08-03-2010, 06:56 PM
Sorry if this is in the wrong section, however there is no Javascript section.
Hello, in this tutorial im going to be covering how to manipulate your web page using Javascript and a powerful mechanism called the Document Object Model. The contents of your webpage are available through the DOM, and can be manipulated and changed. In this tutorial we will be manipulating the DOM with Javascript.
This tutorial will not teach the basics of Javascript, if you would like a tutorial on learning Javascript I recommend,
http://w3schools.com/js/default.asp
The DOM has a special set of variables and objects that represent different aspects of the webpage such as content, location, status and many more.
http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/obj_window.asp
You can allow Javascript to manipulate the DOM. We are going to start with a simple example of changing the style of a page;
There are some subtle differences in this snippet;
Of course, you can also accomplish this task with events. In this next example, im going to show you how to use button events to edit the DOM using javascript functions.
Next, we are going to manipulate forms and different types of input using the getElementById() function from the document object. In order to use this function, you must specify an id for the element you want to modify. Here is a simple script which takes a specified name from one input field, and prints out a sentance in another.
Radio buttons are quite different. They require a new attribute and manipulating the DOM is slightly different. In order to interpret radio buttons, you would use the getElementsByName() function and the name attribute.
Hello, in this tutorial im going to be covering how to manipulate your web page using Javascript and a powerful mechanism called the Document Object Model. The contents of your webpage are available through the DOM, and can be manipulated and changed. In this tutorial we will be manipulating the DOM with Javascript.
This tutorial will not teach the basics of Javascript, if you would like a tutorial on learning Javascript I recommend,
http://w3schools.com/js/default.asp
The DOM has a special set of variables and objects that represent different aspects of the webpage such as content, location, status and many more.
Common DOM Objects
- document - Represents the (X)HTML page
- location - Represents the current URL
- status - Represents the browser's status bar
- history - Represents the browser's history
- navigator - Represents information about the browser
http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/obj_window.asp
You can allow Javascript to manipulate the DOM. We are going to start with a simple example of changing the style of a page;
PHP Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<title>Simple DOM Manipulation</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Wat u want foo</h1>
<script type="text/javascript">
// Javascript will change the style of the page without CSS
document.body.style.color = "green";
document.body.style.backgroundColor = "blue";
document.body.style.textAlign = "center";
</script>
<p>lol</p>
</body>
</html>
There are some subtle differences in this snippet;
- The script is placed in the body tag. The reason this is placed in the body tag is because it refers to the body on the fly, and I cant place it in the header because while the page is loading, the script will run when there is no body.
- There is no CSS. As you can see, there is absolutely no CSS here.
- The DOM is used to change the page. The syntax goes all the way from the document to the body itself, to its style attributes and finally to its different attributes such as background color and aligning.
- The document represents the actual page.
- The body represents the <body> tag.
- The style represents the style of the previous object. In this case, the <body> tag.
Of course, you can also accomplish this task with events. In this next example, im going to show you how to use button events to edit the DOM using javascript functions.
PHP Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Manipulating the DOM through Button Events</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<script type="text/javascript">
function changeColors(color, bgcolor) {
document.body.style.color = color;
document.body.style.backgroundColor = bgcolor;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Edit the DOM through button events and Javascript</h1>
<fieldset>
<input type="button" onclick="changeColors('black', 'white')"
value="Black and White" />
<input type="button" onclick="changeColors('green', 'blue')"
value="Green and Blue" />
</fieldset>
</body>
</html>
- A button event calls a function which edits the DOM. A javascript function edits the DOM. A button is used to call this function.
- Embedding quotes within quotes. Take a look at the onclick lines, you will notice the function parameters are enclosed in single quotes ('). This is the case because if double quotes where used as usual, the browser would nest the quotes as "changeColors(" and white")".
- Script is placed in the head. Now that the script isnt used immediately when the page loads, the script is instead placed in the <head> tag.
Next, we are going to manipulate forms and different types of input using the getElementById() function from the document object. In order to use this function, you must specify an id for the element you want to modify. Here is a simple script which takes a specified name from one input field, and prints out a sentance in another.
PHP Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Manipulating the DOM through Button Events</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<script type="text/javascript">
function submit() {
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var output = document.getElementById("output");
output.value = "Hello " + name + "!";
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<label for="name">Name: </label>
<input type="text" id="name" />
<br />
<input type="button" id="name" value="Submit"
style="width:10%" onclick="submit()" />
<br />
<label for="output">Output: </label>
<input type="text" id="output" />
</body>
</html>
- The submit button outputs the data. The submit() function uses two variables: name and output. The getElementById() function references the textfield with the specified id and the value property holds the data inside the textfield.
- Both textfields have an id. Both textfields hold an id, in order to use the getElementById() function, there must always be an id assosciated with the element the function will reference.
PHP Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Using innerHTML</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<script type="text/javascript">
function submit() {
var name = document.getElementById("name").value;
var output = document.getElementById("output");
output.innerHTML = "<em>" + name + "</em>";
output.innerHTML += ", welcome to the site!";
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<fieldset>
<label for="name">Name: </label>
<input type="text" id="name" />
<br />
<input type="button" id="name" value="Submit"
style="width:10%" onclick="submit()" />
</fieldset>
<br />
<div id="output">
</div>
</body>
</html>
- Validators get confused by forward slashes. When you want to use a / in javascript strings, you must proceede it with a backslash.
Radio buttons are quite different. They require a new attribute and manipulating the DOM is slightly different. In order to interpret radio buttons, you would use the getElementsByName() function and the name attribute.
PHP Code:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<title>Manipulating the DOM through Button Events</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<script type="text/javascript">
function submit() {
var part1 = document.getElementsByName("part1");
var part2 = document.getElementsByName("part2");
for (i = 0; i < part1.length; i++) {
var name = part1;
if (name.checked)
var selectedName = name.value;
}
for (i = 0; i < part2.length; i++) {
var name = part2;
if (name.checked)
var selectedName2 = name.value;
}
var output = document.getElementById("output");
var outputText = selectedName + selectedName2;
output.innerHTML = outputText;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Match the proper names...</h1>
<fieldset>
<input type="radio" name="part1" id="rune" value="Rune" />
<label for="rune">Rune</label>
<input type="radio" name="part1" id="tune" value="Tune" />
<label for="tune">Tune</label>
<input type="radio" name="part1" id="dune" value="Dune" />
<label for="dune">Dune</label>
<br /><br />
<input type="radio" name="part2" id="mocus" value="Mocus" />
<label for="mocus">Mocus</label>
<input type="radio" name="part2" id="focus" value="Focus" />
<label for="tune">Focus</label>
<input type="radio" name="part2" id="locus" value="Locus" />
<label for="dune">Locus</label>
</fieldset>
<br />
<input type="button" id="name" value="Submit"
style="width:10%" onclick="submit()" />
<br />
<br />
<div id="output">
</div>
</body>
</html>
- The getElementsByName() function returns an array of all radio buttons in a group. This function returned an array of 3 values (the size of all the options).
- All choices are iterated. All radio buttons are iterated through, and the if statement checks whether the button is selcted. If so, a new variable is made to hold the value of that button.
- Finally, the output div holds the two values. Both values from the two radio buttons are concatenated and are printed out using the innerHTML property.
- The name attribute is used for each radio button. This is used to distinguish between the two different radio button groups.
