Learn JavaScript Day 5: DOM Manipulation with JavaScript
Welcome to Day 5 of our JavaScript journey! In this article, we will dive into the exciting world of DOM manipulation with JavaScript. The Document Object Model (DOM) is an essential part of web development, and understanding how to manipulate it can greatly enhance your skills as a JavaScript developer.
Let’s get started!
What is the DOM?
DOM is the tree-like structure that represents the HTML elements in a web page. The DOM is created by the browser when it loads an HTML document and is used by JavaScript to manipulate the content and structure of the web page.
The DOM consists of nodes, where each node represents an HTML element or a piece of text. The nodes are organized in a hierarchical structure, where each node can have parent and child nodes.
Selecting Elements in the DOM
Before we can manipulate elements in the DOM, we need to be able to select them first. There are several methods in JavaScript that allow us to select elements in the DOM, including getElementById, getElementsByClassName, and getElementsByTagName. We can also use CSS selectors to select elements.
For example, to select an element with a specific ID, we can use the getElementById method as follows:
const firstElement = document.getElementById("my-element-id");Modifying Element Properties
Once we’ve selected an element in the DOM, we can modify its properties using JavaScript. We can change the text content, HTML content, styling, and other properties of an element.
For example, to change the text content of an element, we can use the textContent property as follows:
firstElement.textContent = "Hello, world!";To change the CSS styling of an element, we can use the style property and set its CSS properties as follows:
firstElement.style.backgroundColor = "red";
firstElement.style.color = "white";Handling Events
Event handling is another important aspect of DOM manipulation with JavaScript. Events are actions or occurrences that happen in the web page, such as a user clicking a button or pressing a key on the keyboard.
In JavaScript, we can handle events by attaching event listeners to elements in the DOM. An event listener is a function that gets called when the specified event occurs.
For example, to add a click event listener to a button element, we can use the addEventListener method as follows:
const myButton = document.getElementById("my-button");
myButton.addEventListener("click", function() {
alert("Button clicked!");
});Conclusion
DOM manipulation is a powerful feature in JavaScript that allows you to dynamically change the content, styling, and behavior of web pages. In this tutorial, we’ve covered the basics of selecting elements, modifying their properties, and handling events in the DOM using JavaScript.
By understanding how to manipulate the DOM, you can create dynamic and interactive web pages that respond to user actions and events. You can see more command on DOM on Mozilla.
Congratulations on making it to Day 5 of your JavaScript journey! DOM manipulation is an important concept in web development, and mastering it will help you take your projects to the next level.
Stay motivated and keep up the great work! In the next lesson, you’ll learn about JavaScript events where you’d be learning about handling and using events like click, hover etc. Get ready to expand your knowledge and take your skills to new heights!
Access the entire JavaScript learning journey here
