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JavaScript JavaScript and the DOM (Retiring) Getting a Handle on the DOM Selecting by Id

Vic Mercier
Vic Mercier
3,276 Points

Dom

Why do we need to put [0] at the end ?Is it an obligation?

js/app.js
const myName = document.getElementsByTagName("h1")[0];
index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<h1>VICTOR MERCIER</h1>
<script src = "js/app.js"></script>

2 Answers

Christopher Debove
PLUS
Christopher Debove
Courses Plus Student 18,373 Points

Hi there! Depending on what you want.

Element.getElementsByTagName returns an HTMLCollection, not a single element. What you want in the challenge is to get a unique element, so adding "[0]" beside is getting the first element of this HTMLCollection.

Jennifer Nordell
seal-mask
STAFF
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Jennifer Nordell
Treehouse Teacher

Hi there! It doesn't seem like this question is about the challenge linked to this question. But you want to know if the the [0] is mandatory. No, not really. However, if it's not put there an array of all h1 tags will be returned and assigned to the myName variable. If this index.html had looked something like this:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<h1>VICTOR MERCIER</h1>
<p>Paragraph one</p>
<h1>Address: </h1>
<p>123 Fake St.</p>
<h1>Telephone: </h1>
<p>555-555-5555</p>
<script src = "js/app.js"></script>

... then an array containing every h1would be assigned to myName. But that wouldn't be correct, as your name is only stored in the first h1. That's what the [0] is for. It retrieves the very first h1 on the page and assigns it to myName.

Hope this helps! :sparkles: