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Javascript

JavaScript is a scripting language used to add interactivity to web pages. It was introduced in 1995 to make web pages more dynamic and was initially called LiveScript. JavaScript code can be added directly to HTML and is executed as pages load without needing compilation. It allows manipulating HTML, reacting to user actions, communicating over the network, and storing data locally. However, JavaScript in browsers cannot access the local file system or communicate across domains for security reasons. Popular code editors for JavaScript include Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Sublime Text.

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90 views

Javascript

JavaScript is a scripting language used to add interactivity to web pages. It was introduced in 1995 to make web pages more dynamic and was initially called LiveScript. JavaScript code can be added directly to HTML and is executed as pages load without needing compilation. It allows manipulating HTML, reacting to user actions, communicating over the network, and storing data locally. However, JavaScript in browsers cannot access the local file system or communicate across domains for security reasons. Popular code editors for JavaScript include Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Sublime Text.

Uploaded by

someone
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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JavaScript

What is JavaScript?
• JavaScript was introduced in 1995 as a way to add programs to web
pages in the Netscape Navigator browser
• JavaScript was initially created to “make web pages alive”
• The programs in this language are called scripts
• They can be written right in a web page’s HTML and executed
automatically as the page loads.
• Scripts are provided and executed as plain text. They don’t need
special preparation or compilation to run.
• In this aspect, JavaScript is very different from another language
called Java.
Why JavaScript?
• When JavaScript was created, it initially had another name:
“LiveScript”. But Java was very popular at that time, so it was decided
that positioning a new language as a “younger brother” of Java would
help.
• But as it evolved, JavaScript became a fully independent language
with its own specification called ECMAScript, and now it has no
relation to Java at all.
What can in-browser JavaScript do?
• Add new HTML to the page, change the existing content, modify
styles.
• React to user actions, run on mouse clicks, pointer movements, key
presses.
• Send requests over the network to remote servers, download and
upload files (AJAX).
• Get and set cookies, ask questions to the visitor, show messages.
• Remember the data on the client-side (“local storage”).
What CAN’T in-browser JavaScript do?
• JavaScript on a webpage may not read/write arbitrary files on the
hard disk, copy them or execute programs. It has no direct access to
OS system functions.
• Different tabs/windows generally do not know about each other
• JavaScript can easily communicate over the net to the server where
the current page came from. But its ability to receive data from other
sites/domains is crippled
What CAN’T in-browser JavaScript do?
• Such limits do not exist if JavaScript is used outside of the browser, for
example on a server
• Modern browsers also allow plugin/extensions which may ask for
extended permissions.
What makes JavaScript unique?
• Full integration with HTML/CSS.
• Simple things are done simply.
• Support by all major browsers and enabled by default.
Code editors

IDE Lightweight editors


• WebStorm (paid) • Visual Studio Code (cross-
• NetBeans (free) platform, free)
• Visual Studio (paid) • Atom (cross-platform, free)
• Visual Studio Community (free) • Sublime Text (cross-platform,
shareware).
• Notepad++ (Windows, free).
• Vim and Emacs
Variables
• To create a variable in JavaScript, use the let keyword
• Variable naming
• The name must contain only letters, digits, or the symbols $ and _.
• The first character must not be a digit.
• When the name contains multiple words, camelCase is commonly used
• Constants
• To declare a constant (unchanging) variable, use const instead of let
Data Types
• number
• bigint
• string
• boolean
• null
• undefined
• object
• symbol
Conditional Operators
• The “if” statement
let year = prompt('In which year was the ECMAScript-2015 specification
published?', ‘’);
if (year < 2015) {
alert( 'Too early...' );
} else if (year > 2015) {
alert( 'Too late' );
} else {
alert( 'Exactly!' );
}

• Conditional operator ‘?’


let result = condition ? value1 : value2;
Loops
• The “while” loop
while (condition) {
// code // so-called "loop body"
}

• The “do…while” loop


do {
// loop body
} while (condition);

• The “for” loop


for (begin; condition; step) {
// ... loop body ...
}
The "switch" statement
switch(x) {
case 'value1': // if (x === 'value1’)
...
[break]
case 'value2': // if (x === 'value2’)
...
[break]
default:
...
[break]
}
Functions
function name(parameters) {
...body...
}
Interaction
• alert
• shows a message.
• prompt
• shows a message asking the user to input text. It returns the text or, if Cancel
button or Esc is clicked, null.
• confirm
• shows a message and waits for the user to press “OK” or “Cancel”
• It returns true for OK and false for Cancel/Esc.
Developer Console
• http://javascript.info/article/devtools/bug.html

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