body element | body object

Specifies the beginning and end of the document body.

Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 HTML Specification, Section 1.6.5

HTML information

Closing Tag	required
CSS Display	block

DOM Information

Inheritance Hierarchy

Node

Element

HTMLElement

HTMLBodyElement

body

Members

The body object has these types of members:

Events
Methods
Properties

Events

The body object has these events.

Event	Description
click	Fires when the user clicks the left mouse button on the object. Note Starting with IE11, this event fires a MSPointerEvent object instead of MouseEvent. You can use the MouseEvent.pointerType property to determine the type of contact that the click originated from (touch, mouse, or pen).
abort	Fires when the user aborts the download.
activate	Fires when the object is set as the active element.
afterprint	Fires on the object immediately after its associated document prints or previews for printing.
afterupdate	Fires on a databound object after successfully updating the associated data in the data source object.
beforeactivate	Fires immediately before the object is set as the active element.
beforecopy	Fires on the source object before the selection is copied to the system clipboard.
beforecut	Fires on the source object before the selection is deleted from the document.
beforeeditfocus	Fires before an object contained in an editable element enters a UI Activation state or when an editable container object is control selection.
beforepaste	Fires on the target object before the selection is pasted from the system clipboard to the document.
beforeprint	Fires on the object before its associated document prints or previews for printing.
beforeunload	Fires prior to a document being unloaded.
beforeupdate	Fires on a databound object before updating the associated data in the data source object.
cellchange	Fires when data changes in the data provider.
change	Fires when the contents of the object or selection have changed.
contextmenu	Fires when the user clicks the right mouse button in the client area, opening the context menu. Note Starting with IE11, this event fires a MSPointerEvent object instead of MouseEvent. You can use the MouseEvent.pointerType property to determine the type of contact that the click originated from (touch, mouse, or pen).
controlselect	Fires when the user is about to make a control selection of the object.
cut	Fires on the source element when the object or selection is removed from the document and added to the system clipboard.
dataavailable	Fires periodically as data arrives from data source objects that asynchronously transmit their data.
datasetchanged	Fires when the data set exposed by a data source object changes.
dblclick	Fires when the user double-clicks the object. Note Starting with IE11, this event fires a MSPointerEvent object instead of a MouseEvent. You can use the MouseEvent.pointerType property to determine the type of contact that the click originated from (touch, mouse, or pen).
deactivate	Fires when the activeElement is changed from the current object to another object in the parent document.
drag	Fires on the source object continuously during a drag operation.
dragend	Fires on the source object when the user releases the mouse at the close of a drag operation.
dragenter	Fires on the target element when the user drags the object to a valid drop target.
dragleave	Fires on the target object when the user moves the mouse out of a valid drop target during a drag operation.
dragover	Fires on the target element continuously while the user drags the object over a valid drop target.
dragstart	Fires on the source object when the user starts to drag a text selection or selected object.
drop	Fires on the target object when the mouse button is released during a drag-and-drop operation.
error	Fires when an error occurs during object loading.
errorupdate	Fires on a databound object when an error occurs while updating the associated data in the data source object.
filterchange	Fires when a visual filter changes state or completes a transition.
focusin	Fires for an element just prior to setting focus on that element.
focusout	Fires for the current element with focus immediately after moving focus to another element.
hashchange	Raised when there are changes to the portion of a URL that follows the number sign (#). This event is not supported for Windows apps using JavaScript.
input	Occurs when the text content of an element is changed through the user interface.
keydown	Fires when the user presses a key.
keypress	Fires when the user presses an alphanumeric key.
layoutcomplete	Fires when the print or print preview layout process finishes filling the current LayoutRect object with content from the source document.
load	Fires immediately after the client loads the object.
losecapture	Fires when the object loses the mouse capture.
mousedown	Fires when the user clicks the object with either mouse button.
mouseenter	Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer into the object.
mouseleave	Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer outside the boundaries of the object.
mousemove	Fires when the user moves the mouse over the object.
mouseout	Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer outside the boundaries of the object.
mouseover	Fires when the user moves the mouse pointer into the object.
mouseup	Fires when the user releases a mouse button while the mouse is over the object.
mousewheel	Fires when the wheel button is rotated.
move	Fires when the object moves.
moveend	Fires when the object stops moving.
movestart	Fires when the object starts to move.
mselementresize	Fires when certain HTML elements are resized.
offline	Raised when Internet Explorer is working offline. This event is not supported for Windows apps using JavaScript.
onbeforedeactivate	Fires immediately before the activeElement is changed from the current object to another object in the parent document.
ondatasetcomplete	Fires to indicate that all data is available from the data source object.
onkeyup	Fires when the user releases a key.
online	Raised when Internet Explorer is working online. This event is not supported for Windows apps using JavaScript.
onselect	Fires when the current selection changes.
orientationchange	Fires when the device is rotated.
paste	Fires on the target object when the user pastes data, transferring the data from the system clipboard to the document.
propertychange	Fires when a property changes on the object. Note The onpropertychange event is only supported in conjunction with the legacy attachEvent IE-only event registration model, which has deprecated since Internet Explorer 9 in favor of the W3C standard "addEventListener" event model.
readystatechange	Fires when the state of the object has changed.
reset	Fires when the user resets a form.
resize	Fires when the size of the object is about to change.
resizeend	Fires when the user finishes changing the dimensions of the object in a control selection.
resizestart	Fires when the user begins to change the dimensions of the object in a control selection.
rowenter	Fires to indicate that the current row has changed in the data source and new data values are available on the object.
rowexit	Fires just before the data source control changes the current row in the object.
rowsdelete	Fires when rows are about to be deleted from the recordset.
rowsinserted	Fires just after new rows are inserted in the current recordset.
scroll	Fires when the user repositions the scroll box in the scroll bar on the object.
selectstart	Fires when the object is being selected.
unload	Fires immediately before the object is unloaded.

Methods

The body object has these methods.

Method	Description
addBehavior	Attaches a behavior to the element.
appendChild	Appends an element as a child to the object.
applyElement	Makes the element either a child or parent of another element.
attachEvent	Note attachEvent is no longer supported. Starting with IE11, use addEventListener. For info, see Compatibility changes. Binds the specified function to an event, so that the function gets called whenever the event fires on the object.
blur	Causes the element to lose focus and fires the onblur event.
clearAttributes	Removes all attributes and values from the object.
click	Simulates a click by causing the onclick event to fire.
cloneNode	Copies a reference to the object from the document hierarchy.
componentFromPoint	Returns the component located at the specified coordinates via certain events.
contains	Checks whether the given element is contained within the object.
createControlRange	Creates a controlRange collection of nontext elements.
createTextRange	Creates a TextRange object for the element.
detachEvent	Unbinds the specified function from the event, so that the function stops receiving notifications when the event fires.
doScroll	Note doScroll is no longer supported. Starting with IE11, use scrollLeft or scrollTop. For info, see Compatibility changes. Simulates a click on a scroll bar component.
dragDrop	Initiates a drag event.
fireEvent	Fires a specified event on the object.
focus	Causes the element to receive the focus and executes the code specified by the onfocus event.
getAdjacentText	Returns the adjacent text string.
getAttribute	Retrieves the value of the specified attribute.
getAttributeNode	Retrieves an attribute object referenced by the attribute.name property.
getAttributeNodeNS	Gets an attribute object that matches the specified namespace and name.
getAttributeNS	Gets the value of the specified attribute within the specified namespace.
getBoundingClientRect	Retrieves an object that specifies the bounds of a collection of TextRectangle objects.
getClientRects	Retrieves a collection of rectangles that describes the layout of the contents of an object or range within the client. Each rectangle describes a single line.
getElementsByClassName	Gets a collection of objects that are based on the value of the class attribute.
getElementsByTagName	Retrieves a collection of objects based on the specified element name.
getElementsByTagNameNS	Gets a collection of objects that are based on the specified element names within a specified namespace.
hasAttribute	Determines whether an attribute with the specified name exists.
hasAttributeNS	Determines whether an attribute that has the specified namespace and name exists.
hasAttributes	Determines whether one or more attributes exist for the object.
hasChildNodes	Returns a value that indicates whether the object has children.
insertAdjacentElement	Inserts an element at the specified location.
insertAdjacentHTML	Inserts the given HTML text into the element at the location.
insertAdjacentText	Inserts the given text into the element at the specified location.
insertBefore	Inserts an element into the document hierarchy as a child node of a parent object.
mergeAttributes	Copies all read/write attributes to the specified element.
msMatchesSelector	Determines whether an object matches the specified selector.
normalize	Merges adjacent DOM objects to produce a normalized document object model.
querySelector	Retrieves the first DOM element node from descendants of the starting element node that match any selector within the supplied selector string.
querySelectorAll	Retrieves all DOM element nodes from descendants of the starting element node that match any selector within the supplied selector strings.
releaseCapture	Removes mouse capture from the object in the current document.
removeAttribute	Removes an attribute from an object.
removeAttributeNode	Removes an attribute object from the object.
removeAttributeNS	Removes the specified attribute from the object.
removeBehavior	Detaches a behavior from the element.
removeChild	Removes a child node from the object.
removeNode	Removes the object from the document hierarchy.
replaceAdjacentText	Replaces the text adjacent to the element.
replaceChild	Replaces an existing child element with a new child element.
replaceNode	Replaces the object with another element.
setActive	Sets the object as active without setting focus to the object.
setAttribute	Sets the value of the specified attribute.
setAttributeNode	Sets an attribute object node as part of the object.
setAttributeNodeNS	Sets an attribute object as part of the object.
setAttributeNS	Sets the value of the specified attribute within the specified namespace.
setCapture	Sets the mouse capture to the object that belongs to the current document.
swapNode	Exchanges the location of two objects in the document hierarchy.

Properties

The body object has these properties.

Property	Description
accessKey	Sets or retrieves the access key for the object.
aLink	Sets or gets the color of all active links in the element.
ATOMICSELECTION	Specifies whether the element and its contents must be selected as a whole, indivisible unit.
attributes	Retrieves a collection of attributes of the object.
background	Sets or retrieves the background picture tiled behind the text and graphics on the page.
bgColor	Deprecated. Sets or retrieves the background color behind the object.
bgProperties	Sets or gets the properties of the background picture.
blockDirection	Gets a string value that indicates whether the content in the block element flows from left to right, or from right to left.
bottomMargin	Sets or gets the bottom margin of the entire body of the document.
canHaveChildren	Gets a value indicating whether the object can contain child objects.
canHaveHTML	Retrieves the value indicating whether the object can contain rich HTML markup.
childElementCount	Retrieves the number of immediate child nodes of the current element or a zero if the element does not contain any child nodes. childElementCount does not return all child nodes, only child nodes that are nodeType =1, or element nodes.
className	Sets or retrieves the class of the object.
clientHeight	Retrieves the height of the object including padding, but not including margin, border, or scroll bar.
clientLeft	Retrieves the distance between the offsetLeft property and the true left side of the client area.
clientTop	Retrieves the distance between the offsetTop property and the true top of the client area.
clientWidth	Retrieves the width of the object including padding, but not including margin, border, or scroll bar.
constructor	Returns a reference to the constructor of an object.
contentEditable	Sets or retrieves the string that indicates whether the user can edit the content of the object.
dir	Sets or retrieves the reading order of the object.
disabled	Sets or gets the value that indicates whether the user can interact with the object.
firstChild	Gets a reference to the first child in the childNodes collection of the object.
firstElementChild	Retrieves a reference to the first child element, or NULL if there are no child elements.
hideFocus	Sets or gets the value that indicates whether the object visibly shows that it has focus.
id	Sets or retrieves the string identifying the object.
innerHTML	Sets or retrieves the HTML between the start and end tags of the object.
innerText	Sets or retrieves the text between the start and end tags of the object.
isContentEditable	Gets the value that indicates whether the user can edit the contents of the object.
isDisabled	Gets the value that indicates whether the user can interact with the object.
isMultiLine	Retrieves the value indicating whether the content of the object contains one or more lines.
isTextEdit	Retrieves whether a TextRange object can be created using the object.
lang	Sets or retrieves the language to use.
language	Sets or retrieves the language in which the current script is written. Note This has been superceded by the type attribute for the script element. If you are using javascript alone, you don't need to specify a type or language with the script element.
lastChild	Gets a reference to the last child in the childNodes collection of an object.
lastElementChild	Retrieves a reference to the last child element or NULL if there are no child elements.
leftMargin	Sets or gets the left margin for the entire body of the document, which overrides the default margin.
link	Sets or gets the color of the document links for the object.
nextElementSibling	Retrieves a reference to the sibling element that immediately follows or NULL if the element does not have any sibling elements that follow it.
nextSibling	Retrieves a reference to the next child of the parent for the object.
nodeName	Gets the name of a particular type of node.
nodeType	Retrieves the type of the requested node.
nodeValue	Gets or sets the value of a node.
noWrap	Sets or retrieves whether the browser automatically performs wordwrap.
offsetHeight	Retrieves the height of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetLeft	Retrieves the calculated left position of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetParent	Retrieves a reference to the container object that defines the offsetTop and offsetLeft properties of the object.
offsetTop	Retrieves the calculated top position of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
offsetWidth	Retrieves the width of the object relative to the layout or coordinate parent, as specified by the offsetParent property.
outerHTML	Sets or retrieves the object and its content in HTML.
outerText	Sets or retrieves the text of the object.
ownerDocument	Retrieves the document object associated with the node.
parentElement	Retrieves the parent object in the object hierarchy.
parentNode	Retrieves the parent object in the document hierarchy.
parentTextEdit	Retrieves the container object in the document hierarchy that can be used to create a TextRange containing the original object.
previousElementSibling	Retrieves a reference to the immediately preceding sibling element or NULL if the element does not have any preceding siblings.
previousSibling	Gets a reference to the previous child of the parent for the object.
readyState	Retrieves the current state of the object.
recordNumber	Retrieves the ordinal record from the data set that generated the object.
rightMargin	Sets or gets the right margin for the entire body of the document.
role	Sets or retrieves the role for this element.
scopeName	Gets the namespace defined for the element. This property is not supported for Windows apps using JavaScript.
scroll	Sets or gets a value that indicates whether the scroll bars are turned on or off.
scrollHeight	Retrieves the scrolling height of the object.
scrollLeft	Sets or retrieves the distance between the left edge of the object and the leftmost portion of the content currently visible in the window.
scrollTop	Sets or retrieves the distance between the top of the object and the topmost portion of the content currently visible in the window.
scrollWidth	Retrieves the scrolling width of the object.
sourceIndex	Retrieves the ordinal position of the object, in source order, as the object appears in the document's all collection.
style	Sets an inline style for the element.
tabIndex	Sets or retrieves the index that defines the tab order for the object.
tagName	Retrieves the tag name of the object.
tagUrn	Sets or gets the URN specified in the namespace declaration. This property is not supported for Windows apps using JavaScript.
text	Sets or gets the text (foreground) color for the document body.
title	Sets or retrieves advisory information (a ToolTip) for the object.
topMargin	Sets or gets the margin for the top of the document.
uniqueID	Retrieves an autogenerated, unique identifier for the object.
uniqueNumber	Retrieves the element's unique number.
vLink	Sets or gets the color of links in the object that have already been visited.
x-ms-format-detection	Determines whether data formats within content are automatically detected and (if found) converted to clickable links.

Standards information

Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 HTML Specification, Section 1.6.5
HTML 4.01 Specification, Section 7.5.1

Remarks

As of Internet Explorer for Windows Phone 8.1 Update, the body element is no longer eligible for focus by default on Internet Explorer for Windows Phone. This means that:

The focus method has no effect on it
It does not fire focus or blur events
It will not match the :focus selector

This element is only focussable if it is contenteditable or has a specified tabindex.

You can access the body element from script through the document object.

The window object for the body element can host event handlers for the onblur, onfocus, onload, or onunload events.

Windows Internet Explorer 8 and later. The value of the background attribute depends on the current document compatibility mode.

As of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6, when you use the !DOCTYPE declaration to specify standards-compliant mode, the body object can obtain its size from its content, or you can set its size explicitly—like a div object, for example. In standards-compliant mode, the html element represents the entire surface onto which a document's contents can be rendered. When the !DOCTYPE declaration does not specify standards-compliant mode, and with earlier versions of Windows Internet Explorer, the body object represents the entire surface onto which a document's contents can be rendered. The size of the body object cannot be changed and is equal to the size of the window. Margins you set on this object are rendered inside the border and scrollbars of the object.

In Internet Explorer 6, When you use the !DOCTYPE declaration to specify standards-compliant mode, this object no longer represents the entire surface onto which a document's contents can be rendered. The object can obtain its size from its content, or you can set its size explicitly like a div object.

Examples

This example exposes the body element in script.

JavaScript


var oBody = document.body;