Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

The Browser Object

Finally, you should at least briefly consider the Browser Object Model or Browser Object. Using JavaScript, you can not only read and control the page and its contents, but also read and adjust properties of the browser displaying it. This can be in the form of resizing the window, or simply getting the value of the URI displayed in the address bar. Table 26-6 summarizes a few of the common properties and methods available to you in the Browser Object, which is accessed programmatically as window.

Table 26-6. Browser Object properties and methods

Property/method	Description
event	Represents the state of an event
history	Contains the URLs the user has visited within a browser window
location	Gives read/write access to the URI in the address bar
opener	Sets or returns a reference to the window that created the window
parent	Returns the parent window
screenLeft	Returns the x-coordinate of the upper-left corner of the browser relative to the upper-left corner of the screen
screenTop	Returns the y-coordinate of the top corner of the browser relative to the top corner of the screen
status	Sets or returns the text in the status bar of the window
alert( )	Displays an alert box with a specified message and an OK button
close( )	Closes the current window
confirm( )	Displays a dialog box with a specified message and an OK and a Cancel button
focus( )	Sets focus on the current window
open( )	Opens a new browser window