referencenode

referenceNode is a term used in programming interfaces that manipulate tree-like structures, particularly in the Document Object Model (DOM). It refers to an existing node in a parent container that serves as the point of reference for inserting or moving other nodes. The concept is widely used in APIs that perform insertion or reordering within a sibling list.

In the DOM, referenceNode is the second argument of the insertBefore method: parent.insertBefore(newNode, referenceNode). The method inserts newNode into the parent’s child list immediately before the referenceNode. If referenceNode is null, newNode is appended as the last child. The referenceNode must be a child of the same parent; if it is not, the operation results in an error.

Beyond the DOM, referenceNode can appear as a parameter name in similar APIs that manipulate tree structures, such as other XML or HTML processing libraries. The underlying idea is the same: it marks the position among existing siblings where a new node should be placed or where reordering should occur.

See also: Document Object Model, Node, insertBefore.