Appendix A: Changes

Editor:: Philippe Le Hégaret, W3C

A.1: Changes between DOM Level 1 and DOM Level 2

Note: The DOM Level 2 HTML module is not backward compatible with the DOM Level 1 HTML module.

OMG IDL: The DOM Level 2 specifications use CORBA 2.3.1 instead of CORBA 2.2.
XHTML 1.0 support: The DOM Level 2 HTML module supports HTML 4 as well as XHTML 1.0 documents. Therefore, case sensitivity in methods depends on Document support for the feature "XML" as well as "HTML".

A.1.1: Changes to DOM Level 1 interfaces and exceptions

Interface HTMLDocument: the method getElementById is now inherited from the Document interface [DOM Level 2 Core] where it was moved.
Interface HTMLSelectElement: The type of the attribute options was changed from HTMLCollection to HTMLOptionsCollection.
The attribute length is no longer readonly and is now unsigned.
Interface HTMLOptionElement: Changing the defaultSelected attribute does not reset the state of the form control.
index is readonly.
Interface HTMLInputElement: the attribute type is no longer read only.
The type of the attribute size was changed from DOMString to unsigned long.
Interface HTMLTextAreaElement: Changing the defaultValue attribute does not reset the contents of the form control.
Interface HTMLBlockquoteElement: this interface has been removed. BLOCKQUOTE elements are now supported by the HTMLQuoteElement interface.
Interface HTMLBaseFontElement: The attribute size is of type long.
Interface HTMLImageElement: The lowSrc attribute was removed.
The types of the attributes height, hspace, width and vspace were changed from DOMString to long.
Interface HTMLObjectElement: The attribute contentDocument was added.
Interface HTMLAppletElement: The types of the attributes hspace and vspace were changed from DOMString to long.
The attribute object returns the value of the HTML object attribute.
Interface HTMLTableElement: caption, tHead, tFoot, insertRow, and deleteRow may raise exceptions.
index uses a logical order, and not a document order.
Interface HTMLTableSectionElement: The methods insertRow and deleteRow may raise exceptions.
Interface HTMLTableRowElement: The attributes rowIndex, sectionRowIndex, and cells are readonly.
The methods insertCell and deleteCell may raise exceptions.
rowIndex uses a logical order, and not a document order.
Interface HTMLFrameElement: the attribute contentDocument was added.
Interface HTMLIFrameElement: the attribute contentDocument was added.
Module and package name: The module name used in the OMG IDL is now html2.
The package name used in the Java bindings is now org.w3c.dom.html2.

A.1.2: New Interfaces

Interface HTMLOptionsCollection: The HTMLOptionsCollection interface was added to the HTML module.