HTML id Attribute
The HTML id
attribute is used to specify a unique id for an HTML element.
You cannot have more than one element with the same id in an HTML document.
Using The id Attribute
The id
attribute specifies a unique id for an HTML element. The value of the id
attribute must be unique within the HTML document.
The id
attribute is used to point to a specific style declaration in a style sheet. It is also used by JavaScript to access and manipulate the element with the specific id.
The syntax for id is: write a hash character (#), followed by an id name. Then, define the CSS properties within curly braces {}.
In the following example we have an <h1>
element that points to the id name "myHeader". This <h1>
element will be styled according to the #myHeader
style definition in the head section:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <style> #myHeader { background-color: lightblue; color: black; padding: 40px; text-align: center; } </style> </head> <body> <h1 id="myHeader">My Header</h1> </body> </html>
Note: The id name is case sensitive!
Note: The id name must contain at least one character, cannot start with a number, and must not contain whitespaces (spaces, tabs, etc.).
Difference Between Class and ID
A class name can be used by multiple HTML elements, while an id name must only be used by one HTML element within the page:
Example
<style> /* Style the element with the id "myHeader" */ #myHeader { background-color: lightblue; color: black; padding: 40px; text-align: center; } /* Style all elements with the class name "city" */ .city { background-color: tomato; color: white; padding: 10px; } </style> <!-- An element with a unique id --> <h1 id="myHeader">My Cities</h1> <!-- Multiple elements with same class --> <h2 class="city">London</h2> <p>London is the capital of England.</p> <h2 class="city">Paris</h2> <p>Paris is the capital of France.</p> <h2 class="city">Tokyo</h2> <p>Tokyo is the capital of Japan.</p>
HTML Bookmarks with ID and Links
HTML bookmarks are used to allow readers to jump to specific parts of a webpage.
Bookmarks can be useful if your page is very long.
To use a bookmark, you must first create it, and then add a link to it.
Then, when the link is clicked, the page will scroll to the location with the bookmark.
Example
First, create a bookmark with the id
attribute:
<h2 id="C4">Chapter 4</h2>
Then, add a link to the bookmark ("Jump to Chapter 4"), from within the same page:
Example
<a href="#C4">Jump to Chapter 4</a>
Or, add a link to the bookmark ("Jump to Chapter 4"), from another page:
<a href="html_demo.html#C4">Jump to Chapter 4</a>
Using The id Attribute in JavaScript
The id
attribute can also be used by JavaScript to perform some tasks for that specific element.
JavaScript can access an element with a specific id with the getElementById()
method:
Example
Use the
id
attribute to manipulate text with JavaScript:<script> function displayResult() { document.getElementById("myHeader").innerHTML = "Have a nice day!"; } </script>
Chapter Summary
- The
id
attribute is used to specify a unique id for an HTML element - The value of the
id
attribute must be unique within the HTML document - The
id
attribute is used by CSS and JavaScript to style/select a specific element - The value of the
id
attribute is case sensitive - The
id
attribute is also used to create HTML bookmarks - JavaScript can access an element with a specific id with the
getElementById()
method