MouseEvent: initMouseEvent() method

{{APIRef("Pointer Events")}}{{deprecated_header}}

The MouseEvent.initMouseEvent() method initializes the value of a mouse event once it's been created (normally using the {{domxref("Document.createEvent()")}} method).

[!WARNING] Do not use this method anymore as it is deprecated.

Instead use specific event constructors, like {{domxref("MouseEvent.MouseEvent", "MouseEvent()")}}. The section on Creating and dispatching events gives more information about the way to use these.

Events initialized in this way must have been created with the {{domxref("Document.createEvent()") }} method. This method must be called to set the event before it is dispatched, using {{ domxref("EventTarget.dispatchEvent()") }}.

Syntax

initMouseEvent(type, canBubble, cancelable, view,
                     detail, screenX, screenY, clientX, clientY,
                     ctrlKey, altKey, shiftKey, metaKey,
                     button, relatedTarget)

Parameters

• type

  • : the string to set the event's {{domxref("Event.type", "type")}} to. Possible types for mouse events include: click, mousedown, mouseup, mouseover, mousemove, mouseout.

• canBubble

  • : whether or not the event can bubble. Sets the value of {{domxref("Event.bubbles")}}.

• cancelable

  • : whether or not the event's default action can be prevented. Sets the value of {{domxref("Event.cancelable")}}.

• view

  • : the event's AbstractView. You should pass the {{domxref("window")}} object here. Sets the value of {{domxref("UIEvent.view")}}.

• detail

  • : the event's mouse click count. Sets the value of {{domxref("UIEvent.detail")}}.

• screenX

  • : the event's screen x coordinate. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.screenX")}}.

• screenY

  • : the event's screen y coordinate. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.screenY")}}.

• clientX

  • : the event's client x coordinate. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.clientX")}}.

• clientY

  • : the event's client y coordinate. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.clientY")}}.

• ctrlKey

  • : whether or not <kbd>control</kbd> key was pressed during the Event. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.ctrlKey")}}.

• altKey

  • : whether or not <kbd>alt</kbd> key was pressed during the Event. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.altKey")}}.

• shiftKey

  • : whether or not <kbd>shift</kbd> key was pressed during the Event. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.shiftKey")}}.

• metaKey

  • : whether or not <kbd>meta</kbd> key was pressed during the Event. Sets the value of {{domxref("MouseEvent.metaKey")}}.

• button

  • : the event's mouse {{domxref("MouseEvent.button", "button")}}.

• relatedTarget

  • : the event's related EventTarget. Only used with some event types (e.g., mouseover and mouseout). In other cases, pass null.

Return value

None ({{jsxref("undefined")}}).

Examples

const event = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");
event.initMouseEvent(
  "click",
  true,
  true,
  window,
  0,
  0,
  0,
  80,
  20,
  false,
  false,
  false,
  false,
  0,
  null,
);
document.body.dispatchEvent(event);

Specifications

{{Specifications}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also

• {{domxref("MouseEvent.MouseEvent()","MouseEvent()")}} constructor, the modern standard way of creating a {{domxref("MouseEvent")}}
• {{domxref("Event.initEvent()")}} is a simpler method serving a similar purpose. It is also obsolete and shouldn't be used any more.