---
description: The document object is the root node of the HTML document.
---

# The Document Object

### Document Object Properties and Methods

The following properties and methods can be used on HTML documents:

| Property / Method        | Description                                                                                                |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| activeElement            | Returns the currently focused element in the document                                                      |
| addEventListener()       | Attaches an event handler to the document                                                                  |
| adoptNode()              | Adopts a node from another document                                                                        |
| anchors                  | Returns a collection of all \<a> elements in the document that have a name attribute                       |
| applets                  | Returns a collection of all \<applet> elements in the document                                             |
| baseURI                  | Returns the absolute base URI of a document                                                                |
| body                     | Sets or returns the document's body (the \<body> element)                                                  |
| close()                  | Closes the output stream previously opened with document.open()                                            |
| cookie                   | Returns all name/value pairs of cookies in the document                                                    |
| charset                  | Deprecated. Use characterSet instead. Returns the character encoding for the document                      |
| characterSet             | Returns the character encoding for the document                                                            |
| createAttribute()        | Creates an attribute node                                                                                  |
| createComment()          | Creates a Comment node with the specified text                                                             |
| createDocumentFragment() | Creates an empty DocumentFragment node                                                                     |
| createElement()          | Creates an Element node                                                                                    |
| createEvent()            | Creates a new event                                                                                        |
| createTextNode()         | Creates a Text node                                                                                        |
| defaultView              | Returns the window object associated with a document, or null if none is available.                        |
| designMode               | Controls whether the entire document should be editable or not.                                            |
| doctype                  | Returns the Document Type Declaration associated with the document                                         |
| documentElement          | Returns the Document Element of the document (the \<html> element)                                         |
| documentMode             | Returns the mode used by the browser to render the document                                                |
| documentURI              | Sets or returns the location of the document                                                               |
| domain                   | Returns the domain name of the server that loaded the document                                             |
| domConfig                | Obsolete. Returns the DOM configuration of the document                                                    |
| embeds                   | Returns a collection of all \<embed> elements the document                                                 |
| execCommand()            | Invokes the specified clipboard operation on the element currently having focus.                           |
| forms                    | Returns a collection of all \<form> elements in the document                                               |
| fullscreenElement        | Returns the current element that is displayed in fullscreen mode                                           |
| fullscreenEnabled()      | Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the document can be viewed in fullscreen mode                   |
| getElementById()         | Returns the element that has the ID attribute with the specified value                                     |
| getElementsByClassName() | Returns a HTMLCollection containing all elements with the specified class name                             |
| getElementsByName()      | Returns a HTMLCollection containing all elements with a specified name                                     |
| getElementsByTagName()   | Returns a HTMLCollection containing all elements with the specified tag name                               |
| hasFocus()               | Returns a Boolean value indicating whether the document has focus                                          |
| head                     | Returns the \<head> element of the document                                                                |
| images                   | Returns a collection of all \<img> elements in the document                                                |
| implementation           | Returns the DOMImplementation object that handles this document                                            |
| importNode()             | Imports a node from another document                                                                       |
| inputEncoding            | Returns the encoding, character set, used for the document                                                 |
| lastModified             | Returns the date and time the document was last modified                                                   |
| links                    | Returns a collection of all \<a> and \<area> elements in the document that have a href attribute           |
| normalize()              | Removes empty Text nodes, and joins adjacent nodes                                                         |
| normalizeDocument()      | Removes empty Text nodes, and joins adjacent nodes                                                         |
| open()                   | Opens an HTML output stream to collect output from document.write()                                        |
| querySelector()          | Returns the first element that matches a specified CSS selector(s) in the document                         |
| querySelectorAll()       | Returns a static NodeList containing all elements that matches a specified CSS selector(s) in the document |
| readyState               | Returns the (loading) status of the document                                                               |
| referrer                 | Returns the URL of the document that loaded the current document                                           |
| removeEventListener()    | Removes an event handler from the document (that has been attached with the addEventListener() method)     |
| renameNode()             | Renames the specified node                                                                                 |
| scripts                  | Returns a collection of \<script> elements in the document                                                 |
| strictErrorChecking      | Sets or returns whether error-checking is enforced or not                                                  |
| title                    | Sets or returns the title of the document                                                                  |
| URL                      | Returns the full URL of the HTML document                                                                  |
| write()                  | Writes HTML expressions or JavaScript code to a document                                                   |
| writeln()                | Same as write(), but adds a newline character after each statement                                         |
