CSS and DHTML

Document Object Model

Dynamic HTML combines CSS and Javascript allowing you to design interactive web pages

DHTML provides the capability to link objects, or elements on a page, to javascript functions

This means that you can dnamically change the CSS properties that you initially assign to these objects

This depends on the document object model (DOM)

The DOM is a scheme that orders the objects that make up a web page

It provides a location for these objects that is analogous to a file path:

window.document.form.checkbox

Scripting languages like javascript, use the DOM to locate the objects upon which they act

One problem is that there are three different DOMs

There is one for Netscape 4 (Layer), one for IE4/5 (All), and two used by the W3C (ID and W3C DOM-2)

The ID DOM is recognized by Netscape 6 and later, IE5 and later, Opera 4

Safari and Firefox recognize ID and W3C DOM-2

This creates problems because Netscape 4 only recognizes the Layer DOM, IE 4 only recognizes the All DOM, and newer browsers recognize the ID DOM and or the W3C DOM-2

This means that there are three different versions of the addressing scheme that scripting languages have to identify and use for cross browser applicability

There are ways to get around this problem

Next!

You are here: http://memex.lib.indiana.edu/hrosenba/www/Workshops/CSS/Demo/cssdhtml.html
Last updated 3.15.06 - H. Rosenbaum