[Chapter 21] Reference: Area
Author: David Flanagan
Date: Fri Aug 29 11:13:51 1997

#

| Chapter 21 JavaScript Reference |

# Area Object

## Name

Area Object---a hypertext link in a client-side image map

## Availability

Navigator 3.0

## Synopsis

    document.links[]
    document.links.length

## HTML Syntax

An Area object is created by an `<AREA>` tag within a client-side image map:

    <MAP NAME="map_name">
        <AREA SHAPE="area_shape"
            COORDS=coordinates
            HREF="url"    the destination of the link
            [ TARGET="window_name" ]  where the new document should be displayed
            [ onClick="handler" ] invoked when area is clicked
            [ onMouseOver="handler" ] invoked when mouse is over area
            [ onMouseOut="handler" ]  invoked when mouse leaves area
    >
        ...
    </MAP>

## Description

The Area object represents a hypertext link created with the `<AREA>` tag within a client-side image map. JavaScript does not distinguish between hypertext links created with the `<AREA>` tag and those created with the `<A>` tag, however, and the Area object is actually the same thing as the Link object. All hypertext links, regardless of what HTML tag creates them, are represented by Link objects stored in the `links[]` array of the Document object that contains them.

There are only two differences between hypertext links created with the `<AREA>` tag and those created with the `<A>` tag. The first is that links in image maps are not recognized by Navigator 2.0 and Internet Explorer--those browsers only recognize links created with the `<A>` tag. The second difference is simply a bug: the `onClick()` event handler of the `<AREA>` tag doesn't work on Windows platforms in Navigator 3.0.

See Link for a listing and description of the properties and event handlers of hypertext links.

## See Also

"Link", "Location", "URL"

Applet |  | Array