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.

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

Property	Description
element.innerHTML = new html content	Change the inner HTML of an element
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

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

Method	Description
document.getElementById(id).onclick = function(){code}	Adding event handler code to an onclick event

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 name attribute	1
document.applets	Deprecated	1
document.baseURI	Returns the absolute base URI of the document	3
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 document server	1
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 (character set)	3
document.lastModified	Returns the date and time the document was updated	3
document.links	Returns all <area> and <a> elements that have a href attribute	1
document.readyState	Returns the (loading) status of the document	3
document.referrer	Returns the URI of the referrer (the linking document)	1
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 document	1