XML DOM Create Nodes

Examples

The examples below use the XML file books.xml.
A function, loadXMLDoc(), in an external JavaScript is used to load the XML file.

Create an element node
This example uses createElement() to create a new element node, and appendChild() to add it to a node.

Create an attribute node using createAttribute
This example uses createAttribute() to create a new attribute node, and setAttributeNode() to insert it to an element.

Create an attribute node using setAttribute
This example uses setAttribute() to create a new attribute for an element.

Create a text node
This example uses createTextNode() to create a new text node, and appendChild() to add it to an element.

Create a CDATA section node
This example uses createCDATAsection() to create a CDATA section node, and appendChild() to add it to an element.

Create a comment node
This example uses createComment() to create a comment node, and appendChild() to add it to an element.

Create a New Element Node

The createElement() method creates a new element node:

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

newel=xmlDoc.createElement("edition");

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("book")[0];
x.appendChild(newel);

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Create a new element node <edition>
3. Append the element node to the first <book> element

Try it yourself

Loop through and add an element to all <book> elements: Try it yourself

Create a New Attribute Node

The createAttribute() is used to create a new attribute node:

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

newatt=xmlDoc.createAttribute("edition");
newatt.nodeValue="first";

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("title");
x[0].setAttributeNode(newatt); 

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Create a new attribute node "edition"
3. Set the value of the attribute node to "first"
4. Add the new attribute node to the first <title> element

Try it yourself

Loop through all <title> elements and add a new attribute node: Try it yourself

Note: If the attribute already exists, it is replaced by the new one.

Create an Attribute Using setAttribute()

Since the setAttribute() method creates a new attribute if the attribute does not exist, it can be used to create a new attribute.

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName('book');
x[0].setAttribute("edition","first");

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Set (create) the attribute "edition" with the value "first" for the first <book> element

Try it yourself

Loop through all <title> elements and add a new attribute: Try it yourself

Create a Text Node

The createTextNode() method creates a new text node:

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

newel=xmlDoc.createElement("edition");
newtext=xmlDoc.createTextNode("first");
newel.appendChild(newtext);

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("book")[0];
x.appendChild(newel);

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Create a new element node <edition>
3. Create a new text node with the text "first"
4. Append the new text node to the element node
5. Append the new element node to the first <book> element

Try it yourself

Add an element node, with a text node, to all <book> elements: Try it yourself

Create a CDATA Section Node

The createCDATASection() method creates a new CDATA section node.

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

newCDATA=xmlDoc.createCDATASection("Special Offer & Book Sale");

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("book")[0];
x.appendChild(newCDATA);

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Create a new CDATA section node
3. Append the new CDATA node to the first <book> element

Try it yourself

Loop through, and add a CDATA section, to all <book> elements: Try it yourself

Create a Comment Node

The createComment() method creates a new comment node.

xmlDoc=loadXMLDoc("books.xml");

newComment=xmlDoc.createComment("Revised March 2008");

x=xmlDoc.getElementsByTagName("book")[0];
x.appendChild(newComment);

Example explained:

1. Load "books.xml" into xmlDoc using loadXMLDoc()
2. Create a new comment node
3. Append the new comment node to the first <book> element

Try it yourself

Loop through, and add a comment node, to all <book> elements: Try it yourself

Learn XML with <oXygen/> XML Editor - Free Trial!

oXygen helps you learn to define, edit, validate and transform XML documents. Supported technologies include XML Schema, DTD, Relax NG, XSLT, XPath, XQuery, CSS. Understand in no time how XSLT and XQuery work by using the intuitive oXygen debugger! Do you have any XML related questions? Get free answers from the oXygen XML forum and from the video demonstrations. Download a FREE 30-day trial today!