What is Javascript and why should we learn it?

In this article,  we will talk about what javascript is. JavaScript is a programming language that programmers use to develop web pages, software, servers, and even games. Developers often use JavaScript as well as HTML and CSS. This coding language works well with CSS markup and HTML elements. Additionally, unlike CSS, JavaScript can also be user interactive. Since JavaScript is used in web, mobile app and game development, learning it can be very useful. If you want to learn the JavaScript programming language using educational videos,  we recommend you to take the extracurricular Java Script training series by referring to the link below  :

What is the use of Javascript?

Early versions of the scripting language were for internal use only. JavaScript became a pioneer in publishing ECMAScript after Netscape registered it as a standard for web browsers at ECMA International. JavaScript was a universal language that enabled all web pages to run across browsers and devices. After that, JavaScript grew with new browsers like Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Even then, V8, the first modern JavaScript engine that converted bytecode to machine code, was introduced. So what is JavaScript used for in today’s world? Today, JavaScript is used in various frameworks and libraries to simplify complex projects, such as AngularJS, jQuery, and ReactJS.

Java.Script originally ran on the client side, but after the development of Node.js, it also ran on the server side (Node.js is a cross-platform server environment built on the Google Chrome JavaScript V8 engine). Although JavaScript is used mostly in web-based applications, it is also used in other situations. Some uses of this language are given below:

Website and mobile software design

The development of JavaScript frameworks, including JavaScript code libraries, allows developers to use pre-written JavaScript code for their projects. These codes saved programmers time and they did not need to write code from scratch. Every javascript framework has features designed to simplify the development and debugging process.

For example, front-end JavaScript frameworks such as jQuery and ReactJS increase design efficiency. These frameworks allow developers to reuse and update code components without affecting other parts of the code. On the other hand, software development frameworks such as Cordova and Titanium allow creating native and hybrid software. The use of JavaScript code in Node.js also plays an important role in web development. Due to its single-threaded nature and non-blocking architecture, Node.js can reduce server response time.

Creating web server and server software

JavaScript through Node.js allows developers to easily and quickly create a web server and backend infrastructure. With the built-in HTTP module, you can create a simple HTTP server that displays plain text when the user accesses a web page. You can use your own Node.js web server, called Node-OS, or work with a third-party server such as Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and Apache to handle HTTP requests. Note that since Node-OS is built on top of the Linux kernel, it performs best when running on Linux systems.

Interactive behavior on the website

What is one of the main functions of Javascript? Increasing the dynamics of web pages. This includes animations, text and menus. Although you can use HTML and CSS code to create a website, their display is static. On the other hand, in JavaScript the user can interact with web pages and have a better browsing experience. Additionally, javascript allows you to change the text and values ​​of HTML attributes without having to reload the web page first. This is because JavaScript supports the following data types:

String – is a text data typewritten in quotes. For example: “Hello world”, “Hello world,” and “Display ‘Hello world’ text”.

Numbers – including integers and floating point numbers between (1-2^53) and (1-2^53).

Boolean – A logical data type with true and false values.

BigInt – Integer data of arbitrary length

Null – Contains null value

Undefined – includes declared and unassigned variables

Symbol – Provides a unique identifier for objects.

Object – For complex data structures with Accolade. For example {item:”Book”, information:”biography”}.

You can improve your web browsing experience with the help of cookies with JavaScript. You need the document to create, read, and delete a cookie in Javascript.cookie property acts as the getter and setter of the cookie value.

game development

What is the way to develop games with Javascript  ? To do this, you need to use it with a software programming interface (API) such as HTML5 and WebGL. Many JavaScript-based game engines, such as Phaser, GDevelop, and Kiwi.js, are available for graphics rendering, code recycling, and cross-platform applications.

What are the names of some games developed with Javascript? Angry Birds, Wizard and 2048.

What are the advantages of Javascript?

JavaScript has advantages that make it a better choice than its competitors. Here are some advantages:

Simplicity:  Having a simple structure makes JavaScript easier to learn and use. This simplicity has made it faster than other languages ​​and it is easy to find and fix errors.

Speed:  JavaScript runs directly in the web browser without first connecting to a server or needing an interpreter. Additionally, most major browsers allow JavaScript to interpret code during application execution.

Functionality:  Compatible with other languages ​​such as JavaScript, PHP, Perl and Java. It also enables data science and machine learning for developers.

Popularity:  Nowadays, many face-to-face and online classes and courses teach JavaScript.

Server load:  Another advantage of working on the client side is the reduction of requests sent to the server. Data verification can be done via the web browser, and updates are applied only to certain web page parts.

Updates:  The JavaScript development team and ECMA International are constantly updating and creating new frameworks and libraries to ensure the language’s viability in today’s industry.

What are the disadvantages of Javascript?

Like other programming languages, JavaScript has limitations that need to be considered. Some disadvantages of JavaScript are:

Browser Compatibility:  Web browsers interpret JavaScript code differently, causing incompatibilities. That’s why you should test your JavaScript code in all popular browsers (even older versions).

Security:  JavaScript code running on the client side is vulnerable to user intervention.

Debugging:  While some HTML editors support debugging, it’s not as useful as others. Finding the problem can be difficult because browsers do not show any error alerts.

How does Javascript work?

JavaScript is either embedded directly into a web page or referenced via a separate .js file. When a user visits a web page, their browser runs the script alongside the HTML and CSS code. The script is downloaded to the visitor’s device and processed. It is different from server side language. In server-side language, the server processes the script before sending it to the browser. When we run some JavaScript code, the web browser processes them from top to bottom. Since JavaScript is order sensitive, be sure to define objects and variables before modifying them. If the variable has no value, it will cause an undefined error.

What is the difference between other programming languages ​​and javascript?

The main reason for JavaScript’s popularity is its compatibility with other languages. Many developers consider JavaScript their first choice, unless they want to do something that is not on the list of JavaScript uses.

Let’s take a look at some popular programming languages:

#C programming language

This programming language is based on slices and is used to create programs that run in the .NET environment. There is a static mode of writing this language. So its variables are known at the time of interpretation. What is the difference between C# and JavaScript? Unlike JavaScript, C# allows you to change data types.

java programming language

It is a slice-based programming language designed to support large applications. Unlike JavaScript, Java has higher typing power, meaning its variables must be bound to specific data types. Java needs the JIT interpreter to run the script.

PHP programming language

It is a server-side language commonly found in PHP-based content management systems such as WordPress. The main purposes of PHP are to transfer data to and from databases and to combine HTML files. What is the difference between PHP and javascript  ? Unlike JavaScript, PHP can access the database directly and accept state variables.

Ruby programming language

It is a general-purpose programming language that supports metaprogramming. This means it can analyze and modify other programs and itself. The famous working framework of this language is Ruby on Rails, with which you can create large web applications and save money and time at the same time. The Ruby on Rails framework inspires the use of java script in Node.js.

How to add Java Script code to a website?

There are two ways to add Java Script code to an HTML web page: internal and external.

Inline JavaScript uses the <script> tag in the HTML script body.

Here are some examples of inline Java Script that include the <script> tag:

<html>

<head>

<title>Inline JavaScript</title>

<script type=”text/javascript”>

alarm(“Hello World”);

</script>

</head>

<body>

</body>

</html>

You can also place the script in the HTML event attributes so that when the event is triggered the browser will also execute it. Such scripts are called inline JavaScript.

<button onclick=”alert(‘Click for more details’)”>Click</button>

External JavaScript, on the other hand, stores the code in a separate .js file and then reads it back into the HTML page. Programmers often use this method to edit script when working on large projects.

Additionally, this way you can use the same script on multiple web pages; This is important for many developers.

For example, by adding a script to an HTML page, you can read an external JavaScript file named script.js.

<script src=”script.js” defer></script>

Here’s an example of how to reference an external Java Script file:

<html>

<head>

<meta charset=”UTF-8″>

<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, startup-scale=1″>

<title>Current time:</title>

</head>

<body>

<button type=”button” onclick=”myFunction()”>Select</button>

</body>

<script src=”js/script.js”></script>

</html>

You can create and modify JavaScript code using an editor. We have two types of editors: WYSIWYG and text editors. The WYSIWYG editor is more suitable for beginners as it shows you how the code will be displayed on the screen. For example, TinyMCE is a popular WYSIWYG editor used in WordPress. On the other hand, text-based editor gives the programmer more freedom in coding, but you need HTML skills to work with it. Some of the most popular text editors are Sublime Text, Atom, and Notepad++.

What’s your final word about Javascript?

In this article , we tried to answer the question of what javascript is in general  . JavaScript is often used in conjunction with HTML and CSS to increase site interactivity. In some cases, JavaScript can be used in a library of other languages ​​so that programmers can maximize performance without writing the code from scratch.

If you want to learn this language, you need to know what to expect from javascript.

• This language can be easily learned and used on websites and events.
• A large number of programmers have supported this language.
• JavaScript reduces the number of requests to the server.
• It is compatible with other programming languages.
• It is faster and lighter than other languages.