Why element.style.color Is Still Valid (and Why VS Code Might Be Messing with Your JavaScript)

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🔥 Why element.style.color Is Still Valid (and Why VS Code Might Be Messing with Your JavaScript)

If you’ve been following a JavaScript lesson and suddenly found your code being rewritten by your editor—you’re not alone.

A developer recently shared that their simple color-toggle code wasn’t working as expected in VS Code. Here’s what they were trying to write:

if (ele.style.color === "red") {
  ele.style.color = "black";
} else {
  ele.style.color = "red";
}

But instead, VS Code was auto-converting it to this:

if (ele.computedStyleMap.color === "red") {
  ele.computedStyleMap.color = "black";
} else {
  ele.computedStyleMap.color = "red";
}

At first glance, you might think that JavaScript itself has changed and that .style is now deprecated or replaced. But that’s not the case at all.

✅ element.style.color Is 100% Correct

The .style property is the standard, reliable way to read and write inline styles using JavaScript. It’s widely supported and still the go-to method for dynamic DOM manipulation.

The original code is completely valid and should work:

if (ele.style.color === "red") {
  ele.style.color = "black";
} else {
  ele.style.color = "red";
}

If you’re not seeing the expected color change, make sure that the color property is set inline or has been previously modified via JavaScript.

❌ What’s Going on with .computedStyleMap?

The computedStyleMap() method is part of the newer CSS Typed Object Model (Typed OM). It’s meant for reading computed styles—not writing them.

So this line:

ele.computedStyleMap.color = "red";

…does nothing. It’s not how you set styles and will break your functionality.

🛠 Why Is VS Code Rewriting My Code?

The most likely culprits are:

  • An overactive AI coding assistant or extension (like GitHub Copilot, TabNine, or similar).
  • A formatting extension that incorrectly suggests modern APIs.
  • A setting in your JavaScript language service that’s too aggressive.

🧯 How to Fix It

If you want to stop this from happening:

  1. Stick with .style.color – It works, it’s correct.
  2. Check your extensions:
    • Go to Extensions in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X)
    • Disable formatters, AI assistants, or suspicious tools
  3. Disable format-on-type:
    • Open Settings
    • Search for “format on type”
    • Uncheck it if needed

🧠 Bonus Tip: Reading Computed Styles

If you need to read the computed color (e.g., from a CSS class, not inline), use:

const color = window.getComputedStyle(ele).color;

if (color === "rgb(255, 0, 0)") {
  ele.style.color = "black";
} else {
  ele.style.color = "red";
}

But again, if you’re setting the color via JavaScript and then reading it right after, .style.color is perfect.

🎯 Conclusion

JavaScript hasn’t changed here—your tools have. Trust the fundamentals: element.style.color is still valid and preferred for inline style manipulation. If your editor’s changing your code without asking, it’s time to investigate your setup.