DHTML Introduction

The basic knowledge you should possess

Before you continue learning, you should have a basic understanding of the following knowledge:

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • JavaScript

If you wish to learn these projects first, please visit our Home Page Access these tutorials.

DHTML is not a W3C standard

DHTML stands for Dynamic HTML (Dynamic HTML).

DHTML is not a standard defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). DHTML is a marketing term used by Netscape and Microsoft to describe the new technologies that browsers of the 4.x generation should support.

DHTML is a collection of technologies used to create dynamic websites.

For most people, DHTML means a combination of HTML 4.0, style sheets, and JavaScript.

The W3C once said, 'Dynamic HTML is a term used by some manufacturers to describe a combination of HTML, style sheets, and scripts that can make documents more dynamic.'

DHTML Technology

Through DHTML, web developers can control how HTML elements are displayed and positioned within the browser window.

HTML 4.0

Through HTML 4.0, all formatting (information) can be moved out of the HTML document and written into a separate style sheet. Because HTML 4.0 can separate the presentation of the document from its structure, we can completely control the presentation layer without disrupting the content of the document.

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

Through CSS, we have obtained a style and layout model for HTML documents.

Since CSS enables developers to control the styles and layouts of multiple web pages simultaneously, CSS can be called a breakthrough in the field of web design. As a developer, you can define styles for each HTML element and apply them to as many pages as you wish. If you need to make a global change, simply change the style, and all elements in the Web will be automatically updated.

Document Object Model (DOM)

DOM stands for Document Object Model.

HTML DOM is the Document Object Model for HTML.

The HTML DOM defines a set of standard objects for HTML and standard methods for accessing and processing HTML objects.

"The W3C Document Object Model (DOM) is a language- and platform-independent interface that allows programs and scripts to dynamically access and update the content, structure, and style of documents."

JavaScript

Empowers you to write code that can control all HTML elements.

DHTML Technologies in Netscape 4.x and Internet Explorer 4.x

Netscape 4.x Cross-Browser DHTML Internet Explorer 4.x
  • JSS (JavaScript Stylesheets) (allows you to control how different HTML elements are displayed)
  • Layers (allows you to control the positioning and visibility of elements)
  • CSS1
  • CSS2 (allows you to control how different HTML elements are displayed)
  • CSS Positioning (allows you to control the positioning and visibility of elements)
  • JavaScript
  • Visual Filters (allows you to apply visual effects to text and graphics)
  • Dynamic CSS (allows you to control the positioning and visibility of elements)

Note:As long as the properties and technologies created by different browsers are not supported by other browsers, problems will arise when coding with DHTML. A web page may look great in one browser but terrible in another.