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DHTML Versus DOM: Comparing Both Approaches

icant.co.uk — This article is aimed at developers who are new to JavaScript, or those who haven't touched it in a while and wonder why people tell them off for using techniques that were the bee's knees in 1999.

Who dugg this? Made popular Apr 16, 2006

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19 Comments

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  • Bogtha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21DHTML is the combination of markup, styling and scripting to create dynamic interfaces. It's a vague buzzword covering a range of technologies.

    The DOM is an interface for making changes to the current page via script. It's a specific technology.

    They are not competing technologies, they aren't even on the same conceptual level. Modern DHTML *uses* the DOM, in the same way old-fashioned DHTML used earlier interfaces.

    The only reason DHTML is confused with the earlier browser-specific interfaces is because the DHTML buzzword went out of fashion around the time browser support for the DOM was maturing. This doesn't mean that the DOM replaced DHTML, it just means the actual term "DHTML" wasn't as popular. It's still DHTML, it's just nowadays it isn't usually referred to as that.

    "DHTML versus DOM" makes no sense, it's like saying "car versus wheel". The DOM is an integral part of modern DHTML.
  • TheFightForGood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6google cache ->
    http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:toB5MgYdLp8J:icant.co.uk/articles/from-dhtml-to-dom/from-dhtml-to-dom-scripting.html+&hl=en&lr=&strip=1
  • chesterjosiah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Mod Bogtha's comment up. What prockcore said may be true according to the article, but it's simply not true. innerHTML and createElement are two ways to modify a page dynamically through javascript, but both fall under the category of DHTML. createElement is a DOM method, innerHTML is not a DOM method, but both are DHTML.
  • bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Interesting. I didn't know that DHTML and DOM programming weren't the same thing thing.Digg from me.
  • evarlast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1re: DHTML mainly uses things like innerHTML

    DOM uses createElement

    ------------------------------------------

    As a programmer I know this is false and I don't even know this HTML DOM/DHTML debate. All XML DOM libraries have methods to specify innerXML of a node as well as methods to create a new node including a CreateElement method. This is certainly NOT the difference. I'm sorry for your confusion.

    Thanks to Bogtha for clarifying what is simply a ontological problem.
  • traherom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Too bad. I wanted to know the difference between dyanmic HTML and HTML with standards-compliant Javascript... I guess the second doesn't really fit the definition: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dynamic%20html

    :)
  • commyostrich, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dugg for saying "the bee's knees" in the descrip. Oh and for the info on the differences. I've just been getting into web design and digg is always here to show me some fantastic guides and what not.
  • codepo8, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Evarlast, but how is innerXML part of the DOM standard? Of course libraries will have shortcut methods, so please don't confuse practicality with a standard. If you don't know about the whole HTML DOM/DHTML debate, then why bother participating? Would you like a lot of web designers join in the latest argument about JAVA and .NET?
  • zootm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1> "DHTML versus DOM" makes no sense, it's like saying "car versus wheel". The DOM is an integral part of modern DHTML.

    To be fair, the article is talking about "DOM scripting", rather than DHTML. Which, to be fair, is more like saying "car versus car", since they're essentially the same thing. What the author refers to as "DOM scripting" is actually just DHTML with standards compliance and a basic HTML core, that is to say it's simply responsible use of DHTML technologies.
  • bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Yeah, I knew DHTML was kinda buzzwordy, but thought that the DOM just fell into it.

    Personally I'm more of a back-end developer but I'm becomming more and more interested in the front end stuff. So, I was aware of the pitfalls of using something like innerHTML. Thanks for the insight.
  • kaniz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Article was posted on Ajaxian a few days ago, and found it to be pretty interesting -- have it booked mark, is a good reference.
  • Chewie67, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Dead already
  • traherom, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Yeah, all the new-fangled crap makes loading slow...
  • lavawalker, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Woohoo! 100th homepage story. Congrats tyson.
  • prockcore, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1I can't read the article... but the basic difference between DHTML and DOM is:

    DHTML mainly uses things like innerHTML

    DOM uses createElement
  • Rice, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2He's only on 99, you twit.
  • wayjer, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2Congrats on # 100!
  • Camper, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Safari could not open the page “http://icant.co.uk/articles/from-dhtml-to-dom/from-dhtml-to-dom-scripting.html” because the server stopped responding.

    Maybe cause they're using this DOM thingy?

  • joel2600, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1watching 'shag' again?

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