JavaScript is THE scripting language of the Web.

JavaScript is used in billions of Web pages to add functionality, validate forms, and communicate with the server. E.g.

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

What Can 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 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

JS Basic JS HOME JS Introduction JS How To JS Where To JS Statements JS Comments JS Variables JS Operators JS Comparisons JS If...Else JS Switch

JS JS JS JS JS JS JS JS JS JS JS

Popup Boxes Functions For Loop While Loop Break Loops For...In Events Try...Catch Throw Special Text Guidelines

JS Objects JS Objects Intro JS String JS Date JS Array JS Boolean JS Math JS RegExp JS Advanced JS Browser JS Cookies JS Validation JS Timing JS Create Object JS Summary JS Examples JS Examples JS Objects Examples JS Browser Examples JS DOM Examples JS Quiz JS Certificate JS References JavaScript Objects HTML DOM Objects 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 and CSS

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 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 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

JavaScript = ECMAScript JavaScript is an implementation of the ECMAScript language standard. ECMA-262 is the official JavaScript standard. JavaScript was invented by Brendan Eich at Netscape (with Navigator 2.0), and has appeared in all browsers since 1996. The official standardization was adopted by the ECMA organization (an industry standardization association) in 1997. The ECMA standard (called ECMAScript-262) was approved as an international ISO (ISO/IEC 16262) standard in 1998. The development is still in progress. JavaScript How To The HTML <script> tag is used to insert a JavaScript into an HTML page. Writing to The HTML Document

Changing HTML Elements The example below writes the current date into an existing <p> element:

Note: To manipulate HTML elements JavaScript uses the DOM method getElementById(). This method accesses the element with the specified id.

Examples Explained To insert a JavaScript into an HTML page, use the <script> tag. Inside the <script> tag use the type attribute to define the scripting language. The <script> and </script> tells where the JavaScript starts and ends: <html> <body> <h1>My First Web Page</h1> <p id="demo">This is a paragraph.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> ... some JavaScript code ... </script> </body> </html> The lines between the <script> and </script> contain the JavaScript and are executed by the browser. In this case the browser will replace the content of the HTML element with id="demo", with the current date: <html> <body> <h1>My First Web Page</h1> <p id="demo">This is a paragraph.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML=Date(); </script> </body> </html>

Without the <script> tag(s), the browser will treat "document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML=Date();" as pure text and just write it to the page Some Browsers do Not Support JavaScript 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.getElementById("demo").innerHTML=Date(); //--> </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.

JavaScript Where To
JavaScripts can be put in the <body> and in the <head> sections of an HTML page.

JavaScript in <body>
The example below writes the current date into an existing <p> element when the page loads:

JavaScript in <body>
The example below writes the current date into an existing <p> element when the page loads:

Example
<html> <body> <h1>My First Web Page</h1> <p id="demo"></p> <script type="text/javascript"> document.getElementById("demo").innerHTML=Date(); </script> </body> </html>

Try it yourself

Note that the JavaScript is placed at the bottom of the page to make sure it is not executed before the <p> element is created.

JavaScript Functions and Events

JavaScripts in an HTML page will be executed when the page loads. This is not always what we want.

Sometimes we want to execute a JavaScript when an event occurs, such as when a user clicks a button. When this is the case we can put the script inside a function. Events are normally used in combination with functions (like calling a function when an event occurs). You will learn more about JavaScript functions and events in later chapters.