Netscape 6, Part IV: DOM Differences and Commonalities with IE5.x

This column is the fourth part of our series on Netscape 6. In this column we'll start looking at the differences between Netscape 6's Document Object Model (DOM) and Internet Explorer 5.x's DOM. The DOM gives scripters a standardized way to access various elements of an HTML page, and should greatly simplify writing cross-browser scripts in the long run. Both browsers support a basic set of the W3C's methods and attributes, as well as the innerHTML property (not included in the W3C DOM, but included by popular demand). The differences are found in the second tier of functionality. A good example is the difference in modeling of the root nodes of the DOM tree, document and documentElement objects. Netscape 6 also models the ownership relationship in a document, while Internet Explorer 5.x does not. Another advantage of Netscape 6's DOM is its ability to model fragment nodes, which Internet Explorer does not support.

In this column, you will learn:

• How to distinguish between the two root nodes
• How to use the lower root node, browser-independently
• How to use the ownership relationship
• How to reference objects in Netscape 6
• How to create and remove attributes on the fly
• How to create document fragments
• How to use the innerHTML property, browser-independently

Next: How to distinguish between the two root nodes