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List of Names
Short Form
Full Form
-
JavaScript
- Language type:
- Description:
JavaScript is a loosely typed scripting
language with object-oriented and
block-structuring features. Invented by
Netscape Communications for adding
dynamic behavior to
web pages, JavaScript was originally
called 'LiveScript'.
The syntax of JavaScript is similar
to that of C or Java, but simpler
and not as rich.
Primitive data types include integers,
reals, strings, and a associative arrays.
Javascript is loosely typed, any variable
can contain data of any type, and conversion
is mostly automatic.
The language
definition includes extensive
facilities for controlling and manipulating
parts of web pages, especially HTML
forms.
Each version of Netscape Navigator has
brought a new version of JavaScript, and
later versions also include a complicated
security model for restricting the hostile
capabilities of scripts embedded in web
pages.
Microsoft web browser also support
Javascript, but under the name "JScript".
- Origin:
Netscape Communications Corp, 1994.
- See Also:
- Remarks:
JavaScript is intended to complement
Java, in some sense. It is interpreted
where Java is bytecode-compiled, it is
weakly typed where Java is strongly typed,
and it is tightly bound to HTML where
Java is very loosely bound.
There are a great many books available
about JavaScript programming; the best
books explain the differences between
the different versions. There are also
a large number of tutorials and introductions
on the web; try
this one.
Javascript may be superseded by a
standardized scripting language derived
from it: ECMAScript. ECMA standard
ECMA-262
documents this.
- Links:
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- Date:
- Sample code:
<script language=javascript>
sub chkrange(elem,minval,maxval) {
if (elem.value < minval ||
elem.value > maxval)
{
alert("Value of " + elem.name + " is out of range!");
}
}
</script>
<input type=button onclick="chkrange(myform.numitem,1,10);">
Descriptions in this dictionary are ©1997-99 Neal Ziring. Some
examples copyright of their respective authors. Some
technologies and languages are trademarked. Permission to
copy descriptions is granted as long as authorship credit is preserved.
Comments on this dictionary, corrections and suggestions, are all welcome.
Please use email, the address is ziring@home.com
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Dictionary and script maintained by Neal Ziring, last major modifications 3/18/98. Most recent
additions to dictionary and master list, 1/00.