JavaScript » Objects » Window
As the top level object in the JavaScript client hierarchy, every browser window and frame has a corresponding Window object, created automatically with every instance of a <BODY> or <FRAMESET> tag.
Properties
- closed
Syntax: window.closed
This property is used to return a Boolean value that determines if a window has been closed. If it has, the value returned is true.
- constructor
Syntax: Object.constructor
This specifies a function to create an object's property and is inherited by all objects from their prototype.
- defaultStatus
Syntax: window.defaultStatus( = "message")
This property is used to define the default message displayed in a window's status bar.
- document
Syntax: window.document
This property's value is the document object contained within the window. See Document object.
- frames
Syntax: window.frames("frameID")
This property is an array containing references to all the named child frames in the current window.
- history
This property's value is the window's History object, containing details of the URL's visited from within that window. See History object.
- location
Syntax: window.location
This property contains details of the current URL of the window and its value is always the Location object for that window.
- locationbar
Syntax: window.locationbar[.visible = false]
This property relates to the area of a browser's window that contains the details of the URL or bookmark (this is where you physically enter URL details). The locationbar property has its own property, visible, that defaults to true (visible) and can be set to false (hidden).
- menubar
Syntax: window.menubar[.visible = false]
This property relates to the area of a browser's window that contains the various pull-down menus (File, Edit, View, etc.). The menubar property has its own property, visible, that defaults to true (visible) and can be set to false (hidden).
- name
Syntax: window.name
This property is used to return or set a window's name.
- opener
Syntax: window.opener
When opening a window using window.open, use this property from the destination window to return details of the source window. This has many uses, for example, window.opener.close() will close the source window.
- outerheight
Syntax: window.outerheight
These properties determine the dimensions, in pixels, of the outside boundary, including all interface elements, of a window.
- outerwidth
Syntax: window.outerwidth
- pageXOffset
Syntax: window.pageXOffset
These properties return the X and Y position of the current page in relation to the upper left corner of a window's display area.
- pageYOffset
Syntax: window.pageYOffset
These properties return the X and Y position of the current page in relation to the upper left corner of a window's display area.
- parent
Syntax: window.parent
This property is a reference to the window or frame that contains the calling child frame.
- personalbar
Syntax: window.personalbar[.visible = false]
This property relates to the browser's personal bar (or directories bar). The personalbar property has its own property, visible, that defaults to true (visible) and can be set to false (hidden).
- prototype
Syntax: Object.prototype.name = value
This allows the addition of properties and methods to any object.
- scrollbars
Syntax: window.scrollbars[.visible = false]
This property relates to the browser's scrollbars (vertical and horizontal). The scrollbars property has its own property, visible, that defaults to true (visible) and can be set to false (hidden).
- self
Syntax: self.property or method
This property is a reference (or synonym) for the current active window or frame.
- status
Syntax: window.status= ( "message")
This property, which can be set at any time, is used to define the transient message displayed in a window's status bar such as the text displayed when you onMouseOver a link or anchor.
- statusbar
Syntax: window.statusbar[.visible = false]
This property relates to the browser's status bar. The statusbar property has its own property, visible, that defaults to true (visible) and can be set to false (hidden).
- toolbar
Syntax: window.toolbar[.visible = false]
This property sets or returns a Boolean value that defines whether the browser's tool bar is visible or not. The default is true (visible). False means hidden. It can only be set before the window is opened and you must have UniversalBrowserWrite privilege.
- top
Syntax: top.property or method
This property is a reference (or synonym) for the topmost browser window.
- window
Syntax: window.property or method
This property is a reference (or synonym) for the current window or frame.
Methods
- alert
Syntax: window.alert("message")
This method displays an alert box containing a message and an o.k. button.
- back
Syntax: window.back()
Using this method is the same as clicking the browser's Back button, i.e. it undoes the last navigation step performed from the current top-level window.
- blur
Syntax: window.blur( )
This method is used to remove focus from the current window.
- captureEvents
Syntax: window.captureEvent(eventType)
This method instructs the window to capture all events of a particular type. See the event object for a list of event types.
- clearInterval
Syntax: window.clearInterval(intervalID)
This method is used to cancel a timeout previously set with the setInterval method.
- clearTimeout
Syntax: window.clearTimeout(timeoutID)
This method is used to cancel a timeout previously set with the setTimeout method.
- close
Syntax: window.close( )
This method is used to close a specified window. If no window reference is supplied, the close() method will close the current active window. Note that this method will only close windows created using the open() method; if you attempt to close a window not created using open(), the user will be prompted to confirm this action with a dialog box before closing. The single exception to this is if the current active window has only one document in its session history. In this case the closing of the window will not require confirmation.
- confirm
Syntax: confirm("message")
This method brings up a dialog box that prompts the user to select either 'o.k.' or 'cancel', the first returning true and the latter, false.
- disableExternalCapture
Syntax: window.disableExternalCapture( )
This method disables the capturing of events previously enabled using the enableExternalCapture method below.
- enableExternalCapture
Syntax: window.enableExternalCapture( )
This method allows a window that contains frames to capture events in documents loaded from different servers.
- eval
Syntax: Object.eval(string)
The eval method is deprecated as a method of Object, but is still used as a high level function. It evaluates a string of JavaScript in the context of an object.
- find
Syntax: window.find([string[, caseSensitive, backward]])
This method allows the searching of the contents of a window for a specified string. The caseSensitive and backward arguments are Booleans and to use either of these you must also specify the other. If a search string is not supplied, JavaScript will display a Find dialog box which prompts the user for a string to search for, and also provides the facility to set the other two (caseSensitive and backward) arguments.
- focus
Syntax: window.focus( )
This method is used to give focus to the specified window. This is useful for bringing windows to the top of any others on the screen.
- forward
Syntax: window.forward()
Using this method is the same as clicking the browser's Forward button, i.e. it goes to the next URL in the history list of the current top-level window.
- handleEvent
Syntax: window.handleEvent("eventID")
This method is used to call the handler for the specified event.
- home
Syntax: window.home( )
Using this method has the same effect as pressing the Home button in the browser, i.e. the browser goes to the URL set by the user as their home page.
- moveBy
Syntax: window.moveBy(horizPixels, vertPixels)
This method is used to move the window a specified number of pixels in relation to its current co-ordinates.
- moveTo
Syntax: window.moveTo(Xposition, Yposition)
This method moves the window's left edge and top edge to the specified x and y co-ordinates, respectively.
- open
Syntax: window.open(URL, name [, features])
This method is used to open a new browser window.
Syntax: window.print( )
This method is used to print the contents of the specified window.
- prompt
Syntax: window.prompt(message[, defaultInput])
This method displays a dialog box prompting the user for some input.
- releaseEvents
Syntax: window.releaseEvents("eventType")
This method is used to release any captured events of the specified type and to send them on to objects further down the event hierarchy
- resizeBy
Syntax: window.resizeBy(horizPixels, vertPixels)
This method is used to resize the window. It moves the bottom right corner of the window by the specified horizontal and vertical number of pixels while leaving the top left corner anchored to its original co-ordinates.
- resizeTo
Syntax: window.resizeTo(outerWidth, outerHeight)
This method is used to resize a window to the dimensions supplied with the outerWidth and outerHeight (both integers, in pixels) parameters.
- routeEvent
Syntax: window.routeEvent(eventType)
This method is used to send a captured event further down the normal event hierarchy; specifically, the event is passed to the original target object unless a sub-object of the window (a document or layer) is also set to capture this type of event, in which case the event is passed to that sub-object.
- scroll
Syntax: window.scroll(coordsPixels)
This method is used to scroll the window to the supplied co-ordinates. This method is now deprecated; use the scrollTo method detailed below instead.
- scrollBy
Syntax: window.scrollBy(horizPixels, vertPixels)
This method is used to scroll the window's content area by the specified number of pixels. This is only useful when there are areas of the document that cannot be seen within the window's current viewing area, and the visible property of the window's scrollbar must be set to true for this method to work.
- scrollTo
Syntax: window.scrollTo(xPosition, yPosition)
This method scrolls the contents of a window, the specified co-ordinate becoming the top left corner of the viewable area.
- setInterval
Syntax: window.setInterval(expression/function, milliseconds)
This method is used to call a function or evaluate an expression at specified intervals, in milliseconds.
- setTimeout
Syntax: [intervalID =] window.setTimeout(expression/function, milliseconds)
This method is used to call a function or evaluate an expression after a specified number of milliseconds.
- stop
Syntax: window.stop( )
This method is used to cancel the current download. This is the same as clicking the browser's Stop button.
- toSource
Syntax: Object.toSource()
The toSource method returns a literal representing the source code of an object. This can then be used to create a new object.
- toString
Syntax: Object.toString()
The toString method returns a string representing a specified object.
- unwatch
Syntax: Object.unwatch(property)
This method removes a watchpoint set for an object and property name with the watch method.
- valueOf
Syntax: Object.valueOf()
This method returns a primitive value for a specified object.
- watch
Syntax: Object.watch(property, handlerfunction)
This method adds a watchpoint to a property of the object.
See Also:
