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The document object is the root of a hierarchy that describes the document in terms of objects, properties and methods that can operate on those objects.
The DOM level specification describes a core Document object and distinguishes that from the HTMLDocument that is a sub-class of it. However, the browsers do not make such a fine distinction and so Documents and HTMLDocuments are considered to be one and the same. This works because an HTMLDocument inherits the behavior of a DOM core Document object.
Documents and their child objects can respond to events by means of event handler functions. These are generally associated with one another by means of the HTML tag attributes that correspond to each event.
Although there is a superset of all event types, each object type only responds to a few of them.
The document object is based on the Element object, therefore it inherits all the properties and methods of that class and adds others itself.
The document object is basically derived initially from the <BODY> HTML tag, although it contains some properties that are associated with the <HEAD> HTML tag and others from the <HTML> HTML tag that encloses the entire file. The document type header also affects properties in the document object.
Traversing the document object model in MSIE is quite straightforward. In Netscape prior to version 6.0 it is so difficult as to be virtually impossible. You can access certain parts of the DOM in earlier Netscape browsers by virtue of the forms, applets, embeds and other collections but you cannot access other parts of the DOM at all.
Event handling support via properties containing function objects was added to Anchor objects at version 1.1 of JavaScript and is significantly extended in Netscape 6.0 where it supports DOM level 2 capabilities.
Because you might refer to documents in many ways, possibly by means of object properties or as a property belonging to another window, it is not safe to assume that the document property belonging to the Global object is always the documentobject you are trying to access. Indeed, a document may belong to a window, frame, layer or Iframe and several may be accessible at once. Because of this, the object references in the syntax examples assume the object is being referred to via a variable called myDocument or myObject etc. In the object descriptions, the value myDocument is shown being assigned as a variable from the many alternative sources that you can obtain a document reference.
The DOM level specification deprecates the following properties in favor of their counterparts belonging to the BODY object:
alinkColor
background
bgColor
fgColor
linkColor
vlinkColor
The DOM level 2 specification adds the following methods:
importNode()
createElementNS()
createAttributeNS()
getElementsByTagNameNS()
getElementById()
A new suite of functionality relating to the way documents are viewed is introduced at DOM level 2. This is embodied in the following classes:
AbstractView
DocumentView
DOM level 3 expects to add the following properties to the document object:
actualEncoding
encoding
standalone
strictErrorChecking
version
It is also expected to add the following methods:
adoptNode()
getElementsByAttributeValue()
There are a number of properties that are defined in both Netscape and MSIE browsers. There are also a few that each defines while the other doesn't. There is at least one (document.title) that is defined with different behavior in both browsers. Likewise the same is true of the support for different methods across the two browsers.
With each release, they tend to support the extensions that the other introduced with its previous, release but they also both introduce new and incompatible extensions each time as well.
| See also: | BODY object, Element.document, Form.handleEvent(), Frame object, HTML object, JavaScript Style Sheets, Layer.document, Node object, Node.ownerDocument, TextRange.queryCommandEnabled(), TextRange.queryCommandIndeterm(), TextRange.queryCommandState(), TextRange.queryCommandSupported(), TextRange.queryCommandText(), TextRange.queryCommandValue(), Window object, Window.document, Window.frames[], Window.opener |
| Property | JavaScript | JScript | N | IE | Opera | NES | ECMA | DOM | CSS | HTML | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <form_name> | 1.1  | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 |  | | | | |  |
| activeElement | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| alinkColor | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 0 | | |
, Deprecated |
| background | | | | | | | | 0 | | | Deprecated |
| bgColor | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 0 | | |
, Deprecated |
| body | 1.5 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | | | 1 | | | ReadOnly |
| characterset | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | | | | - |
| charset | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| cookie | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| defaultCharset | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| designMode | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | |
| doctype | 1.5 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | | | | 1 | | |
, ReadOnly |
| documentElement | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | | | | 1 | | |
, ReadOnly |
| domain | 1.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | |
, ReadOnly |
| expando | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| fgColor | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 0 | | |
, Deprecated |
| fileCreatedDate | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| fileModifiedDate | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| fileSize | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| height | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | |
| implementation | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | | | | 1 | | |
, ReadOnly |
| lastModified | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| linkColor | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 0 | | |
, Deprecated |
| location | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | |
, Deprecated |
| parentWindow | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| protocol | | 1.0 | | 3.02 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| readyState | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | ReadOnly |
| referrer | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | |
, ReadOnly |
| selection | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | |
, ReadOnly |
| title | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| uniqueID | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| URL | 1.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | ReadOnly |
| vlinkColor | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 0 | | |
, Deprecated |
| width | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | |
| Method | JavaScript | JScript | N | IE | Opera | NES | ECMA | DOM | CSS | HTML | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| attachEvent() | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| captureEvents() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
, Deprecated |
| clear() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 5.0 | | | | | |
, Deprecated |
| close() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | - |
| contextual() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
, Deprecated |
| createAttribute() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createCDATASection() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createComment() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createDocumentFragment() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createElement() | 1.5 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createEntityReference() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createProcessingInstruction() | 1.5 | | 6.0 | | | | | 1 | | | - |
| createStyleSheet() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| createTextNode() | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | | | | 1 | | | - |
| detachEvent() | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| elementFromPoint() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| execCommand() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| getElementById() | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0
| | | 1 | | | - |
| getElementsByName() | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0
| | | 1 | | | |
| getElementsByTagName() | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | | | | 1 | | | - |
| getSelection() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | |
| handleEvent() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | - |
| mergeAttributes() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| open() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| queryCommandEnabled() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| queryCommandIndeterm() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| queryCommandState() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| queryCommandSupported() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| queryCommandText() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| queryCommandValue() | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| recalc() | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| releaseEvents() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | - |
| routeEvent() | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | - |
| write() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| writeln() | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | - |
| Event name | JavaScript | JScript | N | IE | Opera | NES | ECMA | DOM | CSS | HTML | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| onAfterUpdate | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onBeforeCut | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onBeforEditFocus | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | 1 | | | |
| onBeforePaste | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onBeforeUpdate | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onClick | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.02 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onContextMenu | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onCut | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDblClick | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onDrag | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDragEnd | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDragEnter | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDragLeave | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDragOver | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDragStart | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onDrop | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onErrorUpdate | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onHelp | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | |
| onKeyDown | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onKeyPress | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onKeyUp | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onMouseDown | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onMouseMove | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onMouseOut | 1.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onMouseOver | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onMouseUp | 1.2 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | | | | | 4.0 | |
| onPaste | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onPropertyChange | | 5.0 | | 5.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onReadyStateChange | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onRowEnter | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onRowExit | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onSelectStart | | 3.0 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | - |
| onStop | 1.2 | | 4.0 | | | | | | | | - |
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JavaScript Programmer's Reference, Cliff Wootton Wrox Press (www.wrox.com) Join the Wrox JavaScript forum at p2p.wrox.com Please report problems to support@wrox.com © 2001 Wrox Press. All Rights Reserved. Terms and conditions. | ||