Intro to Javascript

What is JavaScript?

About JavaScript

JavaScript® (often shortened to JS) is a lightweight, interpreted, object-oriented language with first-class functions, and is best known as the scripting language for Web pages, but it's used in many non-browser environments as well. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic, and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles (MDN Web Docs).

Why use JavaScript?

JavaScript works with HTML and CSS to turn a static page, requiring a page load when a user fills out a form or clicks a button, into a dynamic page that can handle those functions and communicate with the server without a page reload. JavaScript allows you to create interactive web pages with animations that draw the user's attention making web pages easier to use.

JavaScript vs Java

While they both contain the word Java and are object-oriented languages, JavaScript is not the same as Java.

Similarities: The syntax is like Java and C++. Also, JS utilizes the same constructs, like if statements, for & while loops, and try... catch blocks.

Differences: The key differentiation is that Java is a programming language that creates applications run on a machine or in a browser, while JavaScript is a scripting language that runs solely on a browser, with a few exceptions. Also, Java needs to be complied, and JS does not. It can be interpreted directly from a .js text file. Finally, Java is static and class-based, while JS is dynamic and prototype-based.

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History of JavaScript

JavaScript was created in 1995 by Brendan Eich for Netscape Communications, founder of one of the first web browsers, Netscape Navigator. Brendan was originally hired to embed the Scheme language into Netscape Navigator, but when Netscape teamed up with Sun Microsystems to incorporate Java into their browser, Brendan was tasked with created a new language to compliment Java. He created JavaScript's prototype, Mocha, in 10 days. Originally named LiveScript, the official version of the language changed to JavaScript in December 1995. It is thought that naming the language JavaScript was a marketing ploy to give it credibility as the leading scripting language. JavaScript was standardized by Ecma International in June 1997 as part of ECMAScript which browser vendors could use to implement the work done by Netscape.

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JavaScript Resources

Syntax and Tutorials:

• Mozilla.org MDN Web Docs - Official site
• W3 Schools - References and tutorials
• Practical JavaScript - Free, instructor-led JS course
• JavaScript30 - Free, 30-day, intensive JS challenge.
• stackoverflow JS Questions - Q&A JS forum

Editors and IDEs:

• Notepad++ - Free text editor with syntax highlighting and folding
• NetBeans - Free text editor and IDE
• Sublime Text - One of the most popular IDE's. Can be evaluated for free, but a license costs $80.

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Sources

MDN Web Docs - JavaScript, Mozilla.org, https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript, Accessed 23 January 2018.