Layer element

Layers were the core of a method of dynamic HTML programming specific to Netscape 4. Each layer was treated as a separate document object in JavaScript. The content could be included in the same file within the non-standard layer element (or any other element with the positioning set to "absolute" via CSS, loaded from a separate file with <layer src="URL"> or <div src="URL">. It could also be generated via JavaScript with the layer = new Layer() constructor. The content would then be inserted into the layer with layer.document.write().

In modern browsers, this functionality is provided by using an absolutely-positioned div, or, for loading the content from an external file, an IFrame.

References

• Netscape: Dynamic HTML in Netscape Communicator (On the Internet Archive)