JavaScript

JavaScript is a scripting language for computers. It is often run in web browser applications to create dynamic content like message boxes popping up or a live clock. It is not related to and is different from the programming language Java.

Example

The following script writes "Example" on the screen:

<script type="text/javascript">
function example()
{
    var ex = document.createTextNode('Example');
    document.body.appendChild(ex);
}
example();
 
/*
 * The code below does almost the same thing as the code above, 
 * but it shows "Example" in a popup box and is shorter.
 */
 
alert("Example");
</script>

The JavaScript is enclosed by <script> </script> tags, to tell that it is a script and not text.

Other pages

• HTML
• Ajax (programming)

Other websites

• Learn JavaScript on the Mozilla Developer Center
• Mozilla's Official Documentation on JavaScript
• Video - Firefox 2 and Javascript with Mozilla Corp and JavaScript creator Brendan Eich
• References for Core JavaScript versions: 1.5
• New in JavaScript: 1.7, 1.6
• List of JavaScript releases: versions 1.0 - 1.7
• Brendan's Roadmap Updates: JavaScript 1, 2, and in between - the author's blog entry
• comp.lang.javascript FAQ Official FAQ for the comp.lang.javascript Usenet group
• RFC 4329, a document for the registration of media types related to ECMAScript and JavaScript. The current recommendations are "application/javascript" and "application/ecmascript", although neither is recognized by Internet Explorer.