JavaScript Output
JavaScript does NOT have any built-in print or display functions.
JavaScript Display Possibilities
JavaScript can "display" data in different ways:
- Writing into an alert box, using window.alert().
- Writing into the HTML output using document.write().
- Writing into an HTML element, using innerHTML.
- Writing into the browser console, using console.log().
Using window.alert()
You can use an alert box to display data:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Web Page</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
<script>
window.alert(5 + 6);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »
Using document.write()
For testing purposes, it is convenient to use document.write():
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Web Page</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
<script>
document.write(5 + 6);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »
Using document.write() after an HTML document is fully loaded, will delete all existing HTML:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Web Page</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
<button onclick="document.write(5 + 6)">Try it</button>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »
The document.write() method should be used only for testing. |
Using innerHTML
To access an HTML element, JavaScript can use the document.getElementById(id) method.
The id attribute defines the HTML element. The innerHTML property defines the HTML content:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Web Page</h1>
<p>My
First Paragraph</p>
<p id="demo"></p>
<script>
document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML = 5 + 6;
</script>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »
To "display data" in HTML, (in most cases) you will set the value of an innerHTML property. |
Using console.log()
In your browser, you can use the console.log() method to display data.
Activate the browser console with F12, and select "Console" in the menu.
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h1>My First Web Page</h1>
<p>My first paragraph.</p>
<script>
console.log(5 + 6);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Try it Yourself »