blog posts

What is JavaScript? All about JavaScript and its applications

What is javascript? This a question that arises for many people who are eager to learn programming and web design. As you know, in the world of programming, as in the real world, we face many languages, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we are going to introduce you to one of the most popular languages in this field, Javascript. If you want to enter the world of programming with java script training and you want to know more about it and its applications and features, stay tuned for the rest of this article.

What is JavaScript language?

Javascript. also know as JS for short, is one of the most popular programming languages. Javascript is a high-level, dynamic, object oriented and interpretive language that supports a variety of programming methods. Server side programming, mobile applications, games and desktop applications can use this language. Javascript programming language is a versatile language.

If you are unfamiliar with any of these terms, do not worry, as we will explain each of them later. To better understand what javascript is, you first need to answer questions such as what is a compiler language and what is the difference between an interpreter language, what kind of server-side and user-side programming languages is? Know! Once you understand these concepts, you can start learning javascript.

As you know, computers only speak zero and one (Binary) language and do not understand another language. We first tried to communicate with machines in their own language, which is closer to zero and one. These types of languages that communicate directly with the processor are low level languages. One of these languages is assembly.

But learning and mastering these languages was extremely difficult for programmers. So the experts decided to build languages that were closer to human language. These languages are High Level languages. High level languages like javascript make it easier for programmers because their writing structure and logic are much closer to human language. So teaching javascript is easier than other low level programming language.

interpreter programming language

As you can see, in the definition of javascript programming language, it was that this language is a type of interpreting language. To understand the nature of interpreter programming languages, first think that you are a translator. There are no other two ways to translate a text. Either you have to translate what you receive line by line at the same time. or you have to translate the whole thing in one place. This is exactly the difference between an interpreter language and a compiled language.

What kind of languages are interpreter?

In interpreted languages, the source code is line by line, that is, after interpreting and executing the first line, it goes to the second line, which slows down the execution process. Unlike compiler languages, these languages are not dependent on the operating system because they run simultaneously through an interpreter.

What languages are compiler?

Let us explain a little more and more specialized about this. In compiled languages, all source code is compiled (translated) at once and executed completely. The output that the compiler gives you is a compiled file for your operating system that has no dependent on the operating system, and it is not possible to use compiled code on another operating system.

What does object orientation mean in JavaScript?

Object orientation is a pattern and way of thinking in programming. The object-oriented programming approach is part-to-whole or bottom-up (Bottom-up). That is, small units of the program are created first, and by connecting these small units to each other, larger units are formed, and thus the program becomes more complete. Object-oriented programming offers two concepts, Class and Object.

Object orientation in programming can solve many problems for you and make the coding process easier, Because the concepts of objectivism are so close to the real world, it will be easy for the programmer to understand. In object-orientation, unlike other coding methods, such as procedure, instead of dealing with a large number of variables and functions, you work directly with objects. To better understand this issue, it is better to explain this with an example.

Consider a workshop that has different production machines. This workshop is a class. Each of these devices produce a different product that are an object. If there is a problem with the products or if we want to change them, there is no need to demolish or rebuild the workshop.

For example, if the product is a cake, when we want to have a sweeter cake, we do not need to change the workshop or machines, just add a little sugar to the cake dough. This is exactly what happens in object-oriented programming.

What are the differences between server-side and user0side languages?

Some languages are processed and executed on the server (site) and then the result is sent to the user. These languages require software called a web server to communicate. But the interesting thing about javascript is that it is for both server-side and user-side programming. But in the past, the language was just a user-side programming. User-side programming language codes, as the name implies, are in the user’s system.

tip

Javascript is a high-level, interpretive language that supports object-orientation. This language is on the user-side. Of course, with the help of frameworks such as Node,JS and Express.JS, this language is for server-side language. If you want to know more about javascript frameworks, you can read the following article.

What is the use of JavaScript in the world of programming?

We mentioned earlier about the popularity of the javascript language. This popularity is not unreasonable because with this object-oriented language you will be able to enliven your inanimate sites and interact with your users. This means that you can display animation, audio and video files i your site. You can also set a timer on your site, change colors with the movement of the mouse, and many other things that make web pages more attractive.

But that’s not all that javascript gives you. You can use this language to start building web, mobile and desktop applications. for this purpose, you can use various javascript frameworks that provide you with a set of libraries. Another fun thing you can do with this language is to develop browser-based computer games. So in general, the applications of the javascript are in the following:

  • Front-End programming
  • Back-End programming
  • Mobile software programming
  • desktop software programming

How does JavaScript work?

Now that we learned what javascript is and what its uses are, you may be wondering how javascript runs in different browsers. The answer to this question is processing engines. Different browsers use different engines to execute javascript code, some of them are in the following:

  • V8 engine for opera and chrome browsers
  • SpiderMonkey engine for firefox
  • Trident and chakra engines for different versions of Internet Explorer
  • ChakrCore engine for Edge browser
  • Nitro and SquirrelFish engines foe safari browser

These engines first translate  javascript code. The scripts are then compiled into machine language to execute the code. Of course, this does not mean that the javascript language only runs on web browsers. This programming language can run on almost all platforms using the javascript virtual machine.

What is the history of JavaScript language?

Javascript was first born in May 1995 in 10 days by Brandon H., a Netscape employee. The company initially came to the conclusion that it needed more dynamic and attractive web pages. This was the first step towards building a simple language. Mr.Brandon H was commissioned by the company to create a scripting language for web pages and to manipulate HTML code. Mr. H’s mission was to provide a language that would just be for programming professionals, but also designers use it easily.

The company initially thought of upgrading and simplifying the schema language, but eventually came to the conclusion that it needed a language similar to Java but with a simpler syntax. Initially, the name of this programming language was Mocha, which was later became to Mona. In September of the same year, the name of this language became to LiveScript, and at the end of the series, the name change was completed by choosing the name JavaScript.

Choosing this name for this language was very smart. Because at that time, by choosing this name, this language was able to occupy a large share of Java market. However, in 1996, javascript submitted to ECMA for standardization. Finally, the first javascript standard, ECMAScript, was released in 1997. The first ECMA-262 ECMA script and its latest version, ECMAScript 2017 has came in June 2017.

What are the strengths of the JavaScript language?

Each of the languages used in the world of programming has its strengths and weaknesses and the javascript language is no exception. This language is very popular among programmers due to its many advantages, some of which we will mention briefly:

  • According to the stackoverflow site, it is the most popular programming language of 2018.
  • Javascript is easier to learn than many other programming languages.
  • Runs cross-platform on different browsers pr platforms.
  • It is lighter and faster than other programming languages.
  • It provides many frameworks, libraries, and tools in general.
  • The native language is a web browser and is processed in the user’s browser.
  • Allows developers to create interactive and dynamic web pages.
  • Responds to user action.

What are the weaknesses of the JavaScript programming language?

Some of the weaknesses of this programming languages are:

  • Difficulty in identifying the cause of the error and difficulty in debugging
  • Restrictions on the execution of javascript by creating restrictions to protect the security of older browsers permeability to exploits and destructive factors.
  • Can be used to execute malicious code on user’s computers
  • Rendering differently on different tools can cause inconsistencies and inconsistencies.