The CharacterData abstract interface represents a Node object that contains characters. This is an abstract interface, meaning there aren't any object of type CharacterData: it is implemented by other interfaces, like Text, Comment, or ProcessingInstruction which aren't abstract.
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a:hover text { fill: #0095DD; pointer-events: all;}
Properties
Inherits properties from its parent, Node, and implements the ChildNode and NonDocumentTypeChildNode interface.
CharacterData.data- Is a
DOMStringrepresenting the textual data contained in this object. CharacterData.lengthRead only- Returns an
unsigned longrepresenting the size of the string contained inCharacterData.data. NonDocumentTypeChildNode.nextElementSiblingRead only- Returns the
Elementimmediately following the specified one in its parent's children list, ornullif the specified element is the last one in the list. NonDocumentTypeChildNode.previousElementSiblingRead only- Returns the
Elementimmediately prior to the specified one in its parent's children list, ornullif the specified element is the first one in the list.
Methods
Inherits methods from its parent, Node, and implements the ChildNode and NonDocumentTypeChildNode interface.
CharacterData.appendData()- Appends the given
DOMStringto theCharacterData.datastring; when this method returns,datacontains the concatenatedDOMString. CharacterData.deleteData()- Removes the specified amount of characters, starting at the specified offset, from the
CharacterData.datastring; when this method returns,datacontains the shortenedDOMString. CharacterData.insertData()- Inserts the specified characters, at the specified offset, in the
CharacterData.datastring; when this method returns,datacontains the modifiedDOMString. ChildNode.remove()- Removes the object from its parent children list.
CharacterData.replaceData()- Replaces the specified amount of characters, starting at the specified offset, with the specified
DOMString; when this method returns,datacontains the modifiedDOMString. CharacterData.substringData()- Returns a
DOMStringcontaining the part ofCharacterData.dataof the specified length and starting at the specified offset.
Specifications
| Specification | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| DOM The definition of 'CharacterData' in that specification. |
Living Standard | Added implemention of the ChildNode and NonDocumentTypeChildNode interface. |
| Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 Core Specification The definition of 'CharacterData' in that specification. |
Obsolete | No change from Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 Core Specification. |
| Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 Core Specification The definition of 'CharacterData' in that specification. |
Obsolete | No change from Document Object Model (DOM) Level 1 Specification. |
| Document Object Model (DOM) Level 1 Specification The definition of 'CharacterData' in that specification. |
Obsolete | Initial definition. |
Browser compatibility
The compatibility table on this page is generated from structured data. If you'd like to contribute to the data, please check out https://github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data and send us a pull request.
| Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | 1 | Yes | 1 | 6 | Yes | Yes |
Implements ChildNode Interface | Yes | Yes | 251 | No | Yes | No |
appendData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
data | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
deleteData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
insertData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
length | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
replaceData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
substringData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| Feature | Android webview | Chrome for Android | Edge mobile | Firefox for Android | Opera Android | iOS Safari | Samsung Internet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
Implements ChildNode Interface | ? | Yes | Yes | 252 | Yes | ? | ? |
appendData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
data | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
deleteData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
insertData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
length | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
replaceData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
substringData | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
1. Two properties, nextElementSibling and previousElementSibling, have been moved to the NonDocumentTypeChildNode interface, also implemented by CharacterData.
See also