Revision 1089341 of DocumentFragment

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

<p>The <strong><span class="external"><code>DocumentFragment</code></span></strong> interface represents a minimal document object that has no parent. It is used as a light-weight version of {{domxref("Document")}} to store well-formed or potentially non-well-formed fragments of XML.</p>

<p>Various other methods can take a document fragment as an argument (e.g., any {{domxref("Node")}} interface methods such as {{domxref("Node.appendChild")}} and {{domxref("Node.insertBefore")}}), in which case the children of the fragment are appended or inserted, not the fragment itself. The fragment itself continues to exist (in memory) but now has no children.</p>

<p>This interface is also of great use with Web components: {{HTMLElement("template")}} elements contain a <code>DocumentFragment</code> in their {{domxref("HTMLTemplateElement.content")}} property.</p>

<p>An empty <code>DocumentFragment</code> can be created using the {{domxref("document.createDocumentFragment")}} method or the constructor.</p>

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

<p><em>This interface has no specific property, but inherits those of its parent, </em><em>{{domxref("Node")}}, and implements those of the {{domxref("ParentNode")}} interface.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{ domxref("ParentNode.children") }} {{readonlyInline}}{{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a live {{domxref("HTMLCollection")}} containing all objects of type {{domxref("Element")}} that are children of the <code>DocumentFragment</code> object.</dd>
 <dt>{{ domxref("ParentNode.firstElementChild") }} {{readonlyInline}}{{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the {{domxref("Element")}} that is the first child of the <code>DocumentFragment</code> object, or <code>null</code> if there is none.</dd>
 <dt>{{ domxref("ParentNode.lastElementChild") }} {{readonlyInline}}{{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the {{domxref("Element")}} that is the last child of the <code>DocumentFragment</code> object, or <code>null</code> if there is none.</dd>
 <dt>{{ domxref("ParentNode.childElementCount") }} {{readonlyInline}}{{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns an <code>unsigned long</code> giving the amount of children that the <code>DocumentFragment</code> has.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Constructor">Constructor</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{ domxref("DocumentFragment.DocumentFragment()", "DocumentFragment()") }} {{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns an empty <code>DocumentFragment</code> object.</dd>
</dl>

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

<p><em>This interface inherits the methods of its parent, {{domxref("Node")}}<em>, and implements those of the {{domxref("ParentNode")}} interface</em></em><em>.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("DocumentFragment.find()")}} {{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the first matching {{domxref("Element")}} in the tree of the <code>DocumentFragment</code>.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("DocumentFragment.findAll()")}} {{experimental_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a {{domxref("NodeList")}} of matching {{domxref("Element")}} in the tree of the <code>DocumentFragment</code>.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("DocumentFragment.querySelector()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the first {{domxref("Element")}} node within the <code>DocumentFragment</code>, in document order, that matches the specified selectors.</dd>
 <dt>{{domxref("DocumentFragment.querySelectorAll()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a {{domxref("NodeList")}} of all the {{domxref("Element")}} nodes within the <code>DocumentFragment</code> that match the specified selectors.</dd>
</dl>

<dl>
 <dt>{{domxref("DocumentFragment.getElementById()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns the first {{domxref("Element")}} node within the&nbsp;<code style="font-size: 14px;">DocumentFragment</code>, in document order, that matches the specified ID.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Specifications" name="Specifications">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', '#interface-documentfragment', 'DocumentFragment')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM WHATWG')}}</td>
   <td>Added the constructor and the implementation of {{domxref("ParentNode")}}.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('Selectors API Level 2', '#the-apis', 'DocumentFragment')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('Selectors API Level 2')}}</td>
   <td>Added the <code>find()</code> and <code>findAll()</code> methods.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('Selectors API Level 1', '#the-apis', 'DocumentFragment')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('Selectors API Level 1')}}</td>
   <td>Added the <code>querySelector()</code> and <code>querySelectorAll()</code> methods.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM3 Core', 'core.html#ID-B63ED1A3', 'DocumentFragment')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM3 Core')}}</td>
   <td>No change from {{SpecName('DOM2 Core')}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM2 Core', 'core.html#ID-B63ED1A3', 'DocumentFragment')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM2 Core')}}</td>
   <td>No change from {{SpecName('DOM1')}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM1', 'level-one-core.html#ID-B63ED1A3', 'DocumentFragment')}}</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>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>querySelector()</code> and <code>querySelectorAll()</code></td>
   <td>1.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("1.9.1")}}</td>
   <td>8.0</td>
   <td>10.0</td>
   <td>3.2 (525.3)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>findAll()</code> and <code>find() </code>{{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>DocumentFragment()</code> constructor {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>28.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("24.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>15.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>ParentNode</code> properties {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>28.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop("25.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>15.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>ParentNode</code> methods {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</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><code>querySelector()</code> and <code>querySelectorAll()</code></td>
   <td>2.1</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("1.0")}}</td>
   <td>8.0</td>
   <td>10.0</td>
   <td>3.2 (525.3)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>findAll()</code> and <code>find() </code>{{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>DocumentFragment()</code> constructor {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("24.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatUnknown}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>ParentNode</code> properties {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatVersionUnknown}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile("25.0")}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>5.0</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>ParentNode</code> methods {{experimental_inline}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
   <td>{{CompatNo}}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<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>