What sets apart the intended usage of the DOM `hidden` from the CSS `visibility` property?

Exploring the DOM property hidden and the CSS property visibility, I find myself unsure of when to utilize each one. What are the distinctions in their intended purposes?

While they may serve similar functions, I am curious about the underlying motivations behind their usage.

Answer №1

Utilizing CSS Visibility allows for the concealment of an element while maintaining space for it in the overall document layout. This differs from DOM Hidden, which simply hides the element without reserving any space for it within the page structure.

If you are seeking to completely remove an element from view, you may want to consider using display: none.

Curious about the variance between visibility:hidden and display:none? Check out this informative resource: Exploring the Distinctions Between visibility:hidden and display:none

Answer №2

The Purpose of Usage

The main purpose of using the hidden attribute, as well as when it should not be used, is detailed on the referenced page:

The hidden global attribute serves as a Boolean attribute indicating that an element is currently deemed irrelevant or no longer important. For instance, it can be employed to conceal elements on a page that are only accessible upon successful login.

It is crucial to note that the hidden attribute should NOT be utilized for hiding content that could feasibly be displayed in another format. For example, it would be erroneous to utilize the hidden attribute to hide sections within a tabbed dialogue box, since a tabbed interface essentially functions as an overflow presentation — alternatively, one could opt to display all the form controls on a single extended page with a scrollbar. Moreover, utilizing this attribute solely to hide content from one specific presentation mode is equally incorrect — if something is designated as hidden, it remains concealed across all types of presentations, including screen readers.

Regular Display:

.box {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
  padding: 50px;
}

.inner {
  background-color: #ccc;
  height: 200px;
}
<div class="box">
  <div class="inner"></div>
</div>

[hidden]

.box {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
  padding: 50px;
}

.inner {
  background-color: #ccc;
  height: 200px;
}
<div class="box">
  <div class="inner" hidden></div>
</div>

visibility: hidden;

.box {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
  padding: 50px;
}

.inner {
  background-color: #ccc;
  height: 200px;
  visibility: hidden;
}
<div class="box">
  <div class="inner"></div>
</div>

display: none;

.box {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
  padding: 50px;
}

.inner {
  background-color: #ccc;
  display: none;
  height: 200px;
}
<div class="box">
  <div class="inner"></div>
</div>

Application of HTMLElement.prototype.hidden property:

document.querySelector('.inner').hidden = true;
.box {
  background-color: #f0f0f0;
  padding: 50px;
}

.inner {
  background-color: #ccc;
  height: 200px;
}
<div class="box">
  <div class="inner"></div>
</div>

Answer №3

When utilizing the visibility property in CSS, you will notice a space reserved for your CSS element within the HTML structure. However, if you opt to use DOM hidden instead, it completely eliminates that particular element. This distinction is important to consider when designing your website or application.

Answer №4

When it comes to hiding elements on a web page, there are different ways to achieve the desired result. One commonly used method is to use both the CSS visibility property with a value of hidden and the HTML hidden attribute. While both serve the purpose of hiding an element from view, there is a subtle difference between them. When using the CSS visibility property with hidden value, the element still retains its area in the document, including its height and width. On the other hand, the hidden attribute in HTML behaves similarly to setting the CSS display property to none, where the element no longer takes up space in the DOM. To illustrate this point, consider the following example:

<p style="visibility:hidden">Hello how are you?</p>
<p hidden>I am fine.</p>

If you inspect these elements in your browser, you will see that both paragraphs appear invisible, but the first paragraph element still maintains its area within the document.

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