Whether you use a JavaScript framework, or you are a purist and always resort to coding your client-side scripts from scratch, there are certain DOM syntaxes with which you should be at least a little bit familiar.
It’s true that a library like jQuery or MooTools will perform these methods for you, behind the scenes. In fact, if you rely on JS libraries for virtually all your JavaScript code, you’ll rarely have to use any of these methods directly.
But the reality is that, whether we develop as freelancers or work for a development firm, we may not always have the luxury of working on fresh projects where we can pretty much do what we want; we may have to maintain sites that rely on “obtrusive” scripting methods, or, for one reason or another, we may not be permitted to use certain libraries.
Whatever your situation, the following review of various practical DOM methods will hopefully serve to bolster your JavaScript knowledge and possibly help you more readily see practical solutions to various client-side issues.