Accessing Specific Elements

document.getElementById("para") 

When you're working with the DOM, the ideal way to later access an element on the page is by giving it a unique identifier, or ID. Then, the DOM method document.getElementById() accesses the given element and enables you to go on from there: Modify the element, append subelements, or otherwise further navigate through the DOM tree.

In the following example, the <p> element is accessed. Depending on the browser type, the string representation of the element class is different. Whereas Internet Explorer just outputs [object], Mozilla browsers are more verbose and provide more information: [object HTMLParagraphElement].

Accessing an Element By ID (getelementbyid.html)

<script language="JavaScript"   type="text/javascript"> window.onload = function() {   window.alert(document.getElementById("para")); } </script> <p >JavaScript Phrasebook</p> 

Warning

The DOM is accessible only when the whole document has been loaded. That's the reason the DOM access code is executed only after the load event has been fired.