Dynamic HTML (DHTML)

What is DHTML? What are the features of DHTML?

What is DHTML? What are the features of DHTML? DHTML stands for Dynamic HTML. The first thing that we need to clear about DHTML is that it is neither a language like HTML, JavaScript etc. nor a web standard. It is just a combination of HTML, JavaScript and CSS. It just uses these languages features to build dynamic web pages. DHTML is a feature of Netscape Communicator 4.0, and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and 5.0 and is entirely a "client-side" technology.  Features of DHTML: 1. Simplest feature is making the page dynamic. 2. Can be used to create animations, games, applications, provide new ways of navigating through web sites. 3. DHTML use low-bandwidth effect which enhance web page functionality. 4. Dynamic building of web pages is simple as no plug-in is required. 5. Facilitates the usage of events, methods and properties and code reuse. DHTML is Not a Language DHTML stands for Dynamic HTML. DHTML is NOT a language or a web standard. DHTML is a TERM used to describe the technologies used to make web pages dynamic and interactive. To most people DHTML means the combination of HTML, JavaScript, DOM, and CSS. According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C): "Dynamic HTML is a term used by some vendors to describe the combination of HTML, style sheets and scripts that allows documents to be animated." DHTML Technologies Below is a listing of DHTML technologies. HTML 4 The W3C HTML 4 standard has rich support for dynamic content: HTML supports JavaScript HTML supports the Document Object Model (DOM) HTML supports HTML Events HTML supports Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) DHTML is about using these features to create dynamic and interactive web pages. JavaScript JavaScript is the scripting standard for HTML. DHTML is about using JavaScript to control, access and manipulate HTML elements. You can read more about this in the next chapter of this tutorial. HTML DOM The HTML DOM is the W3C standard Document Object Model for HTML. The HTML DOM defines a standard set of objects for HTML, and a standard way to access and manipulate them. DHTML is about using the DOM to access and manipulate HTML elements. You can read more about this in a later chapter of this tutorial. HTML Events The W3C HTML Event Model is a part of the HTML DOM. It defines a standard way to handle HTML events. DHTML is about creating web pages that reacts to (user)events. You can read more about this in a later chapter of this tutorial. CSS CSS is the W3C standard style and layout model for HTML. CSS allows web developers to control the style and layout of web pages. HTML 4 allows dynamic changes to CSS. DHTML is about using JavaScript and DOM to change the style and positioning of HTML elements. You can read more about this in a later chapter of this tutorial.