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currentStyle object

Browser support:

Represents the computed style settings for an element.

There are four objects in JavaScript that are used to retrieve and modify style settings:

style (cross-browser)
CSSStyleDeclaration (all browsers, except Internet Explorer before version 9)
currentStyle (Internet Explorer and Opera)
runtimeStyle (Internet Explorer).

These four objects are introduced in the followings.

In HTML, style settings can be specified for an element in three different ways:

inline style settings (with the style attribute)
embedded style sheets (style declarations in a style element)
external style sheets (style sheets imported by link elements or by import style rules)

Inline style settings have higher precedence than embedded or external style sheets, the values of inline style properties always override the values declared in embedded or external style sheets. Inline style declarations can be retrieved and modified with the style object.

If you need the current style settings of an element, the use of the style object is sometimes not enough, because it only retrieves the inline style settings. For that purpose, browsers support the CSSStyleDeclaration (all browsers, except Internet Explorer before version 9) and currentStyle (Internet Explorer and Opera) objects. They retrieve the computed style for an element, regardless of whether they are defined by inline styles or embedded or external style sheets.

If no value is declared for a style property, the CSSStyleDeclaration and currentStyle objects return the default or the inherited value.

Sometimes the retrieved style settings are in different formats than they were previously declared. For example, the CSSStyleDeclaration object retrieves RGB color values for declared predefined color names.
Another difference is that the shorthand style properties are partially supported by the CSSStyleDeclaration and currentStyle objects. For example, the border is a shorthand style property, because the color, style and width of the border can be declared with it in one place.
- The border property is supported in Opera, but not supported in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.
- The borderColor, borderStyle and borderWidth properties are supported in Internet Explorer and Opera, but not supported in Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.
- The borderBottomColor, borderBottomStyle, borderBottomWidth, borderLeftColor, borderLeftStyle, borderLeftWidth, ... properties are supported in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome and Safari as well.
- Therefore, if you need the current border settings, you must use the borderBottomColor, borderBottomStyle, borderBottomWidth, ... properties for a cross-browser solution.

Note: The CSSStyleDeclaration and currentStyle objects are read-only, the style settings can not be modified by them.

There is an additional style object in Internet Explorer that helps working with style settings, it is the runtimeStyle object. It provides one more level over the inline style settings. It has higher precedence than the inline styles and the embedded and external style sheets.

When settings are modified by the runtimeStyle object, they have effect on the element (and so on the currentStyle object as well) but have no effect on the inline style settings. The runtimeStyle object contains only the style settings specified by itself, so it can not be used to retrieve the current style settings of an element, it can only be used to retrieve the overriden style settings.

The runtimeStyle object is useful if the style settings modified at runtime need to be restored to their original value.

Style properties can be accessed by the getPropertyValue, setProperty and removeProperty methods in all browsers except in Internet Explorer before version 9 and by the getAttribute, setExpression and removeAttribute methods in Internet Explorer (in all versions). Furthermore, all four mentioned style objects support properties to directly access the value of CSS properties. The names of these properties are often different from the names of the CSS properties. You can find the corresponding names on the pages for the CSS properties.

Syntax:

Properties that reference the object:

•

object.currentStyle

Related objects:

CommentNode

Related HTML objects:

a, abbr, acronym, address, applet, area, b, base, basefont, bdo, bgsound, big, blink, blockquote, body, br, button, caption, center, cite, code, col, colgroup, comment, dd, del, dfn, dir, div, dl, dt, em, embed, fieldset, font, form, frame, frameset, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, head, hr, html, i, iframe, img, input:button, input:checkbox, input:file, input:hidden, input:image, input:password, input:radio, input:range, input:reset, input:submit, input:text, ins, isindex, kbd, keygen, label, legend, li, link, listing, map, marquee, menu, meta, nobr, noframes, noscript, object, ol, optgroup, option, p, plaintext, pre, q, rt, ruby, s, samp, script, select, small, span, strike, strong, sub, sup, table, tbody, td, textarea, tfoot, th, thead, title, tr, tt, u, ul, var, wbr, xml, xmp

The base interface, through which you can add new functionalities to the currentStyle object, is the CSSStyleDeclaration interface.

Possible members:

Properties

Methods

accelerator

Specifies or returns whether the object contains an accelerator key.

background

Specifies or returns up to five separate background properties, in a shorthand form.

backgroundAttachment

Specifies or returns whether the backgroundImage should scroll with the contents of the object or not.

backgroundColor

Specifies or returns the color to use for the background of the object.

backgroundImage

Specifies or returns the image to use as the background of the object.

backgroundPosition

Sets or retrieves the position of the backgroundImage within the element.

backgroundPositionX

Specifies or returns the horizontal coordinate of the backgroundImage relative to the upper-left corner of the container object.

backgroundPositionY

Specifies or returns the vertical-coordinate of the backgroundImage relative to the upper-left corner of the container object.

backgroundRepeat

Specifies or returns how to tile the backgroundImage relative to the upper-left corner of the container object.

behavior

Sets or retrieves the URL of a behavior file.

blockDirection

Returns a string value that represents the text direction within an element.

border

Sets or retrieves up to three separate border properties, in a shorthand form.

borderBottom

Sets or retrieves the color, style and width properties for the element's bottom border, in a shorthand form.

borderBottomColor

Specifies or returns the color of the element's bottom border.

borderBottomStyle

Specifies or returns the style of the element's bottom border.

borderBottomWidth

Specifies or returns the width of the element's bottom border.

borderCollapse

Specifies or returns whether the borders of a table are joined in a single border or not.

borderColor

Specifies or returns the color of the element's border.

borderLeft

Specifies or returns the color, style and width properties for the element's left border, in a shorthand form.

borderLeftColor

Specifies or returns the color of the element's left border.

borderLeftStyle

Specifies or returns the style of the element's left border.

borderLeftWidth

Specifies or returns the width of the element's left border.

borderRight

Specifies or returns the color, style and width properties for the element's right border, in a shorthand form.

borderRightColor

Specifies or returns the color of the element's right border.

borderRightStyle

Specifies or returns the style of the element's right border.

borderRightWidth

Specifies or returns the width of the element's right border.

borderSpacing

8

Specifies or returns the space between cells in a table.

borderStyle

Specifies or returns the style of the element's border.

borderTop

Specifies or returns the color, style and width properties for the element's top border, in a shorthand form.

borderTopColor

Specifies or returns the color of the element's top border.

borderTopStyle

Specifies or returns the style of the element's top border.

borderTopWidth

Specifies or returns the width of the element's top border.

borderWidth

Specifies or returns the width of the element's border.

bottom

Specifies or returns the bottom coordinate of a positioned element.

boxSizing

8

Specifies or retrieves how the width and the height of the element are calculated. It affects the height and width properties.

captionSide

8

Specifies or returns the position of the caption box within a table element.

clear

Specifies or returns the position of the element relative to floating objects.

clip

Specifies or returns which part of a positioned element is visible.

clipBottom

Returns the bottom coordinate of the clipping region relative to the upper left corner of the object.

clipLeft

Returns the left coordinate of the clipping region relative to the upper left corner of the object.

clipRight

Returns the right coordinate of the clipping region relative to the upper left corner of the object.

clipTop

Returns the top coordinate of the clipping region relative to the upper left corner of the object.

color

Specifies or returns the color of the element's text content.

content

Specifies or returns the generated content after or before the element.

counterIncrement

Specifies or retrieves the list of counters and increment values.

counterReset

Sets or retrieves the list of counters and their initial values.

cssFloat

9

Specifies or returns the horizontal alignment of the object.

cssText

9

Sets or retrieves the contents of a style declaration as a string.

cue

Retrieves the cue-before and cueAfter properties in a shorthand form in aural style sheets.

cueAfter

Retrieves the sound file to play after an element.

cueBefore

Retrieves the sound file to play before an element.

cursor

Specifies or returns the type of cursor to display for the pointing device (mouse).

direction

Specifies or returns the text direction.

display

Specifies or returns the element's display type.

emptyCells

8

Specifies or returns whether the border and background of empty table cells should be shown or not.

filter

Specifies or returns the filter or collection of filters applied to the object.

font

Specifies or returns up to six separate font properties, in a shorthand form.

fontFamily

Specifies or returns the font face for text.

fontSize

Specifies or returns the font size of the text.

fontStyle

Specifies or returns whether the style of the font is normal, italic or oblique.

fontVariant

Specifies or returns a variation of the specified or default fontFamily.

fontWeight

Specifies or returns the font weight of the text.

hasLayout

Returns a Boolean value that indicates whether the object has layout or not.

height

Specifies or returns the height of the visible area for an element.

imeMode

Specifies or returns the state of an Input Method Editor (IME) for user text entry fields. IME allows users to enter and edit Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters.

layoutFlow

Specifies or returns the flow and direction of the content in an element.

layoutGridChar

Specifies or returns the size of the character grid for the layout of an element's text content.

layoutGridLine

Specifies or returns the gridline value used for laying out Japanese or Chinese characters in a web document.

layoutGridMode

Specifies or returns whether the text layout grid uses one or two dimensions.

layoutGridType

Specifies or returns the type of grid to be used for laying out Japanese or Chinese characters in a web document.

left

Specifies or returns the left coordinate of a positioned element.

length

9

Returns the number of properties that have been set in the current style object.

letterSpacing

Specifies or returns the amount of space between letters.

lineBreak

Specifies or returns the line-breaking rules for Chinese, Japanese or Korean text.

lineHeight

Specifies or returns the distance between lines of text in a block-level element.

listStyle

Specifies or returns up to three separate listStyle properties for an object.

listStyleImage

Specifies or returns a graphic image for a list label.

listStylePosition

Specifies or returns whether the list marker for a list item should appear inside or outside the list-item box.

listStyleType

Specifies or returns the style of the list marker bullet or numbering system within a list.

margin

Specifies or returns a shorthand property for setting the top, right, bottom and left margins, in that order.

marginBottom

Specifies or returns the bottom margin of the object.

marginLeft

Specifies or returns the left margin of the object.

marginRight

Specifies or returns the right margin of the object.

marginTop

Specifies or returns the top margin of the object.

maxHeight

7

Specifies or returns the maximum height for the visible area of an element.

maxWidth

7

Specifies or returns the maximum width for the visible area of an element.

minHeight

Specifies or returns a minimum height for the visible area of an element.

minWidth

7

Specifies or returns the minimum width for the visible area of an element.

msInterpolationMode

7

Sets or retrieves the interpolation algorithm for scaling an image.

OBackgroundSize

Sets or retrieves the size of the background image.

opacity

9

Sets or retrieves the transparency level of an element. For Internet Explorer, use filter with 'Alpha(opacity=percent)'.

opPhonemes

Specifies or retrieves a phonetic pronunciation for the text contained by the corresponding element.

opVoicePitch

Specifies or retrieves the average frequency of the speaking voice.

opVoicePitchRange

Specifies or retrieves the variation from the average pitch of the voice.

opVoiceRate

Specifies or returns the number of spoken words per minute.

opVoiceStress

Specifies or retrieves the strength of emphasis to be applied.

opVoiceVolume

Sets or retrieves the volume of a spoken element.

orphans

8

Specifies or retrieves the minimum number of lines at the start of an element's rendered content that must be visible at the bottom of a page.

OTextOverflow

		9

Specifies or returns how to handle the overflowed area of text.

outline

8

Specifies or returns a shorthand form for all outline properties at once. Outline is a line around an element, but different from the border property.

outlineColor

8

Specifies or returns the color for the outline for an element.

outlineOffset

Sets or retrieves the amount of space between the outline and the border or the edge of the element.

outlineStyle

8

Specifies or returns the style for an element's outline.

outlineWidth

8

Specifies or returns the width for an element's outline.

overflow

Specifies or returns what to do with content outside the element's rendering area.

overflowX

		10

Specifies or returns what to do with content that exceeds the element's width.

overflowY

		10

Specifies or returns what to do with content that exceeds the element's height.

padding

Specifies or returns a shorthand property for setting the top, right, bottom and left spaces between an element's border and its contents, in that order.

paddingBottom

Specifies or returns the space between an element's bottom border and its contents.

paddingLeft

Specifies or returns the space between an element's left border and its contents.

paddingRight

Specifies or returns the space between an element's right border and its contents.

paddingTop

Specifies or returns the space between an element's top border and its contents.

pageBreakAfter

Specifies or returns whether a page break occurs after the object when printing.

pageBreakBefore

Specifies or returns whether a page break occurs before the object when printing.

pageBreakInside

8

Specifies or returns the page-breaking behavior that should occur inside an element's rendering box when printing.

pause

Specifies or returns a shorthand property for setting the pauseBefore and pauseAfter properties for speaking the element's content.

pauseAfter

Specifies or returns that the browser should insert a pause after speaking the element's content.

pauseBefore

Specifies or returns that the browser should insert a pause before speaking the element's content.

pixelBottom

Specifies or retrieves the value of the bottom style property, in pixels.

pixelHeight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the height style property, in pixels.

pixelLeft

Specifies or retrieves the value of the left style property, in pixels.

pixelRight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the right style property, in pixels.

pixelTop

Specifies or retrieves the value of the top style property, in pixels.

pixelWidth

Specifies or retrieves the value of the width style property, in pixels.

posBottom

Specifies or retrieves the value of the bottom style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the bottom property.

posHeight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the height style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the height property.

position

Specifies or returns what type of positioning method is used to render the current element.

posLeft

Specifies or retrieves the value of the left style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the left property.

posRight

Specifies or retrieves the value of the right style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the right property.

posTop

Specifies or retrieves the value of the top style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the top property.

posWidth

Specifies or retrieves the value of the width style property as a floating-point number that specifies the value in the current unit type of the width property.

quotes

8

Specifies or returns the pairs of quotation marks for the 'open-quote' and 'close-quote' values of the content property.

rest

Specifies or returns a shorthand property for setting the restBefore and restAfter properties for speaking the element's content.

restAfter

Specifies or returns that the browser should insert a rest after speaking the element's content.

restBefore

Specifies or returns that the browser should insert a rest before speaking the element's content.

right

Specifies or returns the right coordinate of a positioned element.

rubyAlign

Specifies or returns the horizontal alignment of the Ruby text defined by the rt tag, relative to the base text defined by the ruby tag.

rubyOverhang

Specifies or returns the Ruby text position, relative to the base text defined by the ruby tag.

rubyPosition

Specifies or returns the position of the Ruby text (rt).

scrollbar3dLightColor

Specifies or returns the color of the outer top and left bevel edges of the scroll box and scroll arrows of the scroll bar.

scrollbarArrowColor

Specifies or returns the color of the arrow of the scroll bar.

scrollbarBaseColor

Specifies or returns the main color of the scroll bar.

scrollbarDarkShadowColor

Specifies or returns the color of the outer bottom and right bevel edges of the scroll box and scroll arrows of the scroll bar.

scrollbarFaceColor

Specifies or returns the color for the face of the scroll bar.

scrollbarHighlightColor

Specifies or returns the color of the top and left edges of the scroll bar.

scrollbarShadowColor

Specifies or returns the color of the bottom and right edges of the scroll bar.

scrollbarTrackColor

Specifies or returns the color of the scroll bar's track element.

speak

Specifies or returns how the browser should speak the content.

styleFloat

Specifies or returns the horizontal alignment of the object.

tableLayout

Specifies or returns the way to lay out table cells, rows, and columns.

textAlign

Specifies or returns the horizontal alignment of the text within the element.

textAlignLast

Specifies or returns the alignment type of the last or only line of text in the element's contents.

textAutospace

Specifies or returns the spacing rules between Western and Asian-based (such as Japanese and Chinese) characters.

textDecoration

Specifies or returns the appearance characteristics of text, whether it is underlined, overlined, lined-through or blinking text.

textIndent

Specifies or returns the horizontal indent for the first line of text.

textJustify

Specifies or returns how justified text should be aligned and spaced.

textKashidaSpace

Specifies or returns how to justify lines of text by elongating characters at algorithmically-selected points in Arabic writing systems.

textOverflow

Specifies or returns how to handle the overflowed area of text.

textShadow

Specifies or returns a comma-separated list of shadow effects to be applied to the text of the element.

textTransform

Specifies or returns the case of the text.

textUnderlinePosition

Specifies or returns the position of the underline decoration.

top

Specifies or returns the top coordinate of a positioned element.

unicodeBidi

Specifies or returns whether the text should be overridden to support multiple languages in the same document. Use with the direction property.

verticalAlign

Specifies or returns how to align an element vertically.

visibility

Specifies or returns whether the element is visible.

voiceFamily

Specifies or returns the type of voice to use as speak control.

whiteSpace

Specifies or returns how spaces, tabs, and newline characters inside the element are handled.

widows

8

Specifies or retrieves the minimum number of lines at the end of an element's rendered content that must be visible at the top of a page.

width

Specifies or returns the width of the visible area for an element.

wordBreak

Specifies or returns the line breaking rule within words.

wordSpacing

Specifies or returns the spacing between words.

wordWrap

Specifies or returns whether the current line should break if the content exceeds the boundaries of its container.

writingMode

Specifies or returns the intrinsic writing direction of the element's content.

XvInterpretAs

Specifies or retrieves how to interpret the contents of the corresponding element.

XvPhonemes

Specifies or retrieves a phonetic pronunciation for the text contained by the corresponding element.

XvVoiceBalance

Sets or retrieves the balance between left and right channels.

XvVoiceDuration

Specifies or retrieves how long a given element is to be rendered.

XvVoicePitch

Specifies or retrieves the average frequency of the speaking voice.

XvVoicePitchRange

Specifies or retrieves the variation from the average pitch of the voice.

XvVoiceRate

Specifies or returns the number of spoken words per minute.

XvVoiceStress

Specifies or retrieves the strength of emphasis to be applied.

XvVoiceVolume

Sets or retrieves the volume of a spoken element.

zIndex

Specifies or returns the stack level of positioned objects.

zoom

Specifies or returns the zoom level of the element's content.

Example HTML code 1:

This example uses the style object to retrieve the background color of an element when it is specified by an inline style:

<head>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        function GetBGColor (button) {
            alert (button.style.backgroundColor);
        }
    </script> 
</head>
<body>
    <button onclick="GetBGColor (this)" style="background-color:red">Get my background color!</button>
</body>

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Example HTML code 2:

This example uses the CSSStyleDeclaration and currentStyle objects to retrieve the background color of an element when it is specified by an inline style:

<head>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        function GetBGColor (button) {
            if (window.getComputedStyle) {
                var compStyle = window.getComputedStyle (button, "");
            }
            else {
                var compStyle = button.currentStyle;
            }
            alert (compStyle.backgroundColor);
        }
    </script> 
</head>
<body>
    <button onclick="GetBGColor (this)" style="background-color:red">Get my background color!</button>
</body>

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Example HTML code 3:

This example uses the CSSStyleDeclaration and currentStyle objects to retrieve the background color of an element when it is specified by an embedded style:

<head>
    <style>
        .myButton {
            background-color: red;
        }
    </style>
    <script type="text/javascript">
        function GetBGColor (button) {
            if (window.getComputedStyle) {
                var compStyle = window.getComputedStyle (button, "");
            }
            else {
                var compStyle = button.currentStyle;
            }
            alert (compStyle.backgroundColor);
        }
    </script> 
</head>
<body>
    <button onclick="GetBGColor (this)" class="myButton">Get my background color!</button>
</body>