Creating Applications with Mozilla
by David Boswell, Brian King, Ian Oeschger, Pete Collins, Eric Murphy
Chapter 3. XUL Elements and Features
The XML-based User-interface Language (XUL) includes all of the basic widgets you need to build application user interfaces. These interfaces include tabs, text areas, buttons, and menus, as well as handy interfaces you may not have thought you needed, such as the <stack> widget or <colorpicker>.
Chapter 2 introduced some of the XUL elements that make up a window and basic applications. This chapter examines XUL elements and features in more detail, describing the rationale behind them, their look and behavior, and common usage. Though not comprehensive, the chapter provides more than enough information about XUL to get you started on building your own Mozilla applications, particularly when used in conjunction with the XUL reference in Appendix C.
The elements described here, such as menus, buttons, trees, and boxes, are needed in almost any type of application, and most of the examples are generic, so you can plug them into any application or customize them to your needs. We've packed a lot of information in this chapter and it will be a useful reference as you begin to develop your applications.
3.1. The XUL Document Object
At the core of a XUL file is the document object. As in HTML, document is an object that represents the XUL document itself -- the content as opposed to the window that surrounds it. The document provides methods for getting individual elements, manipulating the structure of the document, or updating style rules.
A document ...
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