Tech Stuff - DOM-2 createTextNode

W3C Core Reference. Part of the Document Interface.

createTextNode Method

Creates a single instance of a new text node. Text nodes return '3' (TEXT_NODE) to the nodeType and '#text' to nodeName attributes. The text contents are read and written using the nodeValue attribute. Used for any visible text, for example, with a paragraph tag ("p"), or "pre" tag, clickable text in an anchor ("a") tag or raw text in say, a table cell ("td"). In all cases it must be appended (appendChild) to a pre-existing structural element or one created with createElement method.

Syntax

node = document.createTextNode(textstring)

Related Stuff

createElement, appendChild

Parameters

Examples

// create a new paragraph
newpara = document.createElement("p");
// now some text
sometext = document.createTextNode("what a way to spend a life");
// stick them onto an existing object
existingobject = document.getElementById("one");
existingobject.appendChild(newpara);
existingobject.appendChild(sometext);

We create an empty paragraph newpara element and some text sometext and appends them (in the order shown) onto the existingobject which has id="one".

Notes:

createTextNode creates a single instance of the text which can only be used once.

// this code will NOT give desired results
// create a text node
// note: snippet assumes obj1 and obj2 are known to be para nodes
sometext = document.createTextNode("what a way to spend a life");
// stick same text onto existing objects - DOES NOT WORK
obj1 = document.getElementById("one");
obj2 = document.getElementById("two");
obj1.appendChild(sometext);
obj2.appendChild(sometext);

// this code WILL give desired results
// note: snippet assumes obj1 and obj2 are known to be para nodes
// now create text
sometext = document.createTextNode("what a way to spend a life");
// add text onto existing objects
obj1 = document.getElementById("one");
obj2 = document.getElementById("two");
// add first instance to obj1
obj1.appendChild(sometext);
// create a new instance an add to obj2
sometext = document.createTextNode("what a way to spend a life");
obj2.appendChild(sametext);

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