

namespaceURI
The XML Namespace URI for the element.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

nextSibling
Reference to the next sibling element of the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

nodeName
Name of the element tag.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.3+ no

nodeType
Node type for the element. See Remarks for full explanation.
5.5+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.3+ no
IE: IE 5.0 on Windows does not assign nodeType attributes. Fixed in IE 5.5.
nodeValue
Value of the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.3+ no

offsetHeight
Height of the element (in pixels).
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

offsetLeft
Number of pixels the left edge of the element is offset from the left edge of its parent element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

offsetParent
Reference to the parent object corresponding with the offsetHeight, offsetWidth, offsetLeft, and offsetTop properties.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

offsetTop
Number of pixels the top edge of the element is offset from the top edge of its parent element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

offsetWidth
Width of the element (in pixels).
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

onactivate
Fires when the element becomes active.
4.0+ no no no no no

onbeforecopy
Fires immediately before the selection is copied to the clipboard.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onbeforecut
Fires immediately before the selection is cut to the clipboard.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onbeforedeactivate
Fires immediately before the element stops being the active element.
4.0+ no no no no no

onbeforeeditfocus
Fires immediately before the element receives focus prior to being edited.
4.0+ no no no no no

onbeforepaste
Fires immediately before the selection is pasted from the clipboard to the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onblur
Fires when the element loses focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onclick
Fires when the element is clicked.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

oncontextmenu
Fires when the element is right-clicked and the context menu opens.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

oncontrolselect
Fires immediately before the element is selected.
4.0+ no no no no no

oncopy
Fires when the element is copied to the clipboard.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

oncut
Fires when the element is cut to the clipboard.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondblclick
Fires when the element is double-clicked.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

ondeactivate
Fires when the active element becomes inactive.
4.0+ no no no no no

ondrag
Fires when the element is dragged.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondragend
Fires when the element is released from being dragged.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondragenter
Fires when the element has another object dragged onto it that can be dropped on the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondragleave
Fires when an element has an object dragged out of it that could be dropped onto the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondragover
Fires when an element has an object dragged over it that could be dropped onto the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondragstart
Fires immediately before an element is dragged.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

ondrop
Fires when an object is dropped onto the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onfilterchange
Fires when the CSS Filter of an element changes or finishes transitioning.
4.0+ no no no no no

onfocus
Fires when the element receives focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onhelp
Fires when a user presses the F1 key to activate help.
4.0+ no no no no no

onkeydown
Fires when a user presses down on a key while the element has focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onkeypress
Fires when a user presses a key or holds down the key while the element has focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onkeyup
Fires when a user releases a key while the element has focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onlosecapture
Fires when the element loses mouse capture.
4.0+ no no no no no

onmousedown
Fires when a user clicks down on the mouse button while the element has focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onmouseenter
Fires when the mouse pointer enters the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

onmouseleave
Fires when the mouse pointer leaves the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

onmousemove
Fires when the mouse moves while the pointer over the element.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onmouseout
Fires when the mouse pointer moves off of the element.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onmouseover
Fires when the mouse pointer moves over the element.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onmouseup
Fires when the user releases the mouse button while the element has focus.
2.0+ 1.0+ 1.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

onpaste
Fires when the clipboard contents are pasted onto the element.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onpropertychange
Fires when one of the properties of the element changes.
4.0+ no no no no no

onreadystatechange
Fires when the ready state of the element changes.
4.0+ no no no no no

onresize
Fires immediately before an element is about to be resized.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

onresizeend
Fires when the element is finished being resized.
4.0+ no no no no no

onresizestart
Fires immediately before a user resizes the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

onselectstart
Fires immediately before the element is selected.
4.0+ no no no 1.0+ no

outerHTML
HTML mark-up for an element, including start and end tags and any content between the tags.
4.0+ no no 8.0+ 1.3+ no

outerText
Plain text for an element, including start and end tags.
4.0+ no no 8.0+ 1.3+ no

ownerDocument
Reference to the document that contains the element.
6.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

parentElement
Reference to the direct parent element of the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

parentNode
Reference to the direct parent node of the element, if it exists.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

parentTextEdit
Reference to the closest parent element to the current element that can create a TextRange that contains the current element.
4.0+ no no no no no

prefix
Prefix XML name for the element.
no 1.0+ no 4.0+ 1.0+ no

previousSibling
Reference to the previous sibling element of the element, if it exists.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 4.0+ 1.0+ no

readyState
Current readiness state of the element. See Remarks for possible values.
4.0+ no no no no no

recordNumber
Record number for the data set that generated the element.
4.0+ no no no no no

runtimeStyle
Reference to the Style object specifying the current runtime style(s) of the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

scopeName
XML scope of the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

scrollHeight
Height (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

scrollLeft
Number of pixels between the actual left edge of the element to the displayed left edge of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

scrollTop
Number of pixels between the actual top edge of the element to the displayed top edge of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

scrollWidth
Width (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

sourceIndex
Index of the element in the Document.all[] array.
4.0+ no no 8.0+ no no

style
Reference to the inline CSS style for the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

syncMaster
If true, indicates that the time container of the element must synchronize playback with the element. Default is false.
5.5+ no no no no no

tabIndex
Indicates the tab order index for the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

tagName
HTML tag name for the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.3+ no

tagURN
URN for the XML Namespace of the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

timeContainer
Gets or sets the type of timeline that corresponds to the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

title
Value of the title attribute for the element.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

uniqueID
System-generated unique identifier for the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

Property	IE	Mozilla	Netscape	Opera	Safari	Netscapte
accessKey Character for the hotkey that gives focus to the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

all Array of all of the elements in the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

align Alignment property for the element. Used for display elements. (e.g. "center")	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

attributes Array of attributes for the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

begin Gets or sets a time delay to lapse before the element starts "playing".	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

behaviorUrns Array of behaviors attached to the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

canHaveChildren If true, indicates that the element can have child nodes.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

canHaveHTML If true, indicates that the element can contain HTML tags.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

childNodes Array of the child nodes of the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

children Array of the child nodes of the element.	4.0+	no	no	8.0+	1.3+	no

className Name of the CSS class that the element belongs to.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

clientHeight Height of the content of the element (in pixels).	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

clientLeft Number of pixels between the offsetLeft property of the element and the start of the content of the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

clientTop Number of pixels between the offsetTop property of the element and the top of the content of the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

clientWidth Width of the content of the element (in pixels).	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

contentEditable Indicates whether the content of the element is editable. Possible values are "inherit", "true", or "false".	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

currentStyle Reference to the Style object specifying the styles applied to the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

dir Direction of the text in the element. Possible values are "ltr" (left-to-right) or "rtl" (right-to-left).	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

disabled If true, indicates that the element is disabled.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

document Reference to the parent Document object for the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

filters Array of Microsoft CSS filters on the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

firstChild Reference to the first child element of the element, if one exists.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

hasMedia If true, indicates that the element is an HTML+TIME media element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

hideFocus If true, the element does not give any visual cues to indicate when it has focus.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

id Unique identifier for the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

innerHTML HTML content within the tags of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no
IE: Buggy on Mac.
innerText Text string enclosed by the tags of the element. Any HTML tags will be interpreted as part of the text string, not as HTML.	4.0+	no	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

isContentEditable If true, indicates that the user can edit the contents of the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

isDisabled If true, indicates that the element is disabled from user interaction.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

isTextEdit If true, indicates that a TextRange object can be created using the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

lang Language code for the content of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

language	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

lastChild Reference to the last child element of the element, if it exists.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

localName Local XML name for the element.	no	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

namespaceURI The XML Namespace URI for the element.	no	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

nextSibling Reference to the next sibling element of the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

nodeName Name of the element tag.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.3+	no

nodeType Node type for the element. See Remarks for full explanation.	5.5+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.3+	no
IE: IE 5.0 on Windows does not assign nodeType attributes. Fixed in IE 5.5.
nodeValue Value of the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.3+	no

offsetHeight Height of the element (in pixels).	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

offsetLeft Number of pixels the left edge of the element is offset from the left edge of its parent element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

offsetParent Reference to the parent object corresponding with the offsetHeight, offsetWidth, offsetLeft, and offsetTop properties.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

offsetTop Number of pixels the top edge of the element is offset from the top edge of its parent element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

offsetWidth Width of the element (in pixels).	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

onactivate Fires when the element becomes active.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onbeforecopy Fires immediately before the selection is copied to the clipboard.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onbeforecut Fires immediately before the selection is cut to the clipboard.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onbeforedeactivate Fires immediately before the element stops being the active element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onbeforeeditfocus Fires immediately before the element receives focus prior to being edited.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onbeforepaste Fires immediately before the selection is pasted from the clipboard to the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onblur Fires when the element loses focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onclick Fires when the element is clicked.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

oncontextmenu Fires when the element is right-clicked and the context menu opens.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

oncontrolselect Fires immediately before the element is selected.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

oncopy Fires when the element is copied to the clipboard.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

oncut Fires when the element is cut to the clipboard.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondblclick Fires when the element is double-clicked.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

ondeactivate Fires when the active element becomes inactive.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

ondrag Fires when the element is dragged.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondragend Fires when the element is released from being dragged.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondragenter Fires when the element has another object dragged onto it that can be dropped on the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondragleave Fires when an element has an object dragged out of it that could be dropped onto the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondragover Fires when an element has an object dragged over it that could be dropped onto the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondragstart Fires immediately before an element is dragged.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

ondrop Fires when an object is dropped onto the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onfilterchange Fires when the CSS Filter of an element changes or finishes transitioning.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onfocus Fires when the element receives focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onhelp Fires when a user presses the F1 key to activate help.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onkeydown Fires when a user presses down on a key while the element has focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onkeypress Fires when a user presses a key or holds down the key while the element has focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onkeyup Fires when a user releases a key while the element has focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onlosecapture Fires when the element loses mouse capture.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onmousedown Fires when a user clicks down on the mouse button while the element has focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onmouseenter Fires when the mouse pointer enters the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onmouseleave Fires when the mouse pointer leaves the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onmousemove Fires when the mouse moves while the pointer over the element.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onmouseout Fires when the mouse pointer moves off of the element.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onmouseover Fires when the mouse pointer moves over the element.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onmouseup Fires when the user releases the mouse button while the element has focus.	2.0+	1.0+	1.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

onpaste Fires when the clipboard contents are pasted onto the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onpropertychange Fires when one of the properties of the element changes.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onreadystatechange Fires when the ready state of the element changes.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onresize Fires immediately before an element is about to be resized.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

onresizeend Fires when the element is finished being resized.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onresizestart Fires immediately before a user resizes the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

onselectstart Fires immediately before the element is selected.	4.0+	no	no	no	1.0+	no

outerHTML HTML mark-up for an element, including start and end tags and any content between the tags.	4.0+	no	no	8.0+	1.3+	no

outerText Plain text for an element, including start and end tags.	4.0+	no	no	8.0+	1.3+	no

ownerDocument Reference to the document that contains the element.	6.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

parentElement Reference to the direct parent element of the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

parentNode Reference to the direct parent node of the element, if it exists.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

parentTextEdit Reference to the closest parent element to the current element that can create a TextRange that contains the current element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

prefix Prefix XML name for the element.	no	1.0+	no	4.0+	1.0+	no

previousSibling Reference to the previous sibling element of the element, if it exists.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	4.0+	1.0+	no

readyState Current readiness state of the element. See Remarks for possible values.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

recordNumber Record number for the data set that generated the element.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

runtimeStyle Reference to the Style object specifying the current runtime style(s) of the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

scopeName XML scope of the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

scrollHeight Height (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

scrollLeft Number of pixels between the actual left edge of the element to the displayed left edge of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

scrollTop Number of pixels between the actual top edge of the element to the displayed top edge of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

scrollWidth Width (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

sourceIndex Index of the element in the Document.all[] array.	4.0+	no	no	8.0+	no	no

style Reference to the inline CSS style for the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

syncMaster If true, indicates that the time container of the element must synchronize playback with the element. Default is false.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

tabIndex Indicates the tab order index for the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

tagName HTML tag name for the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.3+	no

tagURN URN for the XML Namespace of the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

timeContainer Gets or sets the type of timeline that corresponds to the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

title Value of the title attribute for the element.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

uniqueID System-generated unique identifier for the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

Methods

Method IE Mozilla Netscape Opera Safari Netscapte
addBehavior
Attaches a behavior to the element as specified in url.
5.0+ no no no no no

addEventListener
Attaches an event listener to an HTMLElement that executes a function when the specified event occurs.
no 1.0+ no 7.0+ 1.0+ no

appendChild
Appends a child element to the end of the childNodes[] array for the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: Appending an "option" element to a "select" element may crash IE 5.0 on Windows.
applyElement
Adds a new element to the current element either as a child or parent of the current element.
5.5+ no no no no no

attachEvent
Attaches the specified event handler and function to the element so that every time the event fires, the function is called.
5.0+ no no 8.0+ no no

blur
Removes focus from the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 3.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

clearAttributes
Removes all attributes and values from the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

click
Simulates a mouse click on the element. Fires the onclick event.
4.0+ 1.0+ 2.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

cloneNode
Clones a node and returns the new node.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: On a Mac, IE 5.0 does not clone the event handlers for an element.
componentFromPoint
Returns a string describing the component at the specified location.
5.0+ no no no no no

contains
Returns true if the HTMLElement contains the specified element.
5.0+ no no 8.0+ no no

detachEvent
Detaches the specified function from the event handler so that the function is no longer called when the event fires.
5.0+ no no 8.0+ no no

dispatchEvent
Redirects the specified event instance to be processed by the appropriate handler.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

dragDrop
Fires a drag event on the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

fireEvent
Fires an instance of the specified event.
5.5+ no no no no no

focus
Gives focus to the element.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

getAdjacentText
Gets the string of text in the position specified by where.
5.0+ no no no no no

getAttribute
Gets the value of the specified attribute.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

getAttributeNode
Gets the node of the specified attribute.
6.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

getBoundingClientRect
Returns a TextRectangle that marks the top, bottom, left, and right boundaries (in pixels) of the content of the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

getClientRects
Returns a collection of all of the TextRectangle objects contained by the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

getElementsByTagName
Returns an array of Element nodes with the specified tag name.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: Does not work in IE 5.0 on Windows.
getExpression
Returns the property expression specified by propertyName.
5.0+ no no no no no

hasAttribute
Determines if the given attribute exists on this element.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.3+ no

hasAttributes
Returns true if the node is an element node with attributes.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.3+ no

hasChildNodes
Returns true if the node has child nodes.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no

insertAdjacentElement
Inserts the specified Element object adjacent to this element.
5.0+ no no no no no

insertAdjacentHTML
Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Parsed as HTML.
4.0+ no no no no no

insertAdjacentText
Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Not parsed as HTML.
4.0+ no no no no no

insertBefore
Inserts a new child node in front of the reference child node.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no

isSupported
Returns true if the specified feature and version are supported.
no 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no

mergeAttributes
Merges the attributes from the source element to the current element.
5.0+ no no no no no

normalize
Merges text nodes adjacent to the element to create a normalized DOM.
N/A 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ no no
IE: May crash IE 6.0.
releaseCapture
Stops the mouse from capturing events on the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

removeAttribute
Removes an attribute by name
6.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: IE does not remove events.
removeAttributeNode
Removes the specified attribute node
6.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: Minimal support in IE 6.0 (Windows) and IE 5 (Mac).
removeBehavior
Removes the specified attribute node
5.0+ no no no no no

removeChild
Removes the specified child node from the element and returns the node.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no

removeEventListener
Removes an event listener from an event target.
no 1.0+ no 7.0+ 1.0+ no

removeExpression
Removes the specified property expression from the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

replaceAdjacentText
Replaces the current text adjacent to the element with the specified text.
5.0+ no no no no no

replaceChild
Removes the specified child node, replaces it with another node, and returns the removed node.
5.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no

replaceNode
Replaces the current node with the node specified in newNode.
5.0+ no no no no no

scrollIntoView
Immediately scrolls the element into the viewable portion of the web page.
4.0+ 1.0+ 7.0+ no no no

setActive
Sets this element as "active" without giving focus to the element.
5.5+ no no no no no

setAttribute
Adds a new attribute.
4.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 7.0+ 1.0+ no
IE: IE removes event attributes when you try to set style attributes.
setAttributeNode
Adds the given attribute node
6.0+ 1.0+ 6.0+ 8.0+ 1.0+ no
Safari: Safari will create the attribute, but you will have to use nodeValue to set its value.
setCapture
Sets mouse capture to the element.
5.0+ no no no no no

setExpression
Sets the specified expression on the specified property of an element.
5.0+ no no no no no

swapNode
Swaps the current node with the specified node in the document.
5.0+ no no no no no

unwatch
Removes the watchpoint from the specified property.
no no 4.0+ no no no

watch
Sets a watch point on a property. When the value of that property changes, the specified handler is automatically invoked.
no no 4.0+ no no no

Method	IE	Mozilla	Netscape	Opera	Safari	Netscapte
addBehavior Attaches a behavior to the element as specified in url.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

addEventListener Attaches an event listener to an HTMLElement that executes a function when the specified event occurs.	no	1.0+	no	7.0+	1.0+	no

appendChild Appends a child element to the end of the childNodes[] array for the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no
IE: Appending an "option" element to a "select" element may crash IE 5.0 on Windows.
applyElement Adds a new element to the current element either as a child or parent of the current element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

attachEvent Attaches the specified event handler and function to the element so that every time the event fires, the function is called.	5.0+	no	no	8.0+	no	no

blur Removes focus from the element.	5.0+	1.0+	3.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

clearAttributes Removes all attributes and values from the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

click Simulates a mouse click on the element. Fires the onclick event.	4.0+	1.0+	2.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

cloneNode Clones a node and returns the new node.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no
IE: On a Mac, IE 5.0 does not clone the event handlers for an element.
componentFromPoint Returns a string describing the component at the specified location.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

contains Returns true if the HTMLElement contains the specified element.	5.0+	no	no	8.0+	no	no

detachEvent Detaches the specified function from the event handler so that the function is no longer called when the event fires.	5.0+	no	no	8.0+	no	no

dispatchEvent Redirects the specified event instance to be processed by the appropriate handler.	no	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

dragDrop Fires a drag event on the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

fireEvent Fires an instance of the specified event.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

focus Gives focus to the element.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

getAdjacentText Gets the string of text in the position specified by where.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

getAttribute Gets the value of the specified attribute.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

getAttributeNode Gets the node of the specified attribute.	6.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

getBoundingClientRect Returns a TextRectangle that marks the top, bottom, left, and right boundaries (in pixels) of the content of the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

getClientRects Returns a collection of all of the TextRectangle objects contained by the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

getElementsByTagName Returns an array of `Element` nodes with the specified tag name.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no
IE: Does not work in IE 5.0 on Windows.
getExpression Returns the property expression specified by propertyName.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

hasAttribute Determines if the given attribute exists on this element.	no	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.3+	no

hasAttributes Returns true if the node is an element node with attributes.	no	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.3+	no

hasChildNodes Returns true if the node has child nodes.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no

insertAdjacentElement Inserts the specified Element object adjacent to this element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

insertAdjacentHTML Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Parsed as HTML.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

insertAdjacentText Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Not parsed as HTML.	4.0+	no	no	no	no	no

insertBefore Inserts a new child node in front of the reference child node.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no

isSupported Returns true if the specified feature and version are supported.	no	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no

mergeAttributes Merges the attributes from the source element to the current element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

normalize Merges text nodes adjacent to the element to create a normalized DOM.	N/A	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	no	no
IE: May crash IE 6.0.
releaseCapture Stops the mouse from capturing events on the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

removeAttribute Removes an attribute by name	6.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no
IE: IE does not remove events.
removeAttributeNode Removes the specified attribute node	6.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no
IE: Minimal support in IE 6.0 (Windows) and IE 5 (Mac).
removeBehavior Removes the specified attribute node	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

removeChild Removes the specified child node from the element and returns the node.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no

removeEventListener Removes an event listener from an event target.	no	1.0+	no	7.0+	1.0+	no

removeExpression Removes the specified property expression from the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

replaceAdjacentText Replaces the current text adjacent to the element with the specified text.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

replaceChild Removes the specified child node, replaces it with another node, and returns the removed node.	5.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no

replaceNode Replaces the current node with the node specified in newNode.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

scrollIntoView Immediately scrolls the element into the viewable portion of the web page.	4.0+	1.0+	7.0+	no	no	no

setActive Sets this element as "active" without giving focus to the element.	5.5+	no	no	no	no	no

setAttribute Adds a new attribute.	4.0+	1.0+	6.0+	7.0+	1.0+	no
IE: IE removes event attributes when you try to set style attributes.
setAttributeNode Adds the given attribute node	6.0+	1.0+	6.0+	8.0+	1.0+	no
Safari: Safari will create the attribute, but you will have to use nodeValue to set its value.
setCapture Sets mouse capture to the element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

setExpression Sets the specified expression on the specified property of an element.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

swapNode Swaps the current node with the specified node in the document.	5.0+	no	no	no	no	no

unwatch Removes the watchpoint from the specified property.	no	no	4.0+	no	no	no

watch Sets a watch point on a property. When the value of that property changes, the specified handler is automatically invoked.	no	no	4.0+	no	no	no

References

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

Constructor Detail

HTMLElement HTMLElement()

HTMLElement is the parent class of all HTML elements.

Visibility: internal

Property Detail

String accessKey

Character for the hotkey that gives focus to the element.

Array all - read only

Array of all of the elements in the element.

String align

Alignment property for the element. Used for display elements. (e.g. "center")

Array attributes - read only

Array of attributes for the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String begin

Gets or sets a time delay to lapse before the element starts "playing".

Array behaviorUrns - read only

Array of behaviors attached to the element.

Boolean canHaveChildren - read only

If true, indicates that the element can have child nodes.

Boolean canHaveHTML - read only

If true, indicates that the element can contain HTML tags.

Array childNodes - read only

Array of the child nodes of the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/children.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Array children - read only

Array of the child nodes of the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/children.html

String className

Name of the CSS class that the element belongs to.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/taginfo.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

Number clientHeight - read only

Height of the content of the element (in pixels).

Number clientLeft - read only

Number of pixels between the offsetLeft property of the element and the start of the content of the element.

Number clientTop - read only

Number of pixels between the offsetTop property of the element and the top of the content of the element.

Number clientWidth - read only

Width of the content of the element (in pixels).

String contentEditable

Indicates whether the content of the element is editable. Possible values are "inherit", "true", or "false".

Object currentStyle - read only

Reference to the Style object specifying the styles applied to the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/style.html

String dir

Direction of the text in the element. Possible values are "ltr" (left-to-right) or "rtl" (right-to-left).

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/taginfo.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

Boolean disabled

If true, indicates that the element is disabled.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/stylesheets.html

Object document

Reference to the parent Document object for the element.

Array filters - read only

Array of Microsoft CSS filters on the element.

Object firstChild - read only

Reference to the first child element of the element, if one exists.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Boolean hasMedia

If true, indicates that the element is an HTML+TIME media element.

Boolean hideFocus

If true, the element does not give any visual cues to indicate when it has focus.

String id

Unique identifier for the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/taginfo.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

String innerHTML

HTML content within the tags of the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/innerhtml.html

String innerText

Text string enclosed by the tags of the element. Any HTML tags will be interpreted as part of the text string, not as HTML.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/innerhtml.html

Boolean isContentEditable - read only

If true, indicates that the user can edit the contents of the element.

Boolean isDisabled - read only

If true, indicates that the element is disabled from user interaction.

Boolean isTextEdit - read only

If true, indicates that a TextRange object can be created using the element.

String lang

Language code for the content of the element.

Availability: HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

String language

Object lastChild

Reference to the last child element of the element, if it exists.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String localName - read only

Local XML name for the element.

String namespaceURI - read only

The XML Namespace URI for the element.

Object nextSibling - read only

Reference to the next sibling element of the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String nodeName - read only

Name of the element tag.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/aboutnodes.html

Remarks

Returns an uppercase tag name.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Number nodeType - read only

Node type for the element. See Remarks for full explanation.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/aboutnodes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String nodeValue

Value of the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/aboutnodes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Number offsetHeight - read only

Height of the element (in pixels).

See Also: offsetLeft | offsetParent | offsetTop | offsetWidth

Number offsetLeft - read only

Number of pixels the left edge of the element is offset from the left edge of its parent element.

See Also: offsetHeight | offsetParent | offsetTop | offsetWidth

Object offsetParent - read only

Reference to the parent object corresponding with the offsetHeight, offsetWidth, offsetLeft, and offsetTop properties.

See Also: offsetHeight | offsetLeft | offsetTop | offsetWidth

Number offsetTop - read only

Number of pixels the top edge of the element is offset from the top edge of its parent element.

Number offsetWidth - read only

Width of the element (in pixels).

Function onactivate - read only

Fires when the element becomes active.

Function onbeforecopy - read only

Fires immediately before the selection is copied to the clipboard.

Function onbeforecut - read only

Fires immediately before the selection is cut to the clipboard.

Function onbeforedeactivate - read only

Fires immediately before the element stops being the active element.

Function onbeforeeditfocus - read only

Fires immediately before the element receives focus prior to being edited.

Function onbeforepaste - read only

Fires immediately before the selection is pasted from the clipboard to the element.

Function onblur - read only

Fires when the element loses focus.

Function onclick - read only

Fires when the element is clicked.

Function oncontextmenu - read only

Fires when the element is right-clicked and the context menu opens.

Function oncontrolselect - read only

Fires immediately before the element is selected.

Function oncopy - read only

Fires when the element is copied to the clipboard.

Function oncut - read only

Fires when the element is cut to the clipboard.

Function ondblclick - read only

Fires when the element is double-clicked.

Function ondeactivate - read only

Fires when the active element becomes inactive.

Function ondrag - read only

Fires when the element is dragged.

Function ondragend - read only

Fires when the element is released from being dragged.

Function ondragenter - read only

Fires when the element has another object dragged onto it that can be dropped on the element.

Function ondragleave - read only

Fires when an element has an object dragged out of it that could be dropped onto the element.

Function ondragover - read only

Fires when an element has an object dragged over it that could be dropped onto the element.

Function ondragstart - read only

Fires immediately before an element is dragged.

Function ondrop - read only

Fires when an object is dropped onto the element.

Function onfilterchange - read only

Fires when the CSS Filter of an element changes or finishes transitioning.

Function onfocus - read only

Fires when the element receives focus.

Function onhelp - read only

Fires when a user presses the F1 key to activate help.

Function onkeydown - read only

Fires when a user presses down on a key while the element has focus.

Function onkeypress - read only

Fires when a user presses a key or holds down the key while the element has focus.

Function onkeyup - read only

Fires when a user releases a key while the element has focus.

Function onlosecapture - read only

Fires when the element loses mouse capture.

Function onmousedown - read only

Fires when a user clicks down on the mouse button while the element has focus.

Function onmouseenter - read only

Fires when the mouse pointer enters the element.

Remarks: Differs from onmouseover in that onmouseenter does not bubble and is not cancelable.

Function onmouseleave - read only

Fires when the mouse pointer leaves the element.

Remarks: Differs from onmouseout in that onmouseleave does not bubble and is not cancelable.

Function onmousemove - read only

Fires when the mouse moves while the pointer over the element.

Function onmouseout - read only

Fires when the mouse pointer moves off of the element.

Function onmouseover - read only

Fires when the mouse pointer moves over the element.

Function onmouseup - read only

Fires when the user releases the mouse button while the element has focus.

Function onpaste - read only

Fires when the clipboard contents are pasted onto the element.

Function onpropertychange - read only

Fires when one of the properties of the element changes.

Function onreadystatechange - read only

Fires when the ready state of the element changes.

Function onresize - read only

Fires immediately before an element is about to be resized.

Function onresizeend - read only

Fires when the element is finished being resized.

Function onresizestart - read only

Fires immediately before a user resizes the element.

Function onselectstart - read only

Fires immediately before the element is selected.

String outerHTML

HTML mark-up for an element, including start and end tags and any content between the tags.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/innerhtml.html

See Also

innerHTML | outerText

String outerText

Plain text for an element, including start and end tags.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/innerhtml.html

See Also

outerHTML | innerText

Object ownerDocument - read only

Reference to the document that contains the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/document.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Object parentElement - read only

Reference to the direct parent element of the element.

Object parentNode - read only

Reference to the direct parent node of the element, if it exists.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

See Also

parentElement

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

Object parentTextEdit - read only

Reference to the closest parent element to the current element that can create a TextRange that contains the current element.

String prefix - read only

Prefix XML name for the element.

Object previousSibling - read only

Reference to the previous sibling element of the element, if it exists.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String readyState - read only

Current readiness state of the element. See Remarks for possible values.

Remarks: Valid values are 0 = uninitialized, 1 = open, 2 = sent, 3 = receiving, 4 = loaded.

Number recordNumber - read only

Record number for the data set that generated the element.

Number runtimeStyle - read only

Reference to the Style object specifying the current runtime style(s) of the element.

String scopeName - read only

XML scope of the element.

Number scrollHeight - read only

Height (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.

Number scrollLeft

Number of pixels between the actual left edge of the element to the displayed left edge of the element.

Number scrollTop

Number of pixels between the actual top edge of the element to the displayed top edge of the element.

Number scrollWidth - read only

Width (in pixels) of the total content area of the element.

Number sourceIndex - read only

Index of the element in the Document.all[] array.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/nodetree.html

HTMLStyleObject style - read only

Reference to the inline CSS style for the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/style.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2

Boolean syncMaster - read only

If true, indicates that the time container of the element must synchronize playback with the element. Default is false.

Number tabIndex

Indicates the tab order index for the element.

String tagName

HTML tag name for the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/aboutnodes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

String tagURN

URN for the XML Namespace of the element.

String timeContainer

Gets or sets the type of timeline that corresponds to the element.

String title

Value of the title attribute for the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/innerhtml.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2 | W3C

String uniqueID - read only

System-generated unique identifier for the element.

Method Detail

addBehavior(String url) : HTMLElement

Attaches a behavior to the element as specified in url.

String url Reference to the behavior to attach.

addEventListener(String whichEvent, Object handler, Boolean direction) : HTMLElement

Attaches an event listener to an HTMLElement that executes a function when the specified event occurs.

String whichEvent Event to trigger the specified function.
Object handler Function to execute when the specified event occurs.
Boolean direction Specify true to fire the event during the capture phase. Specify false to fire the event during the bubbling phase.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/js/events/registration.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2

appendChild(Node newChild) : HTMLElement

Appends a child element to the end of the childNodes[] array for the element.

Node newChild Node to add to the current element as a child.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

applyElement(String newElement, [String where]) : HTMLElement

Adds a new element to the current element either as a child or parent of the current element.

String newElement Tag name of the element to add.
String where Specifies where to add the new element (i.e. either as a parent or child of the current element). Specify a value of "outside" (or omit) to add the new element as a parent to the current element. Otherwise the new element becomes the first child of the current element and any existing children of the current element then become direct children of the new element. (optional)

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

attachEvent(String whichHandler, String theFunction) : void

Attaches the specified event handler and function to the element so that every time the event fires, the function is called.

String whichHandler Event handler to attach.
String theFunction Function to attach to the event handler.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/js/events/registration.html

blur() : void

Removes focus from the element.

Availability: HTML DOM Level 1

clearAttributes() : void

Removes all attributes and values from the element.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes3.html

click() : void

Simulates a mouse click on the element. Fires the onclick event.

cloneNode(Boolean cloneChildren) : Node

Clones a node and returns the new node.

Boolean cloneChildren If true, specifies that any child nodes of the node should also be cloned.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

componentFromPoint(Boolean x, Boolean y) : String

Returns a string describing the component at the specified location.

Boolean x X-coordinate (in pixels).
Boolean y Y-coordinate (in pixels).

contains(Boolean element) : Boolean

Returns true if the HTMLElement contains the specified element.

Boolean element Element to check for.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/basics.html

detachEvent(Object whichHandler, Object theFunction) : void

Detaches the specified function from the event handler so that the function is no longer called when the event fires.

Object whichHandler Event handler to detach.
Object theFunction Function to detach.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/js/events/registration.html

dispatchEvent(Boolean event) : void

Redirects the specified event instance to be processed by the appropriate handler.

Boolean event Event to redirect.

Availability: HTML DOM Level 2

dragDrop() : void

Fires a drag event on the element.

fireEvent(Boolean handler, [Boolean event]) : void

Fires an instance of the specified event.

Boolean handler Event handler for the event.
Boolean event Event to fire. (optional)

focus() : void

Gives focus to the element.

Availability: HTML DOM Level 2

getAdjacentText(String where) : String

Gets the string of text in the position specified by where.

String where Specifies where to get the adjacent text from, relative to the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.

getAttribute(String attributeName) : String

Gets the value of the specified attribute.

String attributeName Name of the attribute.

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes2.html

getAttributeNode(String attributeName) : Node

Gets the node of the specified attribute.

String attributeName Name of the attribute.

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes2.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

getBoundingClientRect() : Object

Returns a TextRectangle that marks the top, bottom, left, and right boundaries (in pixels) of the content of the element.

getClientRects() : Object

Returns a collection of all of the TextRectangle objects contained by the element.

getElementsByTagName(String tagname) : static Array

Returns an array of Element nodes with the specified tag name.

String tagname Tag name of the elements to return. Specify "*" to return all tags. (one-or-more)

Using getElementsByTagName

// Assume there is only one  in the document
                    var body = document.getElementsByTagName("body").item(0);
                    var paragraphs = body.getElementsByTagName("p");

For additional examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/basics.html

Remarks

This method returns a list of elements in the document that have the specified tagName. The returned NodeList is sorted in the order the elements were found during a depth-first preorder traversal through the node tree.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

getExpression(String propertyName) : String

Returns the property expression specified by propertyName.

String propertyName Name of the property/attribute.

hasAttribute(String name) : Boolean

Determines if the given attribute exists on this element.

String name Name of the attribute to check.

Using hasAttribute

if (!element.hasAttribute("id")) {
                    element.setAttribute("id", "newvalue");
                    }

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes3.html

Remarks

Use this method to verify that an attribute exists on an Element before retrieving that attribute.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2

hasAttributes() : Boolean

Returns true if the node is an element node with attributes.

Using hasAttributes

var obj = document.Document.getElementById('EmailAddress');
                    if (obj.hasAttributes()) {
                    window.alert("The node " + obj.Node.nodeName + " has attributes");
                    }

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes3.html

Remarks

Returns true if this node is an Element and has any attributes. Returns false if there are none. Equivilant to checking node.attributes.NamedNodeMap.length > 0.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2

hasChildNodes() : Boolean

Returns true if the node has child nodes.

Using hasChildNodes

var obj = document.Document.getElementById('EmailAddress');
                    if (obj.hasChildNodes()) {
                    window.alert("The node " + obj.Node.nodeName + " has children");
                    }

Remarks

Returns true if this node has any child nodes. Returns false if there are none. Equivilant to checking node.childNodes.NodeList.length > 0.

See Also

Node.childNodes

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

insertAdjacentElement(String where, Element element) : void

Inserts the specified Element object adjacent to this element.

String where Specifies where to insert the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.
Element element Element to insert.

See Also: HTMLElement.insertAdjacentHTML | HTMLElement.insertText

insertAdjacentHTML(String where, String text) : void

Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Parsed as HTML.

String where Specifies where to insert the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.
String text HTML text to insert.

See Also: HTMLElement.insertAdjacentElement | HTMLElement.insertAdjacentText

insertAdjacentText(String where, String text) : void

Inserts the specified string of HTML text adjacent to this element. Not parsed as HTML.

String where Specifies where to insert the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.
String text Text string to insert.

See Also: HTMLElement.insertAdjacentElement | HTMLElement.insertAdjacentHTML | HTMLElement.replaceAdjacentText

insertBefore(Node newChild, Node refChild) : void

Inserts a new child node in front of the reference child node.

Node newChild New child node to insert.
Node refChild Reference child node.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

See Also

HTMLElement.replaceNode

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

isSupported(String feature, [String version]) : Boolean

Returns true if the specified feature and version are supported.

String feature Name of the feature.
String version Version of the feature. (optional)

Remarks: Tests whether a node supports the specified feature. Similar to the DOMImplementation.hasFeature method and takes the same feature names. If version is null, returns true if any version of the feature is supported.
See Also: DOMImplementation.hasFeature
Availability: HTML DOM Level 2

mergeAttributes(Object source, [Boolean preserve]) : void

Merges the attributes from the source element to the current element.

Object source Source that supplies the attributes.
Boolean preserve If true, specifies that the id of the current element should be preserved. (optional)

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes.html

normalize() : void

Merges text nodes adjacent to the element to create a normalized DOM.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/splittext.html

Remarks

Normalizes any Text nodes contained under this node and all of its children. Merges any adjacent Text nodes into one object, so that the nodes reflect how they would be structured if this XML document were freshly loaded.

Normalize() is useful for manipulating the text content of nodes for editing. Instead of worrying about altering existing Text nodes, you can simply add new nodes and perform the normalize when you finish your updates.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

releaseCapture() : void

Stops the mouse from capturing events on the element.

removeAttribute(String name) : void

Removes an attribute by name

String name Name of the attribute to remove.

Using removeAttribute

if (element.hasAttribute("id")) {
                    element.removeAttribute("id");
                    }

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes2.html

Remarks

Removes the specified attribute from the element. If the attribute has a defined default value, it will be set to that default value.

Throws

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR error if the node is read-only.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

removeAttributeNode(Attr oldAttr) : static Attr

Removes the specified attribute node

Attr oldAttr Node to remove from the attribute.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes2.html

Remarks

Removes an attribute from an element. If the attribute has a defined default value, the new attribute node value will immediately be set to that.

Throws

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR error if the node is read-only. Raises a NOT_FOUND_ERR error if oldAttr object is not an attribute of this element.

See Also

Attr | Element.removeAttribute

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

removeBehavior(String id) : static Boolean

Removes the specified attribute node

String id id of the behavior to remove.

Remarks: Removes the behavior specified by id from the element.
See Also: HTMLElement.addBehavior

removeChild(Node oldChild) : static Node

Removes the specified child node from the element and returns the node.

Node oldChild Child node to remove.

Using removeChild

var obj = document.Document.getElementById('EmailAddress');
                    try {
                    var oldChild = obj.removeChild(obj.Node.firstChild);
                    } catch DOMException {
                    // Error handling
                    };

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

Remarks

Removes and returns the specified child node from the list of this node's children.

Throws

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR if the node is read-only.

Raises a NOT_FOUND_ERR if the supplied node is not a child of this one.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

removeEventListener(String type, EventListener listener, Boolean useCapture) : void

Removes an event listener from an event target.

String type Type of event.
EventListener listener Event listener to be removed.
Boolean useCapture Specify "true" to remove a capturing event listener. Specify "false" to remove all other types of event listeners.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/js/events/registration.html

Availability

HTML DOM Level 2

removeExpression(String propertyName) : void

Removes the specified property expression from the element.

String propertyName Name of the property expression to remove.

replaceAdjacentText(String where, String text) : void

Replaces the current text adjacent to the element with the specified text.

String where Specifies where to insert the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.
String text Text to replace the current text with.

See Also: HTMLElement.insertAdjacentText

replaceChild(Node newChild, Node oldChild) : static Node

Removes the specified child node, replaces it with another node, and returns the removed node.

Node newChild Node to replace the oldChild node with.
Node oldChild Node to be replaced.

Using replaceChild

var obj = document.Document.getElementById('EmailAddress');
                    var newElement = document.Document.createElement('label');
                    try {
                    var oldChild = obj.replaceChild(newElement, obj.Node.lastChild);
                    } catch DOMException {
                    // Error handling
                    };

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

Remarks

This method simplifies the process of calling removeChild and then insertBefore, so that you do not have to worry if this node is the first or last child.

The new child node is removed if it already exists somewhere else in the DOM tree. If the new child is a DocumentFragment node, the oldChild node is replaced by all of the nodes within the DocumentFragment, in the same order.

Throws

Raises a HIERARCHY_REQUEST_ERR error if either the node being inserted is one of this node's ancestors, or if the current node does not allow this type of node as a child.

Raises a WRONG_DOCUMENT_ERR error if the newChild node was not created within the current document.

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR if this node is read-only or if the parent of the new node is read-only.

Raises a NOT_FOUND_ERR if the supplied oldChild node is not a child of this one.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

replaceNode(Node newNode) : void

Replaces the current node with the node specified in newNode.

Node newNode Node to replace the current node with.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

See Also

HTMLElement.insertBefore

scrollIntoView([Boolean alignToTop]) : void

Immediately scrolls the element into the viewable portion of the web page.

Boolean alignToTop If true, specifies that the top of the element will be scrolled to align with the top of the window. Default is true. (optional)

Remarks: Use the scrollIntoView method to visually direct users to a specific part of a web page, without forcing the users to scroll the page themselves. (e.g. Scrolling down to the "total" of a long shopping cart page.)

setActive() : void

Sets this element as "active" without giving focus to the element.

setAttribute(String name, String value) : void

Adds a new attribute.

String name Name of the attribute to set.
String value String value of the attribute to set.

Using setAttribute

var node = document.getElementById('address-list');
                    document.setAttribute('ref', 'urn:root');
                    document.setAttribute('datasources', 'http://mozref.com/reference/objects.rdf');

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes2.html

Remarks

Sets either a new attribute value or updates an existing attribute value. This method can only set values as text strings, not HTML. Entities will not be parsed. To assign values containing entities to an attribute, use setAttributeNode.

Throws

Raises an INVALID_CHARACTER_ERR error if the supplied name contains an invalid character.

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR error if the node is read-only.

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

setAttributeNode(Attr newAttr) : static Attr

Adds the given attribute node

Attr newAttr Attr node of the attribute to set.

Using setAttributeNode

var attr = node1.getAttributeNode("class");
                    node1.removeAttribute("class");
                    node2.setAttributeNode(attr);

For more examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/attributes3.html

Remarks

This method adds the specified Attr object as an attribute to the current element. You may specifiy actual DOM nodes instead of specifying separate arguments for the attribute name and value.

If the element already has the attribute, setAttribute will replace the node and return the old attribute node. Returns null, otherwise.

Throws

Raises a WRONG_DOCUMENT_ERR error if the supplied newAttr was created from a different document.

Raises a NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR error if the node is read-only.

Raises an INUSE_ATTRIBUTE_ERR error if the supplied newAttr is already bound to another Element object.

See Also

Attr | HTMLElement.setAttribute

Availability

HTML DOM Level 1

setCapture([Boolean containerCapture]) : void

Sets mouse capture to the element.

Boolean containerCapture If true, specifies that events that originate in the container will be captured by the container. (optional)

Remarks: Once set, routes all mouse events to this element.

setExpression(String property, String expression, [String language]) : void

Sets the specified expression on the specified property of an element.

String property Name of the property to add the expression to.
String expression Expression to set.
String language Scripting language to use. Default is JScript. Other valid values are JavaScript and VBScript. (optional)

See Also: HTMLElement.removeExpression

swapNode(Node node) : Node

Swaps the current node with the specified node in the document.

Node node Node to swap this node with.

For examples, see the quirksmode test page:

http://www.quirksmode.org/dom/tests/movingnodes.html

unwatch(String property) : void

Removes the watchpoint from the specified property.

String property Property to remove the watch point from.

watch(String property, String handler) : void

Sets a watch point on a property. When the value of that property changes, the specified handler is automatically invoked.

String property Property to set the watch point on.
String handler Handler to invoke when the specified property changes.

String	whichEvent	Event to trigger the specified function.
Object	handler	Function to execute when the specified event occurs.
Boolean	direction	Specify true to fire the event during the capture phase. Specify false to fire the event during the bubbling phase.

String	newElement	Tag name of the element to add.
String	where	Specifies where to add the new element (i.e. either as a parent or child of the current element). Specify a value of "outside" (or omit) to add the new element as a parent to the current element. Otherwise the new element becomes the first child of the current element and any existing children of the current element then become direct children of the new element. (optional)

String	whichHandler	Event handler to attach.
String	theFunction	Function to attach to the event handler.

Boolean	x	X-coordinate (in pixels).
Boolean	y	Y-coordinate (in pixels).

Object	whichHandler	Event handler to detach.
Object	theFunction	Function to detach.

Boolean	handler	Event handler for the event.
Boolean	event	Event to fire. (optional)

String	where	Specifies where to insert the element. Valid values are beforeBegin, afterBegin, beforeEnd, and afterEnd.
Element	element	Element to insert.

Node	newChild	New child node to insert.
Node	refChild	Reference child node.

String	feature	Name of the feature.
String	version	Version of the feature. (optional)

Object	source	Source that supplies the attributes.
Boolean	preserve	If true, specifies that the id of the current element should be preserved. (optional)

String	type	Type of event.
EventListener	listener	Event listener to be removed.
Boolean	useCapture	Specify "true" to remove a capturing event listener. Specify "false" to remove all other types of event listeners.

Node	newChild	Node to replace the oldChild node with.
Node	oldChild	Node to be replaced.

String	name	Name of the attribute to set.
String	value	String value of the attribute to set.

String	property	Name of the property to add the expression to.
String	expression	Expression to set.
String	language	Scripting language to use. Default is JScript. Other valid values are JavaScript and VBScript. (optional)

String	property	Property to set the watch point on.
String	handler	Handler to invoke when the specified property changes.

HTMLElement : Element

Browser/User Agent Support

Constructors

Properties

Methods

References

Availability

Constructor Detail

HTMLElement HTMLElement()

Property Detail

String accessKey

Array all - read only

String align

Array attributes - read only

String begin

Array behaviorUrns - read only

Boolean canHaveChildren - read only

Boolean canHaveHTML - read only

Array childNodes - read only

Array children - read only

String className

Number clientHeight - read only

Number clientLeft - read only

Number clientTop - read only

Number clientWidth - read only

String contentEditable

Object currentStyle - read only

String dir

Boolean disabled

Object document

Array filters - read only

Object firstChild - read only

Boolean hasMedia

Boolean hideFocus

String id

String innerHTML

String innerText

Boolean isContentEditable - read only

Boolean isDisabled - read only

Boolean isTextEdit - read only

String lang

String language

Object lastChild

String localName - read only

String namespaceURI - read only

Object nextSibling - read only

String nodeName - read only

Number nodeType - read only

String nodeValue

Number offsetHeight - read only

Number offsetLeft - read only

Object offsetParent - read only

Number offsetTop - read only

Number offsetWidth - read only

Function onactivate - read only

Function onbeforecopy - read only

Function onbeforecut - read only

Function onbeforedeactivate - read only

Function onbeforeeditfocus - read only

Function onbeforepaste - read only

Function onblur - read only

Function onclick - read only

Function oncontextmenu - read only

Function oncontrolselect - read only

Function oncopy - read only

Function oncut - read only

Function ondblclick - read only

Function ondeactivate - read only

Function ondrag - read only

Function ondragend - read only

Function ondragenter - read only

Function ondragleave - read only

Function ondragover - read only

Function ondragstart - read only

Function ondrop - read only

Function onfilterchange - read only

Function onfocus - read only

Function onhelp - read only

Function onkeydown - read only

Function onkeypress - read only