W3C DOM Activities

The Document Object Model (DOM: Document Object Model) is a platform and language-neutral application programming interface (API) that allows programs to access and modify the content, structure, and style of a document.

DOM Tutorials

To learn more about the DOM, please read our HTML DOM Tutorial and XML DOM Tutorial.

DOM Level 0

DOM Level 0 is not a W3C specification. It is merely a definition of the equivalent functionality in Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0.

Key players in the development of the DOM include ArborText, IBM, Inso EPS, JavaSoft, Microsoft, Netscape, Novell, the Object Management Group, SoftQuad, Sun Microsystems, and Texcel.

W3C's DOM Level 1 builds upon this functionality.

DOM Level 1

DOM Level 1 focuses on the HTML and XML document models. It includes document navigation and manipulation features.

DOM Level 1 became a W3C Recommendation on October 1, 1998.

The second edition working draft was on September 29, 2000.

DOM Level 2

DOM Level 2 adds a style sheet object model to DOM Level 1 and defines functionality for manipulating style information attached to a document.

DOM Level 2 also defines an event model and provides support for XML namespaces.

As a W3C Recommendation, the DOM Level 2 specification was released on November 13, 2000:

DOM Level 2 Core

DOM Level 2 Core specifies an API for accessing and modifying document content and structure, including interfaces for XML.

DOM Level 2 HTML

DOM Level 2 HTML specifies an API for manipulating the structure and content of HTML documents. (This part of the specification is still a working draft)

DOM Level 2 Views

DOM Level 2 specifies an API for accessing and modifying document views. Views are representations or alternative representations associated with the original document.

DOM Level 2 Style

DOM Level 2 Style specifies an API for dynamically accessing and modifying content style sheets.

DOM Level 2 Events

DOM Level 2 Events specifies an API for accessing document events.

DOM Level 2 Traversal-Range

DOM Level 2 Traversal-Range specifies an API for dynamically traversing and identifying ranges of content within a document.

DOM Level 3

DOM Level 3 specifies content models (DTDs and Schemas) and document validation. It also specifies document loading and saving, document views, document formatting, and key events. DOM Level 3 builds upon DOM Core Level 2.

DOM Level 3 Requirements

The DOM Requirements document has been updated for Level 3 requirements and was released as a working draft on April 12, 2000.

The following DOM Level 3 working drafts were released on September 1, 2000:

DOM Level 3 Core

DOM Level 3 Core specifies an API for accessing and modifying document content, structure, and style.

DOM Level 3 Events

The DOM Level 3 Events API extends the functionality of the Level 2 Event API by adding new interfaces and a new set of events.

DOM Level 3 Load and Save

DOM Level 3 Content Model specifies an API for content loading and saving, content model (DTD and Schemas) and document validation support.

DOM Level 3 Views and Formatting

DOM Level 3 Views specifies an API for accessing and modifying document views. Views are representations or alternative representations associated with the original document.

W3C DOM Specifications and Timeline

W3C Reference Manual:

W3C DOM Homepage