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Learn DOM scripting with online courses

Using Direct Object Model (DOM) manipulation, you can create responsive pages with animations, error messages, or clickable buttons. Learn DOM scripting with online courses delivered through edX.
DOM Scripting | Introduction Image Description

What is DOM scripting?

DOM is short for Document Object Model, a programming interface used to manipulate HTML and XML documents, such as a web page. It is an API to help developers access and modify DOM trees, which is the structure for a document’s contents. The tree of nodes is a building block of modern, interactive websites that lets you add, delete, or alter page content, styling, and user action responses via tags. 

For example, users will be able to click a button to trigger an action, view a drop-down menu, increase or decrease window size, input text, or receive error messages. Programmers, web developers, and engineers can dynamically update content on web pages without having to reload the page or rewrite code, which creates smoother and faster response times. 

Whether you use Angular, React, Vue, or any other framework to create your web application, the DOM is what you’ll use behind the scenes to create an interactive experience.Footnote 1

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Related topics

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Document Object Model tutorial curriculum 

Often, a DOM course will be labeled “Intro to JavaScript,” “CSS Fundamentals,” or something similar. It could cover such concepts as:

  • What is DOM in JavaScript or CSS?

  • How does DOM differ from HTML markup?

  • How does DOM differ from JavaScript?

  • How can you make interactive websites through the DOM API?

  • Which tools let you access the DOM?

In more advanced courses, learners can take their DOM knowledge to the next level and learn:

  • How to add and remove elements to manipulate the DOM

  • How to use DOM and JavaScript to respond to specific events

  • How to measure the speed of your DOM and create a better user web experience

Explore jobs that use DOM scripting

Jobs that use DOM scripting include:

  • Full stack developer: Oversee all aspects of a website build, which may include the use of DOM APIs to optimize the user experience (UX).  

  • Front-end developer: Write code and inject JavaScript code for a tool using DOM manipulations, rather than altering the source code.Footnote 2

  • Software programmer: Write, modify, and test code. They might use DOM scripting to build website functionality and interactivity.Footnote 3

Tech jobs can be highly specialized, so you may see tool-specific roles, such as: React JavaScript developer, Angular developer, or Java natural language programming (NLP) developer. All of these functional positions require intimate knowledge of DOM scripting.

edX offers a variety of educational pathways. Sign up for a specialized boot camp to learn a specific skill. Or enroll in a bachelor's degree program or pursue a master’s degree program if you are interested in receiving more comprehensive instruction on an entire subject or field. Find the right course for you. 

How to use DOM scripting as a programmer 

Developers can use the DOM to achieve a variety of front-end tasks. For instance, you might use DOM scripting to:Footnote 4

  • Add or remove content to declutter pages.

  • Add or remove HTML elements on a page to create an interactive user experience.

  • Add JavaScript event handlers to let users open, close, or resize windows and input text.

  • Animate or transform elements with special effects.

  • Apply CSS styling to on-page elements to change a color scheme or design layout.

  • Create custom user interface elements like menus or drop-down boxes.

  • Create dynamic self-updating forms or comment boxes.

If you are interested in adding new skills to your resume, explore how online learning opportunities such as a coding boot camp or even a bachelor’s degree in computer science can help you build the expertise and experience you need to pursue roles in this field. Start your learning journey today with edX.

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Frequently asked questions

The DOM is not a scripting language and is not part of the JavaScript language. Rather, it’s a standard programming interface and web API that can be used with any programming language in a wide variety of environments and applications. With the DOM, programmers can create, build, navigate, alter, and delete elements within HTML or XML documents.Footnote 5

JavaScript is a client-side scripting language that connects to an Internet browser’s DOM. Although DOM is not the same as JavaScript, nor part of the JavaScript language, you’ll often see DOM taught alongside JavaScript in course curricula. With DOM manipulation in JavaScript, you can flex your programming muscles to modify data, from headers and footers to tables and text, on the web pages, XML data, and HTML documents you create.Footnote 6

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) adds structure and meaning through top-level tags. DOM describes how browsers can implement the file to look the way the creator intends. If a website were a home, you can think of an HTML file as the construction plans sent to a browser for interpretation. Included in those plans will be the DOM API standards, which helps the builder create your home. Thanks to the standardized DOM, other builders can construct essentially the same house based on the HTML data.Footnote 7

DOM allows developers to create more concise code. You can change elements and behaviors without needing to write hundreds of lines of code. Developers can create a consistent look and feel throughout the website, while being able to deploy updates quickly and more easily collaborate with others. If you’re looking to go beyond static page data and create dynamic, personalized, and user-friendly elements, DOM manipulation can be a powerful tool.

Typically, you’ll learn basic programming syntax like JavaScript or HTML before you learn DOM scripting to manipulate page structure. Some beginner coding courses include both lessons in the same curriculum, along with JavaScript DOM tutorials. Although you can use a tool like React to manipulate the DOM for you, knowing the fundamentals of what goes on under the hood will make you a stronger developer.

Many solo learners might find DOM difficult to grasp. Furthermore, complex manipulations can be challenging to debug and maintain. For these reasons, it could be easiest to learn DOM scripting as part of a larger HTML, CSS, and JavaScript syllabus that covers all the fundamentals of creating dynamic, interactive web content.