Introduction to JavaScript - its core features and attributes

Table of contents

JavaScript is a programming language that is a core component of many web browsers. It has also been used to create a wide variety of other programs, including games, adverts and online store software. JavaScript originated from the need for a simpler programming language that was less prone to errors than more complex languages such as Java or C++.

JavaScript is often used on webpages, where it is commonly referred to as HTML scripting or client-side scripting. As well as implementing the instructions for actions and events triggered by mouse clicks, JavaScript can also be used on the server side with Node.js in order to give many different users simultaneous access to data in real time without any conflict arising between them.

JavaScript is the most popular programming language in the world. It's dynamic and can be used for both backend and frontend. It is a structured, powerful static language that has been standardized by Ecma International as ECMAScript.

JavaScript was created by Brendan Eich in 1995 as part of a project originally called Mocha, but it was renamed LiveScript before it was released in December 1995. LiveScript was renamed JavaScript so that the language wouldn't be confused with Java syntax.

The popularity of JavaScript has grown exponentially over the past few years and there are many reasons for this growth: frameworks like ReactJS and Angular, new ES7 features like Promises, modules like Webpack, and more tools to make applications interactive on every device possible to reach consumers.

Features of JavaScript

1. Lightweight

JavaScript (JS) is a lightweight, interpreted, or just-in-time compiled programming language with first-class functions. While it is most well-known as the scripting language for Web pages, many non-browser environments also use it, such as Node.js, Apache CouchDB and Adobe Acrobat.

2. Object-Centered Script Language

Object Centered Language features built in the object as Java Script has a window object. Some Common Examples of Object Centered languages are Java Script and Visual Basic etc. The object-centered languages are mostly used for features like Polymorphism which is a quality of taking an object in many forms.

3. Handling Dates and Time

JavaScript, unlike other scripting languages, comes with built-in methods to calculate the location/place. As a result, coding simply utilizing these techniques is incredibly simple.

Using the Date() method returns the full date and time zone.

4. Validation of User’s Input

JavaScript does what is called validation, it allows users to interact with client through filling forms through web pages. This help to in get correct details from user input. For instance, a field for collecting user phone can't accept alphabet. JavaScript checks if it's in correct form before allowing you to submit it.

5. Case Sensitive Format

The codes written in Java Script are Case Sensitive which explains that language keywords, variables, functions names, and any other identifiers must always be typed with a consistent capitalization of letters.

For instance, the variables firstName and firstname below are not the same, since they don't have the same capitalization, therefore results to an error.

let firstName = "John"
let lastName = "Doe"

console.log(firstname + lastName)

Output

Exception: ReferenceError: firstname is not defined
@Scratchpad/1:4:1
*/

6. Looping

The statement looping is used to perform the same operations repeatedly. In this operation the same set of code run in repeat manner for a specific or unspecific set of time.

7. Conditional statement

Conditional statements control behavior in JavaScript and determine whether or not pieces of code can run. There are multiple conditional statements in JavaScript.

8. Handling Events

The JavaScript has the ability to control operations updated on servers. This is basically controlling the response on the website when the user tries to perform any operation the server handled by the client like clicking on links and options, interaction response over the website, etc.

  1. Producing HTML Content JavaScript offers several extremely useful features for creating online content programmatically. After an event, we can add content, links, photos, tables, etc.