JavaScript is a cross-platform, object-oriented scripting language. It
is a small and lightweight language. Inside a host environment (for
example, a web browser), JavaScript can be connected to the objects of
its environment to provide programmatic control over them.
JavaScript contains a standard library of objects, such as Array, Date,
and Math, and a core set of language elements such as operators, control
structures, and statements. Core JavaScript can be extended for a
variety of purposes by supplementing it with additional objects; for
example:
-
Client-side JavaScript extends the core language by supplying objects
to control a browser and its Document Object Model (DOM). For example,
client-side extensions allow an application to place elements on an
HTML form and respond to user events such as mouse clicks, form input,
and page navigation.
-
Server-side JavaScript extends the core language by supplying objects
relevant to running JavaScript on a server. For example, server-side
extensions allow an application to communicate with a database,
provide continuity of information from one invocation to another of
the application, or perform file manipulations on a server.
What you should already know
This guide assumes you have the following basic background:
-
A general understanding of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW).
- Good working knowledge of HyperText Markup Language (HTML).
-
Some programming experience. If you are new to programming, try one of
the tutorials linked on the main page about JavaScript.
JavaScript and Java are similar in some ways but fundamentally different
in some others. The JavaScript language resembles Java but does not have
Java's static typing and strong type checking. JavaScript follows most
Java expression syntax, naming conventions and basic control-flow
constructs which was the reason why it was renamed from LiveScript to
JavaScript.
In contrast to Java's compile-time system of classes built by
declarations, JavaScript supports a runtime system based on a small
number of data types representing numeric, Boolean, and string values.
JavaScript has a prototype-based object model instead of the more common
class-based object model. The prototype-based model provides dynamic
inheritance; that is, what is inherited can vary for individual objects.
JavaScript also supports functions without any special declarative
requirements. Functions can be properties of objects, executing as
loosely typed methods.
JavaScript is a very free-form language compared to Java. You do not
have to declare all variables, classes, and methods. You do not have to
be concerned with whether methods are public, private, or protected, and
you do not have to implement interfaces. Variables, parameters, and
function return types are not explicitly typed.
You use variables as symbolic names for values in your application. The
names of variables, called identifiers, conform to certain rules.
A JavaScript identifier must start with a letter, underscore (_), or
dollar sign ($); subsequent characters can also be digits (0-9). Because
JavaScript is case sensitive, letters include the characters "A" through
"Z" (uppercase) and the characters "a" through "z" (lowercase).
You can use ISO 8859-1 or Unicode letters such as å and ü in identifiers.
You can also use the Unicode escape sequences as characters in
identifiers. Some examples of legal names are Number_hits, temp99, and
_name.
You can declare a variable in three ways:
With the keyword var. For example, var x = 42. This syntax
can be used to declare both local and global variables.
By simply assigning it a value. For example, x = 42. This
always declares a global variable. It generates a strict JavaScript
warning. You shouldn't use this variant.
With the keyword let. For example, let y = 13. This syntax
can be used to declare a block scope local variable. See Variable scope
below.
When you declare a variable outside of any function, it is called a
global variable, because it is available to any other code in the
current document. When you declare a variable within a function, it is
called a local variable, because it is available only within that
function.
JavaScript before ECMAScript 2015 does not have block statement scope;
rather, a variable declared within a block is local to the function (or
global scope) that the block resides within. For example the following
code will log 5, because the scope of x is the function (or global
context) within which x is declared, not the block, which in this case
is an if statement.
if (true) {
var x = 5;
}
console.log(x); // 5
This behavior changes, when using the let declaration introduced in
ECMAScript 2015.
if (true) { let y = 5; }
console.log(y); // ReferenceError: y is not defined
Global variables are in fact properties of the global object. In web
pages the global object is window, so you can set and access global
variables using the window.variable syntax.
Consequently, you can access global variables declared in one window or
frame from another window or frame by specifying the window or frame
name. For example, if a variable called phoneNumber is declared in a
document, you can refer to this variable from an iframe as
parent.phoneNumber.
You can create a read-only, named constant with the const keyword. The
syntax of a constant identifier is the same as for a variable
identifier: it must start with a letter, underscore or dollar sign and
can contain alphabetic, numeric, or underscore characters.
const PI = 3.14;
A constant cannot change value through assignment or be re-declared
while the script is running. It has to be initialized to a value.
The scope rules for constants are the same as those for let block scope
variables. If the const keyword is omitted, the identifier is assumed to
represent a variable.
You cannot declare a constant with the same name as a function or
variable in the same scope. For example:
// THIS WILL CAUSE AN ERROR
function f() {};
const f = 5;
// THIS WILL CAUSE AN ERROR ALSO
function f() {
const g = 5;
var g;
//statements
}
However, object attributes are not protected, so the following statement
is executed without problems.
const MY_OBJECT = {"key": "value"};
MY_OBJECT.key = "otherValue";
The latest ECMAScript standard defines seven data types:
Although these data types are a relatively small amount, they enable you
to perform useful functions with your applications. Objects and functions
are the other fundamental elements in the language. You can think of
objects as named containers for values, and functions as procedures that
your application can perform.
Use the if statement to execute a statement if a logical condition is
true. Use the optional else clause to execute a statement if the condition
is false. An if statement looks as follows:
if (condition) {
statement_1;
} else {
statement_2;
}
condition can be any expression that evaluates to true or false. See
Boolean for an explanation of what evaluates to true and false. If
condition evaluates to true, statement_1 is executed; otherwise,
statement_2 is executed. statement_1 and statement_2 can be any statement,
including further nested if statements.
You may also compound the statements using else if to have multiple
conditions tested in sequence, as follows:
if (condition_1) {
statement_1;
} else if (condition_2) {
statement_2;
} else if (condition_n) {
statement_n;
} else {
statement_last;
}
In the case of multiple conditions only the first logical condition which
evaluates to true will be executed. To execute multiple statements, group
them within a block statement ({ ... }) . In general, it's good practice
to always use block statements, especially when nesting if statements:
if (condition) {
statement_1_runs_if_condition_is_true;
statement_2_runs_if_condition_is_true;
} else {
statement_3_runs_if_condition_is_false;
statement_4_runs_if_condition_is_false;
}
It is advisable to not use simple assignments in a conditional expression,
because the assignment can be confused with equality when glancing over
the code. For example, do not use the following code:
if (x = y) {
/* statements here */
}
If you need to use an
assignment in a conditional expression, a common practice is to put
additional parentheses around the assignment. For example:
if ((x = y)) {
/* statements here */
}
A while statement executes its statements as long as a specified condition
evaluates to true. A while statement looks as follows:
while (condition)
statement
If the condition becomes false,
statement within the loop stops executing and control passes to the
statement following the loop.
The condition test occurs before statement in the loop is executed. If
the condition returns true, statement is executed and the condition is
tested again. If the condition returns false, execution stops and
control is passed to the statement following while.
To execute multiple statements, use a block statement ({ ... }) to group
those statements.
Example:
The following while loop iterates as long as n is less than three:
var n = 0;
var x = 0;
while (n < 3) {
n++;
x += n;
}
With each iteration, the loop increments n and adds that value to x.
Therefore, x and n take on the following values:
- After the first pass: n = 1 and x = 1
- After the second pass: n = 2 and x = 3
- After the third pass: n = 3 and x = 6
After completing the third pass, the condition n < 3 is no longer
true, so the loop terminates.
A function definition (also called a function declaration, or function
statement) consists of the function keyword, followed by:
- The name of the function.
-
A list of arguments to the function, enclosed in parentheses and
separated by commas.
-
The JavaScript statements that define the function, enclosed in curly
brackets, { }.
For example, the following code defines a simple function named square:
function square(number) {
return number * number;
}
The function square takes one argument, called number. The function
consists of one statement that says to return the argument of the
function (that is, number) multiplied by itself. The return statement
specifies the value returned by the function.
return number * number;
Primitive parameters (such as a number) are passed to functions by
value; the value is passed to the function, but if the function changes
the value of the parameter, this change is not reflected globally or in
the calling function.