Chapter 12: Controlling Windows and Frames

Now it is time to begin to put to use the syntax and theory we have covered up to this point in the book. Starting from the top of the object hierarchy with Window, we will learn how to create a variety of windows including special dialogs such as alerts, confirmations, prompts, custom pop-up windows of our own design, as well as a variety of special types of windows including modal and full-screen windows. We will also show how windows and frames are very much related.

Introduction to Window

JavaScript’s Window object represents the browser window or, potentially, the frame that a document is displayed in. The properties of a particular instance of Window might include its size, amount of chrome—namely, the buttons, scrollbars, and so on—in the browser frame, position, and so on. The methods of the Window object include the creation and destruction of generic windows and the handling of special case windows such as alert, confirmation, and prompt dialogs. Furthermore, as the top object in the JavaScript object hierarchy, this object contains references to nearly all the objects we have presented so far or will present in the coming chapters.