# Interface HTMLFormElement

All Superinterfaces:
  `Element, HTMLElement, Node`

public interface HTMLFormElement extends HTMLElement
The `FORM` element encompasses behavior similar to a collection and an element. It provides direct access to the contained input elements as well as the attributes of the form element. See the FORM element definition in HTML 4.0.

See also the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 Specification.

Since:
  1.4, DOM Level 2

- ## Field Summary

  ### Fields declared in interface Node

  `ATTRIBUTE_NODE, CDATA_SECTION_NODE, COMMENT_NODE, DOCUMENT_FRAGMENT_NODE, DOCUMENT_NODE, DOCUMENT_POSITION_CONTAINED_BY, DOCUMENT_POSITION_CONTAINS, DOCUMENT_POSITION_DISCONNECTED, DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING, DOCUMENT_POSITION_IMPLEMENTATION_SPECIFIC, DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING, DOCUMENT_TYPE_NODE, ELEMENT_NODE, ENTITY_NODE, ENTITY_REFERENCE_NODE, NOTATION_NODE, PROCESSING_INSTRUCTION_NODE, TEXT_NODE`
  Modifier and Type
  Field
  Description
  `static final short`
  `ATTRIBUTE_NODE`
  The node is an `Attr`.
  `static final short`
  `CDATA_SECTION_NODE`
  The node is a `CDATASection`.
  `static final short`
  `COMMENT_NODE`
  The node is a `Comment`.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_FRAGMENT_NODE`
  The node is a `DocumentFragment`.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_NODE`
  The node is a `Document`.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_CONTAINED_BY`
  The node is contained by the reference node.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_CONTAINS`
  The node contains the reference node.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_DISCONNECTED`
  The two nodes are disconnected.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_FOLLOWING`
  The node follows the reference node.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_IMPLEMENTATION_SPECIFIC`
  The determination of preceding versus following is implementation-specific.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING`
  The second node precedes the reference node.
  `static final short`
  `DOCUMENT_TYPE_NODE`
  The node is a `DocumentType`.
  `static final short`
  `ELEMENT_NODE`
  The node is an `Element`.
  `static final short`
  `ENTITY_NODE`
  The node is an `Entity`.
  `static final short`
  `ENTITY_REFERENCE_NODE`
  The node is an `EntityReference`.
  `static final short`
  `NOTATION_NODE`
  The node is a `Notation`.
  `static final short`
  `PROCESSING_INSTRUCTION_NODE`
  The node is a `ProcessingInstruction`.
  `static final short`
  `TEXT_NODE`
  The node is a `Text` node.

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `String`
  `getAcceptCharset()`
  List of character sets supported by the server.
  `String`
  `getAction()`
  Server-side form handler.
  `HTMLCollection`
  `getElements()`
  Returns a collection of all control elements in the form.
  `String`
  `getEnctype()`
  The content type of the submitted form, generally "application/x-www-form-urlencoded".
  `int`
  `getLength()`
  The number of form controls in the form.
  `String`
  `getMethod()`
  HTTP method used to submit form.
  `String`
  `getName()`
  Names the form.
  `String`
  `getTarget()`
  Frame to render the resource in.
  `void`
  `reset()`
  Restores a form element's default values.
  `void`
  `setAcceptCharset(String acceptCharset)`
  `void`
  `setAction(String action)`
  `void`
  `setEnctype(String enctype)`
  `void`
  `setMethod(String method)`
  `void`
  `setName(String name)`
  `void`
  `setTarget(String target)`
  `void`
  `submit()`
  Submits the form.

  ### Methods declared in interface Element

  `getAttribute, getAttributeNode, getAttributeNodeNS, getAttributeNS, getElementsByTagName, getElementsByTagNameNS, getSchemaTypeInfo, getTagName, hasAttribute, hasAttributeNS, removeAttribute, removeAttributeNode, removeAttributeNS, setAttribute, setAttributeNode, setAttributeNodeNS, setAttributeNS, setIdAttribute, setIdAttributeNode, setIdAttributeNS`
  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `String`
  `getAttribute(String name)`
  Retrieves an attribute value by name.
  `Attr`
  `getAttributeNode(String name)`
  Retrieves an attribute node by name.
  `Attr`
  `getAttributeNodeNS(String namespaceURI, String localName)`
  Retrieves an `Attr` node by local name and namespace URI.
  `String`
  `getAttributeNS(String namespaceURI, String localName)`
  Retrieves an attribute value by local name and namespace URI.
  `NodeList`
  `getElementsByTagName(String name)`
  Returns a `NodeList` of all descendant `Elements` with a given tag name, in document order.
  `NodeList`
  `getElementsByTagNameNS(String namespaceURI, String localName)`
  Returns a `NodeList` of all the descendant `Elements` with a given local name and namespace URI in document order.
  `TypeInfo`
  `getSchemaTypeInfo()`
  The type information associated with this element.
  `String`
  `getTagName()`
  The name of the element.
  `boolean`
  `hasAttribute(String name)`
  Returns `true` when an attribute with a given name is specified on this element or has a default value, `false` otherwise.
  `boolean`
  `hasAttributeNS(String namespaceURI, String localName)`
  Returns `true` when an attribute with a given local name and namespace URI is specified on this element or has a default value, `false` otherwise.
  `void`
  `removeAttribute(String name)`
  Removes an attribute by name.
  `Attr`
  `removeAttributeNode(Attr oldAttr)`
  Removes the specified attribute node.
  `void`
  `removeAttributeNS(String namespaceURI, String localName)`
  Removes an attribute by local name and namespace URI.
  `void`
  `setAttribute(String name, String value)`
  Adds a new attribute.
  `Attr`
  `setAttributeNode(Attr newAttr)`
  Adds a new attribute node.
  `Attr`
  `setAttributeNodeNS(Attr newAttr)`
  Adds a new attribute.
  `void`
  `setAttributeNS(String namespaceURI, String qualifiedName, String value)`
  Adds a new attribute.
  `void`
  `setIdAttribute(String name, boolean isId)`
  If the parameter `isId` is `true`, this method declares the specified attribute to be a user-determined ID attribute .
  `void`
  `setIdAttributeNode(Attr idAttr, boolean isId)`
  If the parameter `isId` is `true`, this method declares the specified attribute to be a user-determined ID attribute .
  `void`
  `setIdAttributeNS(String namespaceURI, String localName, boolean isId)`
  If the parameter `isId` is `true`, this method declares the specified attribute to be a user-determined ID attribute .

  ### Methods declared in interface HTMLElement

  `getClassName, getDir, getId, getLang, getTitle, setClassName, setDir, setId, setLang, setTitle`
  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `String`
  `getClassName()`
  The class attribute of the element.
  `String`
  `getDir()`
  Specifies the base direction of directionally neutral text and the directionality of tables.
  `String`
  `getId()`
  The element's identifier.
  `String`
  `getLang()`
  Language code defined in RFC 1766.
  `String`
  `getTitle()`
  The element's advisory title.
  `void`
  `setClassName(String className)`
  `void`
  `setDir(String dir)`
  `void`
  `setId(String id)`
  `void`
  `setLang(String lang)`
  `void`
  `setTitle(String title)`

  ### Methods declared in interface Node

  `appendChild, cloneNode, compareDocumentPosition, getAttributes, getBaseURI, getChildNodes, getFeature, getFirstChild, getLastChild, getLocalName, getNamespaceURI, getNextSibling, getNodeName, getNodeType, getNodeValue, getOwnerDocument, getParentNode, getPrefix, getPreviousSibling, getTextContent, getUserData, hasAttributes, hasChildNodes, insertBefore, isDefaultNamespace, isEqualNode, isSameNode, isSupported, lookupNamespaceURI, lookupPrefix, normalize, removeChild, replaceChild, setNodeValue, setPrefix, setTextContent, setUserData`
  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `Node`
  `appendChild(Node newChild)`
  Adds the node `newChild` to the end of the list of children of this node.
  `Node`
  `cloneNode(boolean deep)`
  Returns a duplicate of this node, i.e., serves as a generic copy constructor for nodes.
  `short`
  `compareDocumentPosition(Node other)`
  Compares the reference node, i.e. the node on which this method is being called, with a node, i.e. the one passed as a parameter, with regard to their position in the document and according to the document order.
  `NamedNodeMap`
  `getAttributes()`
  A `NamedNodeMap` containing the attributes of this node (if it is an `Element`) or `null` otherwise.
  `String`
  `getBaseURI()`
  The absolute base URI of this node or `null` if the implementation wasn't able to obtain an absolute URI.
  `NodeList`
  `getChildNodes()`
  A `NodeList` that contains all children of this node.
  `Object`
  `getFeature(String feature, String version)`
  This method returns a specialized object which implements the specialized APIs of the specified feature and version, as specified in .
  `Node`
  `getFirstChild()`
  The first child of this node.
  `Node`
  `getLastChild()`
  The last child of this node.
  `String`
  `getLocalName()`
  Returns the local part of the qualified name of this node.
  `String`
  `getNamespaceURI()`
  The namespace URI of this node, or `null` if it is unspecified (see ).
  `Node`
  `getNextSibling()`
  The node immediately following this node.
  `String`
  `getNodeName()`
  The name of this node, depending on its type; see the table above.
  `short`
  `getNodeType()`
  A code representing the type of the underlying object, as defined above.
  `String`
  `getNodeValue()`
  The value of this node, depending on its type; see the table above.
  `Document`
  `getOwnerDocument()`
  The `Document` object associated with this node.
  `Node`
  `getParentNode()`
  The parent of this node.
  `String`
  `getPrefix()`
  The namespace prefix of this node, or `null` if it is unspecified.
  `Node`
  `getPreviousSibling()`
  The node immediately preceding this node.
  `String`
  `getTextContent()`
  This attribute returns the text content of this node and its descendants.
  `Object`
  `getUserData(String key)`
  Retrieves the object associated to a key on a this node.
  `boolean`
  `hasAttributes()`
  Returns whether this node (if it is an element) has any attributes.
  `boolean`
  `hasChildNodes()`
  Returns whether this node has any children.
  `Node`
  `insertBefore(Node newChild, Node refChild)`
  Inserts the node `newChild` before the existing child node `refChild`.
  `boolean`
  `isDefaultNamespace(String namespaceURI)`
  This method checks if the specified `namespaceURI` is the default namespace or not.
  `boolean`
  `isEqualNode(Node arg)`
  Tests whether two nodes are equal.
  `boolean`
  `isSameNode(Node other)`
  Returns whether this node is the same node as the given one.
  `boolean`
  `isSupported(String feature, String version)`
  Tests whether the DOM implementation implements a specific feature and that feature is supported by this node, as specified in .
  `String`
  `lookupNamespaceURI(String prefix)`
  Look up the namespace URI associated to the given prefix, starting from this node.
  `String`
  `lookupPrefix(String namespaceURI)`
  Look up the prefix associated to the given namespace URI, starting from this node.
  `void`
  `normalize()`
  Puts all `Text` nodes in the full depth of the sub-tree underneath this `Node`, including attribute nodes, into a "normal" form where only structure (e.g., elements, comments, processing instructions, CDATA sections, and entity references) separates `Text` nodes, i.e., there are neither adjacent `Text` nodes nor empty `Text` nodes.
  `Node`
  `removeChild(Node oldChild)`
  Removes the child node indicated by `oldChild` from the list of children, and returns it.
  `Node`
  `replaceChild(Node newChild, Node oldChild)`
  Replaces the child node `oldChild` with `newChild` in the list of children, and returns the `oldChild` node.
  `void`
  `setNodeValue(String nodeValue)`
  The value of this node, depending on its type; see the table above.
  `void`
  `setPrefix(String prefix)`
  The namespace prefix of this node, or `null` if it is unspecified.
  `void`
  `setTextContent(String textContent)`
  This attribute returns the text content of this node and its descendants.
  `Object`
  `setUserData(String key, Object data, UserDataHandler handler)`
  Associate an object to a key on this node.

- ## Method Details

  - ### getElements

    HTMLCollection getElements()
    Returns a collection of all control elements in the form.

  - ### getLength

    int getLength()
    The number of form controls in the form.

  - ### getName

    String getName()
    Names the form.

  - ### setName

    void setName(String name)

  - ### getAcceptCharset

    String getAcceptCharset()
    List of character sets supported by the server. See the accept-charset attribute definition in HTML 4.0.

  - ### setAcceptCharset

    void setAcceptCharset(String acceptCharset)

  - ### getAction

    String getAction()
    Server-side form handler. See the action attribute definition in HTML 4.0.

  - ### setAction

    void setAction(String action)

  - ### getEnctype

    String getEnctype()
    The content type of the submitted form, generally "application/x-www-form-urlencoded". See the enctype attribute definition in HTML 4.0.

  - ### setEnctype

    void setEnctype(String enctype)

  - ### getMethod

    String getMethod()
    HTTP method used to submit form. See the method attribute definition in HTML 4.0.

  - ### setMethod

    void setMethod(String method)

  - ### getTarget

    String getTarget()
    Frame to render the resource in. See the target attribute definition in HTML 4.0.

  - ### setTarget

    void setTarget(String target)

  - ### submit

    void submit()
    Submits the form. It performs the same action as a submit button.

  - ### reset

    void reset()
    Restores a form element's default values. It performs the same action as a reset button.