What Is JavaScript?

javascript is the programming language behind the vast majority of web pages. It empowers developers to add all sorts of multimedia elements and even make the page interactive. It’s this technology that allows you to fill out a form, scroll through maps, or register for an event without ever leaving the page you are on.

JavaScript is a programming language that, unlike other languages such as C or C++, runs in the browser and does not require any compilation or preprocessing on the server. It is also a high-level language, meaning it abstracts the bare hardware of the machine from the programmer.

The majority of web pages use javascript, along with hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS). As of 2023, it is estimated that 98.4% of web pages use javascript to make them dynamic and interactive.

What Is JavaScript?

Originally, it was created to be the “younger brother” of another popular language, Java. But, unlike Java, it can be executed directly in the browser. The programs in a javascript script are known as “functions” and can be written right in the HTML page where they will be used. They can also be called from other JS scripts, or from a web application running on a server.

Functions are the building blocks of javascript and all other programming languages. They perform a specific task, like adding two numbers or comparing a string to a number. Typically, they have a return value and are enclosed in parenthesis. The return value can be an int, a string, or a Boolean (“True” or “False”). Functions can be named anything, but there are some restrictions. For example, the name must start with a letter and must be lowercase. Also, it can’t be a reserved word in the language.

A javascript feature that is unique from other languages is arrow functions. Introduced in 6th Edition ECMAScript 2015, these functions shorten the syntax of normal functions. They are similar to functions in C/C++, but have additional features that make them easier to write and read.

In addition to functions, javascript has other useful tools. One of these is the ability to declare objects. An object is a group of properties and methods that can be accessed and managed in a single reference. Another is the concept of variables. Variables are essential to a dynamic programming language because they allow values to change and therefore create the possibility of interactivity in the web page.

The most common way of creating an object in javascript is by passing it a reference to a function. The function then calls the object’s methods to perform the desired task. The object can then be changed or deleted with its methods.

There are other ways of creating objects, but the most important thing to remember is that it must be done in the scope of the object. If you want to create an object outside of the scope of the current script, it must be declared before the script begins.