An Introduction To DOM Events

Click, touch, load, drag, change, input, error, resize — the list of possible DOM events is lengthy. Events can be triggered on any part of a document, whether by a user’s interaction or by the browser. They don’t just start and end in one place; they flow though the document, on a life cycle of their own. This life cycle is what makes DOM events so extensible and useful. As developers, we should understand how DOM events work, so that we can harness their potential and build engaging experiences.

Throughout his time as a front-end developer, Wilson Page felt that he was never given a straight explanation of how DOM events work. His aim here is to give you a clear overview of the subject, to get you up to speed more quickly than he did. He will introduce the basics of working with DOM events, then delve into their inner workings, explaining how we can make use of them to solve common problems.