Javascript (JS) is the most popular choice of programming language for web development, over 98% of pages on the web use JS on the client side. It was created by Brendan Eich in 1995 and was purposely designed to be a language for the web.
It is considered to be a high-level language, as it is easy to use commands that can control the behavior of HTML elements.
It can remove elements, move them around as if animated, show popups upon pressing a button or even connect to an external webpage and request data. JS allows the elements to be dynamic, rather than static, as they all were before JS.
What is javascript?
In short, Javascript is a programming language that is the leading choice for web development. It is one of the main technologies along with HTML and CSS that compose the World Wide Web.
It adheres to the ECMAScript standard, which allows for it to be interoperable across a range of different web browsers. All major web browsers have developed Javascript engines that allow them to execute your code.
JS is powerful enough for API (Application Programming Interface) development and manipulating the DOM (Document Object Model). For this reason, it is often considered a requirement to become a web developer.
What is a JavaScript example?
Consider the following scenario: You would like your page to log users out when they click on a button labeled Sign out.
You may have some logic such as:
This code simply requests the address: myServerAddress/users/logout, where a backend is registering information such as the signout time and the user that signed out.
Now, we want to delete any local or session storage set by your website to completely “logout” the user. This is simple enough, as JS provides the following lines of code:
These two items that were stored in the local and session storage allow for the user to be logged in even when refreshing the browser or momentarily losing connection.
It would be a tedious task to log in every time that happened. Removing them from storage ensures that a user is not logged in automatically, thus the user would input their credentials again.
Is JavaScript a part of Web development?
Yes. Javascript is considered to be one of the main technologies in web development, alongside HTML and CSS. It was developed as a need to add dynamic content to websites.
Before the invention of JS, web pages would only show static text, meaning text that doesn’t move or interact with the user. Most buttons would only redirect to other web pages. Nowadays, JS has made it possible for sites such as Google and Facebook to exist.
These are highly dynamic web pages that react to almost everything the user does. JS is executed in the background, and the code executes without the user knowing every detail of it, but for the most part, focuses on the functionality of the website.
Can I build a website without JavaScript?
Yes. But having a website without Javascript doesn’t offer as much interaction with users. This is not ideal nowadays. Even if you have a small blog, maybe you would like your users to subscribe to a newsletter.
Without JS, a website is considered to be static. Considering you can add much more for your website to function in a modern fashion, why not go for it? JS has made it easy for you to learn the way you can manipulate elements on the page, show alerts, recommend content, etc. It is an extension of the basic tools needed to create a web page.
Is JavaScript or Java the same?
No. Java and Javascript are two completely separate programming languages. Java focuses on more general applications such as Graphical UIs, Web servers, Application servers, Enterprise Applications, and Embedded Systems.
Javascript is solely focused on web development. The reason they share a similar naming is indeed based on the fact that Java was a popular programming language when JS was invented. The creator decided to ride that wave of popularity and it worked. Today, almost every web page uses Javascript.
Is JavaScript easy to learn?
Yes. Javascript is a high-level language. In this context, it is a more abstract way to program, as opposed to an assembly language, where you may have to specify a memory address in hexadecimal or octal form, which is not as easy to remember as creating a variable and naming it whatever you want.
Javascript has logical operators and can support mathematical operations as well. It supports basic types such as Boolean values, Strings, Numbers, etc. Each of these has methods “attached” that are named after their specific function such as .sort(), filter(), and .map(), which are all native JS array methods.
What is the difference between JavaScript and HTML?
The main difference between JS and HTML is that HTML describes the elements on the page and the order of their presentation. Meanwhile, Javascript is a language that defines the behavior of the elements defined.
They are maintained by two separate organizations: the ECMA-TC9 committee for Javascript and WHATWG and W3C for HTML. They also have different file extensions, .js and .html respectively.
Should I learn HTML or JavaScript first?
HTML. While Javascript may end up becoming a big part of your website, it is important to first learn the elements that you have control over. Without this knowledge, it will be difficult to get the full value of JS as it is what makes your HTML elements functional.
Once you have learned the spectrum of HTML elements available, it will become easier to associate them with their specific JS functions.
What is the difference between CSS and JavaScript?
CSS is used for styling elements on the page, while JS focuses on adding functionality to a web page. JS is the engine and CSS is the detail work.
They are different languages, and even though it is possible to define the styling of elements via JS, CSS is the more preferred method of styling elements and even linking them to actions such as :hover.
How much time will it take to learn JavaScript?
The time may vary depending on your frequency of study. For the most part, learning JS in a Bootcamp style, with 4 – 6 hours of daily practice, could take 1 month. But it is not enough to learn all the functions that JS has to offer.
JS is an Object Oriented programming language that requires a deeper understanding of data structures, design patterns, time complexity, etc.
to fully write efficient programs. This may take 4 – 6 months of intense practice and study, depending on your understanding of problem-solving and logical thinking, as well as mathematical applications.
