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Comments on Understanding createTreeWalker method in the context of replacing strings (or parts of them)

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Understanding createTreeWalker method in the context of replacing strings (or parts of them)

+2
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I want to ensure I understand the following code; credit to user:m3g4p0p on Sitepoint, for this code:

const walker = document.createTreeWalker(
  document.body, 
  NodeFilter.SHOW_TEXT
)

let node;

while ((node = walker.nextNode())) {
  node.textContent = node.textContent.replace('a', 'b')
}

Exceptionally I have two questions:

  • How do you understand each stage of the code?
  • How does storing replaced strings in the node variable makes a change in the text appearing to the end user?
javascript dom replace
posted over 2 years ago
2y ago
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3 comment threads

"How do you understand each stage of the code?" (2 comments)
"How does storing replaced strings in a variable makes a change to the end user?" (2 comments)
Check this for a partial answer (1 comment)
"How does storing replaced strings in a variable makes a change to the end user?"
elgonzo‭ wrote over 2 years ago · edited over 2 years ago
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Well, depends on the variable, doesn't it? I speculate that you refer to textContent, which is not "just" a variable, it is a property. Generally speaking, a property is kinda like an instance variable: it has a value that you can set and get. But only "kinda". Because properties allow custom implementations of a getter and/or a setter method (https://javascript.info/property-accessors). In other words, whenever some value is assigned to such a property, the property's setter method is being invoked. Whenever the value of the property is read, the property's getter method is being invoked. Whatever the setter and getter methods do beside storing and providing the property's value is also commonly called "side effect" (with respect to properties you can think of it like: a side effect of accessing the property).

elgonzo‭ wrote over 2 years ago
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(P.S.: Since it is unclear to me whether you actually were asking about textContent, and also due to the vagueness of the other question you posed, i decided to just write a comment. If the two questions are being clarified, i would transfer my comment to an answer, provided my comment still applies to the clarified questions.)