Paramiliar Design Studios Redefining Innovation and Excellence Design Services, website, build, cost effective, World Wide Web Consortium, browser compatability, website renovation

 

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a cross-platform, object-oriented scripting language invented in web browsers to make web pages more dynamic and give feedback to your user. Adding JavaScript to your HTML code allows you to change completely the document appearance, from changing text and colours, to validating forms before they are submitted, to switching one image with another when you roll your mouse over it and much more.

JavaScript is mainly used as a client side scripting language. This means that all the action occurs on the client's web browser. When a user requests a webpage with JavaScript in it, the script is sent to the browser and it's up to the browser to do something with it. In fact, JavaScript is often used to perform operations that would otherwise encumber the server, like form input validation. This distribution of work to the relatively quick client-side service speeds up the process.

JavaScript is supported by many popular Web browsers, including all remotely recent versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, FireFox and Netscape Navigator, but sometimes you have to turn on the capabilities in your browser preferences.

One of the main advantages of JavaScript is an ability to get information about the browser and webpage. This access to information gives JavaScript great power to modify the browsing experience.

Most importantly, JavaScript isn't overly tough to use. Its syntax is quite similar to C, C++ and Java. However, it is much easier to learn and implement.

Here are a few things you can do with JavaScript:

• Display information based on the time of the day
  JavaScript can check the computer's clock and pull the appropriate data based on the clock information.
• Detect the visitor's browser
  JavaScript can be used to detect the visitor's browser, and load another page specifically designed for that browser.
• Control Browsers
  JavaScript can open pages in customized windows, where you specify if the browser's buttons, menu line, status line or whatever should be present.
• Validate forms data
  JavaScript can be used to validate form data at the client-side saving both the precious server resources and time.
• Create Cookies
  JavaScript can store information on the visitor's computer and retrieve it automatically next time the user visits your page.
• Add interactivity to your website
  JavaScript can be set to execute when something happens, like when a page has finished loading or when a user clicks on a button.
• Change page contents dynamically
  JavaScript can randomly display content without the involvement of server programs. It can read and change the content of an HTML elements or move them around pages.

This is only a small part of possibilities that JavaScript provides you with. Stay tuned to see our new script tutorials available soon.

About the Author:

Matthew Bagley is the owner of Paramiliar Design Studios
(http://www.paramiliar.com)
Working with many companies their aim is to give your business the online potential it deserves.
Visit http://www.paramiliar.com/articles.html to find more articles written by Paramiliar Design Studios