Get body element of site using only javascript

Question

I would like to retrieve the following sites body content http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/bottomline/scores?nhl_s_left1 and store it in a string, i know and am successful at retrieving this using php, however i want to restrict to using only javascript, is there a way just to take the string in the site and copy it and store it in a var?

Answer 1

Although the @Brendan's answer is accepted and correct.

It is simple, short and faster enough to get a body element using

document.body; 

It does the same as we can do with document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0];, and it should be in the list of answers.

Answer 2

Try this:

<script> window.onload = function get_body() {    body = document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]; }  </script> 

Allow me to explain. The window.onload is so that the HTML loads before the script is executed. Even though there is only one body tag this is the method i use^. Basically, it finds the "first" body tag there is, then I tell it to just get the body element itself and not all the other attributes and child nodes that go along with it using an index of [0]. If you want everything to do with the body tag then lose the index of 0. Hope this Helps!