How to Access HTML Element Style Values in JavaScript Without Using Libraries?

Accessing HTML Element Style Values in JavaScript without Libraries Introduction:

Manipulating an HTML element's style attributes is a crucial aspect of dynamic web applications. This question explores how to retrieve style values from an element that has styles set through the tag, specifically without relying on external libraries.

Retrieving Style Values:

To retrieve the inline styles defined using the tag, we must access the element's computed style . This computed style represents the actual values applied to the element, even if they are overridden by inline styles or inherited from parent elements.

Cross-Browser Approach:

Getting computed styles cross-browser can be tricky. Internet Explorer (IE) has its own mechanism, element.currentStyle, while other browsers use the document.defaultView.getComputedStyle method.

Cross-Browser Function:

To simplify this cross-browser implementation, a function called getStyle() can be defined:

Usage:

To retrieve a specific style property, use the getStyle() function with the desired property name, such as:

var width = getStyle(document.getElementById("box"), "width"); Limitations:

The getStyle() function provides a useful cross-browser approach. However, it has limitations, particularly in handling certain properties, such as colors, where IE may return the defined value instead of the computed value. For example, a color property defined as #ff0000 might return red upon calling getStyle().