JavaScript (AKA ECMAScript) is by far the most amazeballs programming language for the web. The fact that you can work with it both server-side and client-side is incredible and should excite developers.
Fast things to know:
- Netscape created JavaScript
- Microsoft created JScript (a clone of JavaScript)
- In 1996 in an effort to unify browsers the ECMAScript Language Specification was started and in 1997 the ECMAScript 1st standard was created
- Currently we are up to the 6th Edition
- JavaScript (JS) is an object-oriented programming language designed for browser interaction
- Has grown beyond the original purpose of a scripting language
The easiest way to play with JavaScript is by building a simple html file:
<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <title>JavaScript</title> </head> <body>Hivar hello = document.getElementById('hello').innerHTML='Hello World'; </body> </html>
The simple script above uses JavaScript to change “Hi” to “Hello World”.