Node.hasChildNodes()

JavaScript’s Node.hasChildNodes() method returns a Boolean value indicating whether the Node has child nodes or not.

Syntax

Node.hasChildNodes();

Parameters

None.

Return value

A Boolean value that is true if the node has child nodes and false if the node has no child nodes.

Examples

Here is an example of using the JavaScript hasChildNodes() method. Suppose have the following lists of animals:

<ul id="list">
  <li>Cat</li>
  <li>Dog</li>
  <li>Horse</li>
</ul>

We would like to examine whether the ul element has child nodes or not with JavaScript.

An easy way to do that is to select the element with the getElementById() method and use the hasChildNodes() method:

let list = document.getElementById('list');
console.log(list.hasChildNodes());

You should now be able to see the answer to our question in the console of your browser.

Browser compatibility

See also

• Node.appendChild()
• Node.replaceChild()
• Node.removeChild()