createDocumentFragment

createDocumentFragment is a method on the Document interface in the Web Platform. It creates and returns a new DocumentFragment, which is a lightweight, invisible container used to hold nodes temporarily before they are inserted into the live document.

A DocumentFragment acts as a minimal subtree that is not part of the main DOM tree. You can append or manipulate multiple nodes inside the fragment, then insert the fragment into the document in a single operation. This can improve performance by reducing the number of reflows and repaints, since the browser only needs to render once when the fragment is finally appended.

Typical usage involves creating the fragment, populating it with nodes, and then appending it to a target element. For example, you might build a list of items by creating a fragment, adding several list item elements to it, and then appending the fragment to an existing ul or ol. When the fragment is appended to the document, its children are moved into the document in place of the fragment itself, and the fragment becomes empty.

Notes and considerations: a DocumentFragment contains nodes but has no parent, and it cannot be styled as a unit. It is primarily a performance and organizational aid for constructing or cloning multiple nodes before insertion. Browser support for createDocumentFragment is extensive across modern browsers and has been part of the DOM specification for many years.