JavaScript is a complex, object-oriented web language which is used to make a website interactive. It can also run on a server such as Node.Js which allows web developers to write JavaScript at the server-side and perform business logic. With it, you can create all different types of interactive website functions. You can make elements appear, disappear and move all-around a webpage which is important for most websites these days. It is also an especially important web language to learn if you want to how to build an ecommerce website from scratch.
So, if you are completely new to JavaScript and want to learn about it before you start writing your first code, then keep on reading.
What is JavaScript?
First of all, it’s important to highlight that JavaScript has nothing to do with Java. If you want a website to display some basic content and imagery, then all you need is HTML and CSS. However, if you want more than that, such as functional buttons, dynamic styles and animated menus, then you are going to need another language. JavaScript is the most used language to create these common website features. On its own, HTML isn’t very smart at all. It can’t do maths, and it can’t make decisions based on how a web visitor interacts with a web page of which it sits behind. HTML lets people read text, look at pictures, watch videos, and click links to move to other web pages. In order to add intelligence and technical web functions to your web pages so they can respond to your website’s visitors, you need to apply JavaScript.
Libraries and Frameworks
13 of the best JavaScript frameworks to try
When you are starting out with JavaScript, you are going to want to learn it in its native format. However, you will find that many things will require a lot of coding. This is where libraries and frameworks come into practice because they reduce the amount of code required the accomplish simple tasks. While you can use JavaScript in its native format, you should also develop a full understanding of JavaScript before you move onto anything else. But, you can make a lot more progress with JavaScript if you use fewer keystrokes and learn some of the libraries and frameworks.
Functional Programming with JavaScript
You can write website cos using a functional programming style with JavaScript. However, basic JavaScript does not include powerful mathematical functions that most experienced web developers look for when they are talking about functional programming. However, the solution to this is to build a JavaScript library of programming functions.
How to Apply JavaScript to a Webpage
Web browsers are built on the foundation to interpret and understand HTML and CSS and turn the languages into a display which is what you see when you look at a webpage. The part of a browser that understands these two languages is called a rendering engine. However, most web browsers have something called JavaScript interpreter. This is part that understands JavaScript and executes the steps of what the language says. Most web browsers expect HTML and CSS, so you need to tell the browser to expect JavaScript by using a script tag. To add a script to a webpage, you need to start by inserting script tags. In the majority of cases, you will put the <script> tags in the page’s <head> in order to keep your code organised in one area of the web page. However, it’s valid to put script tags anywhere in the page’s HTML code.
Final Thoughts on JavaScript
Knowing how to write JavaScript is very important because it is so useful and widely used by web developers all over the world. Although you can do a lot with other web languages, JavaScript remains the most used language to know. Hopefully, with our brief introduction, you will be up and running in no time and creating interactive websites.
