WD-DOM-971209WD-DOM-971209
W3C Working Draft 09-Dec-1997
This specification defines the Document Object Model, a platform- and language-neutral interface that will allow programs and scripts to dynamically access and update the content, structure and style of documents. The Document Object Model provides a standard set of objects for representing HTML and XML documents, a standard model of how these objects can be combined, and a standard interface for accessing and manipulating them. Vendors can support the DOM as an interface to their proprietary data structures and APIs, and content authors can write to the standard DOM interfaces rather than product-specific APIs, thus increasing interoperability on the Web.
This is a W3C Working Draft for review by W3C members and other interested parties. It is a draft document and may be updated, replaced or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to use W3C Working Drafts as reference material or to cite them as other than "work in progress". This is work in progress and does not imply endorsement by, or the consensus of, either W3C or members of the DOM working group.
This document has been produced as part of the W3C DOM Activity, and is intended as a draft of a proposed recommendation for the Document Object Model. The authors of this document are the DOM WG members. Different chapters of the Document Object Model may have different editors.
The goal of the DOM group is to define a programmatic interface for XML and HTML. The DOM is separated into three parts: Core, HTML, and XML. The Core DOM provides a low-level set of objects that can represent any structured document. While by itself this interface is capable of representing any HTML or XML document, the core interface is a compact and minimal design for manipulating the document's contents. Depending upon the DOM's usage, the core DOM interface may not be convenient or appropriate for all users. The HTML and XML specifications provide additional, higher-level interfaces that are used with the core specification to provide a more convenient view into the document. These specifications consist of objects and methods that provide easier and more direct access into the specific types of documents.
We will update this draft specification on a regular basis.
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The DOM specification is structured as a book. The various parts of the specification are available as separate chapters of the book.