The Internet Explorer Event Model: Final Thoughts - Doc JavaScript

A Final Word

At this point you should be familiar with Internet Explorer 4.0x's event model. We discussed event bubbling, and how it relates to the DOM. The mouse and keyboard events in Internet Explorer 4.0x are exceptionally powerful, because they can be fired by any element on the page. For example, a paragraph, a table cell, and a text header can all be the source for any mouse or keyboard event. Event bubbling is useful because it enables you to catch events anywhere in the object hierarchy. But unlike Navigator 4.0x's "trickle-down" mechanism, the first element on the page that has an opportunity to capture an event is the source of that event.

In our next column we'll discuss the cross-browser event model. In other words, we'll show you how to design interactive applications that work with both browsers, despite of the drastic differences between their event models. We'll also cover the events in Navigator 4.0x and Internet Explorer 4.0x, including the differences between the browsers. In this column you learned:

1. How to assign an event handler to an element.
2. How to implement Internet Explorer 4.0x's explicit event handler scripts.
3. How to capture events at various levels.
4. How to disable an event handler.
5. How to design event processing functions.
6. How to take advantage of event bubbling.
7. How to cancel event bubbling for a specific event.
8. How to access the event object for a specific event.
9. How to use the event object's properties.
10. How to use Internet Explorer 4.0x's new and revised events.
11. How to use the new mouse events.
12. How to use the new keyboard events.