Retrieve the position (X,Y) of an HTML element relative to the browser window

Question

I want to know how to get the X and Y position of HTML elements such as img and div in JavaScript relative to the browser window.

Answer 1

HTML elements on most browsers will have:-

offsetLeft
offsetTop

These specifiy the position of the element relative its nearest parent that has layout. This parent can often be accessed bif the offsetParent property.

IE and FF3 have

clientLeft
clientTop

These properties are less common, they specify an elements position with its parents client area (padded area is part of the client area but border and margin is not).