When Should You Use `children` vs. `childNodes` in JavaScript DOM Manipulation?

The Distinction between JavaScript's children and childNodes

In JavaScript, DOM manipulation is often performed using the children and childNodes properties. While both properties serve the purpose of accessing the child elements within a parent node, they exhibit fundamental differences.

Children vs. ChildNodes

The primary distinction lies in the types of nodes they access. .children solely retrieves Element nodes, which represent HTML elements such as

,

, and . On the other hand, .childNodes includes all types of nodes, including Element nodes, Text nodes, Comment nodes, and others.

A practical example illustrates this difference:

let el = document.createElement("div");
el.textContent = "foo";

el.childNodes.length === 1; // Contains a Text node child.
el.children.length === 0;   // No Element children.

Preference

In most DOM manipulation scenarios, it is preferable to use .children over .childNodes because it specifically targets Element nodes, which are more commonly manipulated. By using .children, you avoid iterating through Text or Comment nodes, which can be unnecessary and potentially inefficient.

However, if working with Text nodes is required, .textContent or .nodeValue may be more appropriate.

It is crucial to grasp the differences between .children and .childNodes before making an informed decision about which property to employ based on the specific requirements of your application.

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