javascript parent of parent

Question

In javascript is there an easy way to target the parent of a parent?

I'm using this.parentNode as the element of a function to select the parent, and I tried both this.parent.parentNode and this.parentNode.parentNode, but both simply return the direct parent.
I'm trying to affect the div surrounding the div surrounding the 'this'. I did manage to make it work using a simple loop statement that repeats the parentNode selection twice, but I assume there's a better way.

Answer 1

this.parentNode.parentNode is correct, you must (with apologies!) have had a mistake in the test where you tried it.

Example: Live Copy | Source

HTML:

<div id="outermost">Outermost
  <div id="inner1">Inner 1
    <div id="inner2">Inner 2</div>
  </div>
</div>

JavaScript:

var inner2 = document.getElementById("inner2");

display("inner2.id = " + inner2.id);
display("inner2.parentNode.id = " + inner2.parentNode.id);
display("inner2.parentNode.parentNode.id = " + inner2.parentNode.parentNode.id);

display("Try clicking the blue 'inner2' above");

inner2.onclick = function(e) {
  display("Click: this.id = " + this.id);
  if (this.parentNode) {
    display("Click: this.parentNode.id = " + this.parentNode.id);
    if (this.parentNode.parentNode) {
      display("Click: this.parentNode.parentNode.id = " + this.parentNode.parentNode.id);
    }
  }
};

function display(msg) {
  var p = document.createElement('p');
  p.innerHTML = String(msg);
  document.body.appendChild(p);
}

Output (assuming one clicks as directed):

inner2.id = inner2
inner2.parentNode.id = inner1
inner2.parentNode.parentNode.id = outermost
Try clicking the blue 'inner2' above
Click: e.target.id = inner2
Click: e.target.parentNode.id = inner1
Click: e.target.parentNode.parentNode.id = outermost