# P5.dom.js 'createElement' function not able to set properties? **URL:** \ **Category:** Coding Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196 "2018-10-06T17:53:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![repgainer3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3bc359/32.png) [@repgainer3](https://discourse.processing.org/u/repgainer3)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196/1 "2018-10-06T17:53:06Z")
Hi, I’m building a forum site from scratch and I’m using the p5.dom.js library to speed up the process. I’m attempting to create a TR tag and three TD tags that go inside the TR, after that I want the TR to go inside of my TBODY of choice (the one with the id of ‘forums’); However this is not the case, the row and columns are created just fine, but I’m not able to set their parentElement or any attribute for that matter. What am I doing wrong? ``` var allPosts; function setup() { noCanvas(); allPosts = loadStrings("./allPosts.txt", ready); } function ready() { console.log(allPosts); var post = document.getElementById("forums"); var curPost = createElement("tr", ""); var username = createElement("td", "Test Username"); var subject = createElement("td", "Test Subject"); var content = createElement("td", "This is text content."); curPost.elt.parentElement = post; username.elt.parentElement = curPost; subject.elt.parentElement = curPost; content.elt.parentElement = curPost; } ``` ---
**Author:** ![GoToLoop](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/gotoloop/32/86_2.png) [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196/2 "2018-10-06T18:35:06Z")
> [@repgainer3](#): > > `var post = document.getElementById("forums");` Maybe use p5::**select()** instead of **getElementById()**: 🤔 > **[reference | p5.js](https://p5js.org/reference/#/p5/select)** > > p5.js a JS client-side library for creating graphic and interactive experiences, based on the core principles of Processing. `const post = select('forums');` `const post = select('#forums');` Doing so, you can now invoke method p5.Element::**child()**, passing _post_ as its argument: 🕶 > **[reference | p5.js](https://p5js.org/reference/#/p5.Element/child)** > > p5.js a JS client-side library for creating graphic and interactive experiences, based on the core principles of Processing. Some sketch using both p5.Element::**child()** & p5.Element::**parent()** methods: 😇 > > > There are more than three files. show original ---
**Author:** ![repgainer3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3bc359/32.png) [@repgainer3](https://discourse.processing.org/u/repgainer3)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196/3 "2018-10-06T18:53:00Z")
Thank you for the help. I really think you’re on to something, but currently your solution gives me this error ``` site.html:23 Uncaught (in promise) TypeError: Cannot read property 'child' of null at ready (site.html:23) at p5.js:56385 at p5.js:57041 ``` I know for certain the “forums” is an id of a TBODY element. So what’s going on? Here’s the full page code: ``` Cameron Schoenecker: Forum Site

Post Thread

Main Page: you can put any topic here

User Name Subject Content
Anonymous test example text...

Back Home

Forum Page

Post Anything Here

Command Prompt
Command Prompt
``` ---
**Author:** ![GoToLoop](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/gotoloop/32/86_2.png) [@GoToLoop](https://discourse.processing.org/u/GoToLoop)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196/4 "2018-10-06T19:03:59Z")
I’ve made a mistake at `const post = select('forums');`! 🥴 Forgot to prefix it w/ `#`, so it searches for the _id_ attribute: `const post = select('#forums');` 🤦‍♂️ [https://p5js.org/reference/#/p5/select](https://p5js.org/reference/#/p5/select) ---
**Author:** ![repgainer3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3bc359/32.png) [@repgainer3](https://discourse.processing.org/u/repgainer3)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/p5-dom-js-createelement-function-not-able-to-set-properties/4196/5 "2018-10-06T19:04:57Z")
Thank you a million times over @GoToLoop! This works perfectly!