A
The "A" element lets you define anchors and links. An anchor defines a place in a document. A link displays a hypertext link that the user can click to display an anchor or a new document.
HTML Syntax
The "A" element requires either an id or a name attribute. All other attributes are optional. An end tag is required. "A" elements may not be nested inside other "A" elements.
Document Object Model Syntax
Attributes of the "A" element are
exposed in JavaScript as properties on the element object. The name of the
exposed property always uses the DOM naming conventions, and is independent
of the case of the attribute in the source document.
Properties
target,
charset,
type,
name,
href,
hreflang,
rel,
rev,
accessKey,
tabIndex,
Methods
getAttribute(),
setAttribute(),
removeAttribute(),
getAttributeNode(),
setAttributeNode(),
removeAttributeNode(),
getElementsByTagName(),
normalize(),
blur(),
focus()
Detailed Attribute Descriptions
This lists details the "A" element's attributes.
Note that HTML element attributes are exposed in JavaScript as properties on the element
object. Unlike HTML, JavaScript is case sensitive. These attribute names are shown using
case that will work in either HTML or JavaScript. Note that a small number of HTML
attribute names may have a different name when used as a property in JavaScript.
-
id
- This attribute assigns a name to an element. This name must be unique in a document.
-
class
- This attribute assigns a class name or set of class names to an element. Any number of elements may be assigned the same class name or names. Multiple class names must be separated by white space characters. When accessed from JavaScript, this property is called "className."
-
style
- This attribute specifies style information for the current element.
-
title
- This attribute offers advisory information about the element for which it is set.
-
lang
- This attribute specifies the base language of an element's attribute values and text content. The default value of this attribute is unknown.
-
dir
- This attribute specifies the base directionality of text and the directionality of tables. Possible values:
- "LTR" - Left-to-right text or table.
- "RTL" - Right-to-left text or table.
-
target
-
This attribute specifies a window in which to show the destination document (if the link's action is to scroll or
open a document). If the named window is not already open, a new window with that name opens.
Special target values include:
"_blank" opens the destination document in a new unnamed window.
"_parent" opens the destination document in the parent window of the one displaying the current document.
"_self" opens the destination document in the same window as the one in which the link was clicked.
"_top" opens the destination document in the full body of the current window. This value can be used to
ensure that the destination document takes over the full window even if the original document was displayed in a
frame.
-
charset
-
This attribute specifies the character encoding of the resource designated by the link.
-
type
-
This attribute specifies the content type of a piece of content that is being linked.
-
name
-
This attribute names the current anchor so that it may be the destination of another link. The value of this
attribute must be a unique anchor name. The scope of this name is the current document. Note that this
attribute shares the same name space as the id attribute.
-
href
-
This attribute specifies the location of a Web resource, thus defining a link between the current element (the
source anchor) and the destination anchor defined by this attribute.
-
hreflang
-
This attribute specifies the base language of the resource designated by href and may only be used when href
is specified
-
rel
-
This attribute describes the relationship from the current document to the anchor specified by the href
attribute. The value of this attribute is a space-separated list of link types.
-
rev
-
This attribute is used to describe a reverse link from the anchor specified by the href attribute to the
current document. The value of this attribute is a space-separated list of link types.
-
accessKey
-
This attribute assigns an access key to an element. An access key is a single character from the document
character set. Pressing an access key assigned to an element gives focus to the element and activates it. When
a user activates a link defined by the A element, NGLayout follows the link.
The invocation of access keys depends on the underlying system. For instance, on machines running MS Windows,
one generally has to press the "alt" key in addition to the access key. On Apple systems, one generally has to
press the "cmd" key in addition to the access key.
NGLayout will underline the value of an access key in such a way as to emphasize its role and to
distinguish it from other characters.
-
tabIndex
-
This attribute specifies the position of the current element in the tabbing order for the current document. This
value must be a number between 0 and 32767. The tabbing order defines the order in which elements will receive
focus when navigated by the user via the keyboard (normally via the "tab" key). The tabbing order may include
elements nested within other elements.
Elements that may receive focus are navigated by NGLayout according to the following rules:
Those elements that support the tabindex attribute and assign a positive value to it are navigated first.
Navigation proceeds from the element with the lowest tabindex value to the element with the highest value. Values
need not be sequential nor must they begin with any particular value. Elements that have identical tabindex values
should be navigated in the order they appear in the document source.
Those elements that do not support the tabindex attribute or support it and assign it a value of "0" are
navigated next. These elements are navigated in the order they appear in the document source.
Elements that are disabled do not participate in the tabbing order.
-
onclick
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onclick" event. The onclick event occurs when a mouse button is clicked over the element.
-
ondblclick
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "ondblclick" event. The ondblclick event occurs when a mouse button is double clicked over the element.
-
onmousedown
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onmousedown" event. The onmousedown event occurs when a mouse button is pressed over the element.
-
onmouseup
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onmouseup" event. The onmouseup event occurs when a mouse button is released over the element.
-
onmouseover
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onmouseover" event. The onmouseover event occurs when the mouse is moved onto the element.
-
onmouseout
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onmouseout" event. The onmouseout event occurs when the mouse is moved away from the element.
-
onkeypress
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onkeypress" event. The onkeypress event occurs when a key is pressed and released over the element.
-
onkeydown
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onkeydown" event. The onkeydown event occurs when a key is pressed down over the element.
-
onkeyup
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onkeyup" event. The onkeyup event occurs when a key is released over the element.
-
onfocus
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onfocus" event. The onfocus event occurs when the element receives focus either by the mouse or by tabbing navigation.
-
onblur
- This attribute is used to associate JavaScript with the "onblur" event. The onblur event occurs when the element loses focus either by the mouse or by tabbing navigation.
Related Resources
