The Many Uses of JavaScript
The most common uses of javascript are in web development, but its flexibility has made it a tool useful beyond that. It has become a key player in mobile applications, too. Whether you’re learning how to program or are a seasoned pro, it’s important to understand how javascript works so you can be confident in using the language effectively.
This article explores the history of javascript, how it works with other languages and why employers seek candidates with strong skills in this programming area. It also discusses what javascript is and how it functions in a web browser.
The first thing to understand about javascript is that it’s an interpreted language. This means that it’s read by the browser and translated into machine code before it can be executed. This helps javascript run quickly and efficiently. It also gives it some of the advantages of a dynamic language like looser restrictions on variable declarations and object-oriented programming, which allows developers to think more intuitively.
JavaScript works with HTML and CSS to create the visual aspects of websites and online applications. The structure and content of a website are provided by HTML, while the design and aesthetic elements are created with CSS. The dynamism and interactivity that a site offers are added with javascript, which allows for features like pop-ups, video and social media embeds and drop-down menus.
Most notably, javascript is used in search engine optimization (SEO) to make websites more competitive in search results. This is done by sending requests to a server-side program, which analyzes keywords and runs algorithms to anticipate what users are searching for. The data is then sent back to the client side (the user’s computer) as small snippets of code that are inserted into the page by javascript. The user’s computer then executes this snippet of code to predict their search terms and suggest potential results.
Aside from SEO, javascript is used in web application development to create interactive and immersive experiences for users. It can help with everything from detecting user activity to creating animated user interfaces. It can even make a website respond to touch screen presses, cursor movements, scrolls, mouse clicks and keyboard input.
The most common uses of javascript are front end web development and user experience (UX) design, but it can be used in back end web development, too. Regardless of which type of development you’re doing, it’s important to understand how a website and all its functions work together, which is why javascript is so widely used. It makes the web what it is today. Without it, the Internet would be a static and boring place. The most recognizable things we use on the Internet are built with javascript: Google Maps, Facebook and YouTube. All modern web browsers have a built-in engine that can render javascript. This is sometimes called a JVM or V8 Engine and is what most of us are familiar with. It’s the part of a web browser that makes a webpage come to life and is responsible for all the amazing functionality we all love and enjoy on the internet.