VBScript CreateElement Method

last modified April 9, 2025

The CreateElement method in VBScript is used to create new element nodes in XML or HTML documents. It’s part of the Document Object Model (DOM) interface. This method generates elements that can be inserted into document structures. It’s essential for dynamic document manipulation.

CreateElement creates elements without immediately adding them to the document. You must explicitly append created elements to the DOM tree. This tutorial covers CreateElement with practical examples to demonstrate its usage in various scenarios.

CreateElement Method Overview

The CreateElement method takes one parameter: the tag name of the element to create. It returns a new element node object that isn’t part of the document yet. The method is available through the DOM document object in VBScript.

Key features include element creation for both XML and HTML documents. Created elements can have attributes and content added before insertion. CreateElement is fundamental for programmatic document generation. Understanding this method helps create dynamic content in scripts.

Creating a Simple XML Element

This example demonstrates creating a basic XML element using CreateElement. It shows how to create an element, set its text content, and append it to a document. The resulting XML structure is then output.

simple_xml_element.vbs

Set xmlDoc = CreateObject(“MSXML2.DOMDocument”) Set root = xmlDoc.createElement(“Person”) xmlDoc.appendChild root

Set name = xmlDoc.createElement(“Name”) name.text = “John Doe” root.appendChild name

WScript.Echo xmlDoc.xml Set xmlDoc = Nothing

The script creates an XML document and a root “Person” element. It then creates a “Name” child element with text content. The resulting XML structure is output, showing proper nesting. This demonstrates basic element creation and hierarchy.

Creating HTML Elements

This example shows how to create HTML elements using CreateElement. It creates a paragraph element with text content. The example demonstrates HTML- specific element creation and manipulation in VBScript.

html_element.vbs

Set htmlDoc = CreateObject(“htmlfile”) Set body = htmlDoc.body

Set paragraph = htmlDoc.createElement(“p”) paragraph.innerText = “This is a new paragraph.” body.appendChild paragraph

WScript.Echo body.innerHTML Set htmlDoc = Nothing

The script creates an HTML document and accesses its body element. It then creates a paragraph element and sets its text. The paragraph is appended to the document body. The resulting HTML is output to demonstrate the structure.

Creating Elements with Attributes

This example demonstrates creating an element with attributes using CreateElement. It shows how to create an element and then add attributes to it. The example uses XML but applies to HTML as well.

element_with_attributes.vbs

Set xmlDoc = CreateObject(“MSXML2.DOMDocument”) Set book = xmlDoc.createElement(“Book”) book.setAttribute “id”, “B001” book.setAttribute “category”, “Fiction”

Set title = xmlDoc.createElement(“Title”) title.text = “The Great Novel” book.appendChild title

xmlDoc.appendChild book WScript.Echo xmlDoc.xml Set xmlDoc = Nothing

The script creates a “Book” element with id and category attributes. It then creates a “Title” child element with text content. The resulting XML shows the element with both attributes and nested content. This demonstrates attribute handling with created elements.

Creating Nested Elements

This example shows how to create complex nested element structures using CreateElement. It builds a hierarchical XML structure with multiple levels. Each level demonstrates element creation and proper nesting.

nested_elements.vbs

Set xmlDoc = CreateObject(“MSXML2.DOMDocument”) Set catalog = xmlDoc.createElement(“Catalog”)

Set book = xmlDoc.createElement(“Book”) Set title = xmlDoc.createElement(“Title”) title.text = “XML Basics” book.appendChild title

Set author = xmlDoc.createElement(“Author”) author.text = “Jane Smith” book.appendChild author

catalog.appendChild book xmlDoc.appendChild catalog WScript.Echo xmlDoc.xml Set xmlDoc = Nothing

The script creates a “Catalog” root element with nested “Book” element. The “Book” contains “Title” and “Author” child elements with text content. The result shows proper XML nesting. This demonstrates building complex structures with CreateElement.

Creating and Manipulating Form Elements

This example demonstrates creating HTML form elements dynamically. It shows how to create input elements, set their properties, and add them to a form. The example creates a complete form structure.

form_elements.vbs

Set htmlDoc = CreateObject(“htmlfile”) Set body = htmlDoc.body

Set form = htmlDoc.createElement(“form”) form.setAttribute “action”, “/submit” form.setAttribute “method”, “post”

Set input = htmlDoc.createElement(“input”) input.setAttribute “type”, “text” input.setAttribute “name”, “username” form.appendChild input

Set submit = htmlDoc.createElement(“input”) submit.setAttribute “type”, “submit” submit.setAttribute “value”, “Send” form.appendChild submit

body.appendChild form WScript.Echo body.innerHTML Set htmlDoc = Nothing

The script creates a form element with action and method attributes. It then creates text input and submit button elements. These are added to the form, which is then appended to the document body. The resulting HTML form is output.

Source

MSXML DOM Documentation

In this article, we have explored the CreateElement method in VBScript, covering its usage and practical applications. From simple elements to complex nested structures, these examples demonstrate dynamic document creation. With this knowledge, you can enhance your scripts with dynamic content generation.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar and I am a passionate programmer with many years of programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. So far, I have written over 1400 articles and 8 e-books. I have over eight years of experience in teaching programming.

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