Programmer's Guide > Interfaces > W3C Attr interface > specified attribute
  
specified attribute
If this attribute was explicitly given a value in the original document, this is true; otherwise, it is false. Note that the implementation is in charge of this attribute, not the user. If the user changes the value of the attribute (even if it ends up having the same value as the default value) then the specified flag is automatically flipped to true. To re-specify the attribute as the default value from the DTD, the user must delete the attribute. The implementation will then make a new attribute available with specified set to false and the default value (if one exists).
In summary:
If the attribute has an assigned value in the document then specified is true, and the value is the assigned value.
If the attribute has no assigned value in the document and has a default value in the DTD, then specified is false, and the value is the default value in the DTD.
If the attribute has no assigned value in the document and has a value of #IMPLIED in the DTD, then the attribute does not appear in the structure model of the document.
If the ownerElement attribute is null (i.e. because it was just created or was set to null by the various removal and cloning operations) specified is true.
specified
Access
read-only
Returns
boolean