DOM Introduction

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JavaScript HTML DOM (Introduction)

The Document Object Model (DOM) is a programming interface for web documents. It represents the page so that programs (like JavaScript) can change the document structure, style, and content.

1. The DOM Tree

When a web page is loaded, the browser creates a Document Object Model of the page. The HTML DOM model is constructed as a tree of Objects.
Document └── Root element: <html> ā”œā”€ā”€ Element: <head> │ └── Element: <title> └── Element: <body> ā”œā”€ā”€ Element: <a> (href) └── Element: <h1>

2. The DOM is an API

The HTML DOM is a standard for how to get, change, add, or delete HTML elements. In 2026, we interact with the DOM directly through JavaScript to build highly interactive experiences.

3. Node Types

In the DOM, everything is a node:
  • The entire document is a Document Node.
  • Every HTML element is an Element Node.
  • The text inside HTML elements are Text Nodes.
  • Comments are Comment Nodes.
[!IMPORTANT] Abstraction Rule: JavaScript does not 'see' the HTML text; it sees a graph of objects. When you update the graph (the DOM), the browser reflects those changes on the screen immediately.

Top Interview Questions

?Interview Question

Q:What does DOM stand for?
A:
Document Object Model. It is an object-oriented representation of a web page.

?Interview Question

Q:Is the DOM part of the JavaScript language itself?
A:
No. The DOM is a Web API provided by the browser. JavaScript is the language that interacts with that API.

?Interview Question

Q:Which node is the absolute root of the DOM tree?
A:
The 'window.document' node is the root providing access to the entire HTML structure.

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