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JavaScript JavaScript and the DOM (Retiring) Traversing the DOM Sibling Traversal

Vic Mercier
Vic Mercier
3,276 Points
Posted by Vic Mercier
Vic Mercier
3,276 Points

I don't understand this excercise.

I don't understand this excercise.

app.js 
const list = document.getElementsByTagName('ul')[0];

list.addEventListener('click', function(event) {
  if (event.target.tagName == 'BUTTON') {




  }
});
index.html 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
        <title>JavaScript and the DOM</title>
    </head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
    <body>
        <section>
            <h1>Making a Webpage Interactive</h1>
            <p>Things to Learn</p>
            <ul>
                <li><p>Element Selection</p><button>Highlight</button></li>
                <li><p>Events</p><button>Highlight</button></li>
                <li><p>Event Listening</p><button>Highlight</button></li>
                <li><p>DOM Traversal</p><button>Highlight</button></li>
            </ul>
        </section>
        <script src="app.js"></script>
    </body>
</html>

2 Answers

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points

Try breaking it down into steps.

The instructions say, "When any one of the buttons is clicked, a class of highlight should be added to the paragraph element immediately preceding that button...". Let's break that down a bit:

  • the provided code has already filtered out only BUTTON click events
  • using DOM traversal, select the element previous to the button
  • give that element a class name of "highlight"

That may sound like a lot, but it can be accomplished with a single line of code.

Vic Mercier
Vic Mercier
3,276 Points
Vic Mercier
Vic Mercier
3,276 Points

Thank you so much ! I don't know how you do to break down a problem that seems hard but it isn't!If I am annoying with my questions, it is because my mother tongue is french and I am 11 years old.

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
231,271 Points

So you're getting started early learning coding — good for you! :+1: Breaking larger problems into smaller steps will become easier with practice. Happy coding!

Alexander Acker
Alexander Acker
18,123 Points
Alexander Acker
Alexander Acker
18,123 Points

The purpose of this exercise is to help understand the capabilities and methods that JavaScript has in accessing and changing other elements around the DOM during a particular web event. In this particular instance, the click of a particular button should enable code to look for that buttons sibling P element and make a change to it. I utilized the previousElementSibling property here to get this done as the P tag is directly before the button. Useful information within the MDN on this one.