Which method is used to update an HTML attribute?

The method used to update an HTML attribute in the DOM is through the setAttribute function. This method directly modifies the specified attribute of an HTML element by replacing its current value with a new one. It takes two parameters: the name of the attribute you want to change and the new value you wish to assign to it.

For instance, if you have an <img> element and you intend to change its src attribute, you can do this by invoking element.setAttribute('src', 'newImagePath.jpg'). This action effectively updates the displayed image to the new source.

The other methods mentioned serve different purposes. While element.propertyName = 'value' can change certain properties associated with HTML elements, it does not universally apply to attributes — the property may not reflect the corresponding attribute if they differ. document.createAttribute() is used to create an attribute object but does not attach it to any element, making it ineffective for updating attributes directly. The getAttribute('attributeName') method is aimed at retrieving the value of a specified attribute rather than modifying it, hence it does not serve the function of updating an attribute.