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JavaScript Interactive Web Pages with JavaScript Selecting Elements and Adding Events with JavaScript Selecting Elements

Jared Bilton
PLUS
Jared Bilton
Courses Plus Student 2,061 Points
Posted by Jared Bilton
Jared Bilton
Courses Plus Student 2,061 Points

Got the first part but no sure how to select the second SPAN element

I think document.getElementsByTagName is correct but that is as far as I have gotten

app.js 
var fullName = document.getElementById('full_name');
var lastName = document.getElementsByTagName('span');
index.html 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<h1 id="full_name"><span class="first_name">Andrew</span> <span class="last_name">Chalkley</span></h1>

<script src="app.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
simon lavery
simon lavery
17,485 Points

I think if its the second span element it would be ("span")[2] ?

3 Answers

Victor Rodriguez
Victor Rodriguez
15,015 Points
Victor Rodriguez
Victor Rodriguez
15,015 Points

document.getElementsByTagName() returns an array. Use the array syntax to get the individual items out. so if var spans = document.getElementsByTagName('span'); then the first span is spans[0] and the second span is spans[1]. If there were more elements it would be span[2], [3], [4]... etc. Arrays start at 0 instead of 1.

Vance Rivera
Vance Rivera
18,322 Points
Vance Rivera
Vance Rivera
18,322 Points

You could also use the getElementsByClassName("last_name") to get the result your are looking for. I would go this route especially if you are going to uniquely identify elements by the class. Anytime you uniquely identify an element I'd suggest traversing the dom by that identifier.

Jakob Wozniak
Jakob Wozniak
17,896 Points
Jakob Wozniak
Jakob Wozniak
17,896 Points

Like Vance said, I think the getElementsByClassName would work better for both. You're using getElementById for the first one, when it's really a class you're looking for.

Hope this helps!