Revision 742247 of CharacterData

<p>{{APIRef("DOM")}}</p>

<p>The <code><strong>CharacterData</strong></code> abstract interface represents a {{domxref("Node")}} object that contains characters. This is an abstract interface, meaning there aren't any object of type <code>CharacterData</code>: it is implemented by other interfaces, like {{domxref("Text")}}, {{domxref("Comment")}}, or {{domxref("ProcessingInstruction")}} which aren't abstract.</p>

<h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2>

<p><em>Inherits properties from its parent, {{domxref("Node")}}, and implements the {{domxref("ChildNode")}} and {{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode")}} interface.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.data")}}</dt>
 <dd>Is a {{domxref("DOMString")}} representing the textual data contained in this object.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.length")}} {{readonlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns an <code>unsigned long</code> representing the size of the string contained in <code>CharacterData.data</code>.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode.nextElementSibling")}} {{readonlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the {{domxref("Element")}} immediately following the specified one in its parent's children list, or <code>null</code> if the specified element is the last one in the list.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode.previousElementSibling")}} {{readonlyInline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the {{domxref("Element")}} immediately prior to the specified one in its parent's children list, or <code>null</code> if the specified element is the first one in the list.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Methods" name="Methods">Methods</h2>

<p><em>Inherits methods from its parent, {{domxref("Node")}}, and implements the {{domxref("ChildNode")}} <em>and {{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode")}} </em>interface.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.appendData()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Appends the given {{domxref("DOMString")}} to the <code>CharacterData.data</code> string; when this method returns, <code>data</code> contains the concatenated {{domxref("DOMString")}}.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.deleteData()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Removes the specified amount of characters, starting at the specified offset, from the <code>CharacterData.data</code> string; when this method returns, <code>data</code> contains the shortened {{domxref("DOMString")}}.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.insertData()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Inserts the specified characters, at the specified offset, in the <code>CharacterData.data</code> string; when this method returns, <code>data</code> contains the modified {{domxref("DOMString")}}.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("ChildNode.remove()")}} {{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Removes the object from its parent children list.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.replaceData()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Replaces the specified amount of characters, starting at the specified offset, with the specified {{domxref("DOMString")}}; when this method returns, <code>data</code> contains the modified {{domxref("DOMString")}}.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("CharacterData.substringData()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a {{domxref("DOMString")}} containing the part of <code>CharacterData.data</code> of the specified length and starting at the specified offset.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Specification" name="Specification">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM WHATWG', '#characterdata', 'CharacterData')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM WHATWG')}}</td>
   <td>Added implemention of the {{domxref("ChildNode")}} and {{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode")}} interface.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM3 Core', 'core.html#ID-FF21A306', 'CharacterData')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM3 Core')}}</td>
   <td>No change from {{SpecName('DOM2 Core')}}.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM2 Core', 'core.html#ID-FF21A306', 'CharacterData')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM2 Core')}}</td>
   <td>No change from {{SpecName('DOM1')}}.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM1', 'level-one-core.html#ID-FF21A306', 'CharacterData')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM1')}}</td>
   <td>Initial definition.</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<p>{{CompatibilityTable}}</p>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>1.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("1.0")}}</td>
   <td>6</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Implements {{domxref("ChildNode")}} interface.</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("25.0")}} [1]</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Mobile</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("1.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Implements {{domxref("ChildNode")}} interface.</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("25.0")}} [1]</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<p>[1] Two properties, <code>nextElementSibling</code> and <code>previousElementSibling</code>, have been moved to the {{domxref("NonDocumentTypeChildNode")}} interface, also implemented by <code>CharacterData</code>.</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li><a href="/en-US/docs/DOM/DOM_Reference" title="/en-US/docs/DOM/DOM_Reference">The DOM interfaces index</a>.</li>
</ul>