DocumentTraversal (Common DOM API )
Keywords: org.w3c.dom.traversal.DocumentTraversal interface
Date: 2026-06-25

compact2, compact3
org.w3c.dom.traversal

## Interface DocumentTraversal

-     public interface DocumentTraversal

  `DocumentTraversal` contains methods that create `NodeIterators` and `TreeWalkers` to traverse a node and its children in document order (depth first, pre-order traversal, which is equivalent to the order in which the start tags occur in the text representation of the document). In DOMs which support the Traversal feature, `DocumentTraversal` will be implemented by the same objects that implement the Document interface.

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

  Since:
    DOM Level 2

- - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `NodeIterator` | `createNodeIterator(Node root, int whatToShow, NodeFilter filter, boolean entityReferenceExpansion)` Create a new `NodeIterator` over the subtree rooted at the specified node.
    `TreeWalker` | `createTreeWalker(Node root, int whatToShow, NodeFilter filter, boolean entityReferenceExpansion)` Create a new `TreeWalker` over the subtree rooted at the specified node.

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### createNodeIterator

          NodeIterator createNodeIterator(Node root,
                                          int whatToShow,
                                          NodeFilter filter,
                                          boolean entityReferenceExpansion)
                                   throws DOMException

      Create a new `NodeIterator` over the subtree rooted at the specified node.
      Parameters:
        `root` - The node which will be iterated together with its children. The `NodeIterator` is initially positioned just before this node. The `whatToShow` flags and the filter, if any, are not considered when setting this position. The root must not be `null`.
        `whatToShow` - This flag specifies which node types may appear in the logical view of the tree presented by the `NodeIterator`. See the description of `NodeFilter` for the set of possible `SHOW_` values.These flags can be combined using `OR`.
        `filter` - The `NodeFilter` to be used with this `NodeIterator`, or `null` to indicate no filter.
        `entityReferenceExpansion` - The value of this flag determines whether entity reference nodes are expanded.
      Returns:
        The newly created `NodeIterator`.
      Throws:
        `DOMException` - NOT_SUPPORTED_ERR: Raised if the specified `root` is `null`.

    - #### createTreeWalker

          TreeWalker createTreeWalker(Node root,
                                      int whatToShow,
                                      NodeFilter filter,
                                      boolean entityReferenceExpansion)
                               throws DOMException

      Create a new `TreeWalker` over the subtree rooted at the specified node.
      Parameters:
        `root` - The node which will serve as the `root` for the `TreeWalker`. The `whatToShow` flags and the `NodeFilter` are not considered when setting this value; any node type will be accepted as the `root`. The `currentNode` of the `TreeWalker` is initialized to this node, whether or not it is visible. The `root` functions as a stopping point for traversal methods that look upward in the document structure, such as `parentNode` and nextNode. The `root` must not be `null`.
        `whatToShow` - This flag specifies which node types may appear in the logical view of the tree presented by the `TreeWalker`. See the description of `NodeFilter` for the set of possible `SHOW_` values.These flags can be combined using `OR`.
        `filter` - The `NodeFilter` to be used with this `TreeWalker`, or `null` to indicate no filter.
        `entityReferenceExpansion` - If this flag is false, the contents of `EntityReference` nodes are not presented in the logical view.
      Returns:
        The newly created `TreeWalker`.
      Throws:
        `DOMException` - NOT_SUPPORTED_ERR: Raised if the specified `root` is `null`.

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