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Javascript: What You Should Already Know

JavaScript is a popular scripting language that works in major browsers and is used to add interactivity to HTML pages. It is embedded directly into HTML pages using <script> tags and is interpreted as pages load. JavaScript is different from Java and allows designers to program simple snippets of code without needing advanced programming skills. It can perform tasks like writing dynamic content, reacting to events, manipulating HTML elements, and validating data.

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Kannan Parthasarathi
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80 views

Javascript: What You Should Already Know

JavaScript is a popular scripting language that works in major browsers and is used to add interactivity to HTML pages. It is embedded directly into HTML pages using <script> tags and is interpreted as pages load. JavaScript is different from Java and allows designers to program simple snippets of code without needing advanced programming skills. It can perform tasks like writing dynamic content, reacting to events, manipulating HTML elements, and validating data.

Uploaded by

Kannan Parthasarathi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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JavaScript 

Introduction
« Previous Next Chapter »

JavaScript is the most popular scripting language on the internet, and works in all
major browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari.

What You Should Already Know


Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:

 HTML / XHTML

If you want to study these subjects first, find the tutorials on our Home page.

What is JavaScript?
 JavaScript was designed to add interactivity to HTML pages
 JavaScript is a scripting language
 A scripting language is a lightweight programming language
 JavaScript is usually embedded directly into HTML pages
 JavaScript is an interpreted language (means that scripts execute without preliminary
compilation)
 Everyone can use JavaScript without purchasing a license

Are Java and JavaScript the same?


NO!

Java and JavaScript are two completely different languages in both concept and design!

Java (developed by Sun Microsystems) is a powerful and much more complex programming language
- in the same category as C and C++.

What can a JavaScript do?


 JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool - HTML authors are normally not
programmers, but JavaScript is a scripting language with a very simple syntax! Almost anyone
can put small "snippets" of code into their HTML pages
 JavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page - A JavaScript statement like this:
document.write("<h1>" + name + "</h1>") can write a variable text into an HTML page
 JavaScript can react to events - A JavaScript can be set to execute when something
happens, like when a page has finished loading or when a user clicks on an HTML element
 JavaScript can read and write HTML elements - A JavaScript can read and change the
content of an HTML element
 JavaScript can be used to validate data - A JavaScript can be used to validate form data
before it is submitted to a server. This saves the server from extra processing
 JavaScript can be used to detect the visitor's browser - A JavaScript can be used to
detect the visitor's browser, and - depending on the browser - load another page specifically
designed for that browser
 JavaScript can be used to create cookies - A JavaScript can be used to store and retrieve
information on the visitor's computer

The Real Name is ECMAScript


JavaScript's official name is ECMAScript.

ECMAScript is developed and maintained by the ECMA organization. 

ECMA-262 is the official JavaScript standard.

The language was invented by Brendan Eich at Netscape (with Navigator 2.0), and has appeared in all
Netscape and Microsoft browsers since 1996.

The development of ECMA-262 started in 1996, and the first edition of was adopted by the ECMA
General Assembly in June 1997.

The standard was approved as an international ISO (ISO/IEC 16262) standard in 1998.

The development of the standard is still in progress.

JavaScript How To
« Previous Next Chapter »

The HTML <script> tag is used to insert a JavaScript into an HTML page.

Put a JavaScript into an HTML page


The example below shows how to use JavaScript to write text on a web page:

Example

<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("Hello World!");
</script>
</body>
</html>

Try it yourself »

The example below shows how to add HTML tags to the JavaScript:

Example

<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("<h1>Hello World!</h1>");
</script>
</body>
</html>

Try it yourself »

Example Explained
To insert a JavaScript into an HTML page, we use the <script> tag. Inside the <script> tag we use the
type attribute to define the scripting language.

So, the <script type="text/javascript"> and </script> tells where the JavaScript starts and ends:

<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
...
</script>
</body>
</html>

The document.write command is a standard JavaScript command for writing output to a page.

By entering the document.write command between the <script> and </script> tags, the browser will
recognize it as a JavaScript command and execute the code line. In this case the browser will write
Hello World! to the page:

<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("Hello World!");
</script>
</body>
</html>
Note: If we had not entered the <script> tag, the browser would have treated the
document.write("Hello World!") command as pure text, and just write the entire line on the page.Try it
yourself

How to Handle Simple Browsers


Browsers that do not support JavaScript, will display JavaScript as page content.

To prevent them from doing this, and as a part of the JavaScript standard, the HTML comment tag
should be used to "hide" the JavaScript.

Just add an HTML comment tag <!-- before the first JavaScript statement, and a --> (end of
comment) after the last JavaScript statement, like this:

<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Hello World!");
//-->
</script>
</body>
</html>

The two forward slashes at the end of comment line (//) is the JavaScript comment symbol. This
prevents JavaScript from executing the --> tag.

JavaScripts can be put in the body and in the head sections of an HTML page.

Where to Put the JavaScript


JavaScripts in a page will be executed immediately while the page loads into the browser. This is not
always what we want. Sometimes we want to execute a script when a page loads, or at a later event,
such as when a user clicks a button. When this is the case we put the script inside a function, you will
learn about functions in a later chapter.

Scripts in <head>
Scripts to be executed when they are called, or when an event is triggered, are placed in functions.

Put your functions in the head section, this way they are all in one place, and they do not interfere
with page content.

Example

<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
function message()
{
alert("This alert box was called with the onload event");
}
</script>
</head>

<body onload="message()">
</body>
</html>

Try it yourself »

Scripts in <body>
If you don't want your script to be placed inside a function, or if your script should write page content,
it should be placed in the body section.

Example

<html>
<head>
</head>

<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("This message is written by JavaScript");
</script>
</body>

</html>

Try it yourself »

Scripts in <head> and <body>


You can place an unlimited number of scripts in your document, so you can have scripts in both the
body and the head section.

Example

<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
function message()
{
alert("This alert box was called with the onload event");
}
</script>
</head>
<body onload="message()">
<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("This message is written by JavaScript");
</script>
</body>

</html>

Try it yourself »

Using an External JavaScript


If you want to run the same JavaScript on several pages, without having to write the same script on
every page, you can write a JavaScript in an external file.

Save the external JavaScript file with a .js file extension.

Note: The external script cannot contain the <script></script> tags!

To use the external script, point to the .js file in the "src" attribute of the <script> tag:

Example

<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript" src="xxx.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>

Try it yourself »

Note: Remember to place the script exactly where you normally would write the script!

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