event.target javascript

What is event.target in JavaScript?

As a web developer, you may have come across this term while working with JavaScript. In simple terms, event.target is a property that refers to the HTML element that triggered the event.

How does event.target work?

Whenever an event such as a click or mouseover is triggered on an HTML element, the event object is created. This event object contains properties that provide information about the event, including the target property which refers to the element that triggered the event.

To access the event.target property, you need to attach an event listener to the HTML element that you want to monitor. Here is an example of how to use event.target:

const button = document.querySelector('button');

button.addEventListener('click', function(event) {
   console.log(event.target);
});

In this example, we are selecting a button element and attaching a 'click' event listener to it. When the button is clicked, the event object is created and the console.log(event.target) statement logs the button element.

What can you do with event.target?

The event.target property can be used for a variety of purposes when building dynamic web applications. Here are some examples:

• You can use event.target to manipulate the CSS styles of the element that triggered the event. For example, you can change the background color of a button when it is clicked.
• You can use event.target to extract data from the element that triggered the event. For example, you can retrieve the value of a text input field when the 'submit' button is clicked.
• You can use event.target to traverse the DOM tree and manipulate other elements that are related to the element that triggered the event. For example, you can hide a div element when a button inside it is clicked.

Overall, the event.target property is a powerful tool that can help you build interactive and dynamic web applications. It allows you to access and manipulate HTML elements based on the user's interactions with your web page.