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What Exactly Is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a programming language used to make web pages interactive. It runs on your visitor's computer and doesn't require constant downloads from your website. JavaScript is often used to create polls and quizzes.

What Do I Need to Run JavaScript?:

JavaScript support is built right into all the major web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. Provided that the visitors to your site are using web browsers that support JavaScript (most do) and have JavaScript enabled (it is by default), then your JavaScript will run when they visit the page.

Introduction to JavaScript

JavaScript is used in millions of Web pages to improve the design, validate forms, detect browsers, create cookies, and much more.

JavaScript is the most popular scripting language on the internet, and works in all major browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera.

What You Should Already Know

Before you continue you should have a basic understanding of the following:

HTML / XHTML

Must read!!
Learn all about html here

What is JavaScript?

JavaScript was designed to add interactivity to HTML pagesJavaScript is a scripting languageA scripting language is a lightweight programming languageJavaScript is usually embedded directly into HTML pagesJavaScript is an interpreted language (means that scripts execute without preliminary compilation)Everyone can use JavaScript without purchasing a license

Are Java and JavaScript the Same?

NO!

Java and JavaScript are two completely different languages in both concept and design!

Java (developed by Sun Microsystems) is a powerful and much more complex programming language - in the same category as C and C++.

What can a JavaScript Do?

JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool - HTML authors are normally not programmers, but JavaScript is a scripting language with a very simple syntax! Almost anyone can put small "snippets" of code into their HTML pagesJavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page - A JavaScript statement like this: document.write("<h1>" + name + "</h1>") can write a variable text into an HTML pageJavaScript can react to events - A JavaScript can be set to execute when something happens, like when a page has finished loading or when a user clicks on an HTML elementJavaScript can read and write HTML elements - A JavaScript can read and change the content of an HTML elementJavaScript can be used to validate data - A JavaScript can be used to validate form data before it is submitted to a server. This saves the server from extra processingJavaScript can be used to detect the visitor's browser - A JavaScript can be used to detect the visitor's browser, and - depending on the browser - load another page specifically designed for that browserJavaScript can be used to create cookies - A JavaScript can be used to store and retrieve information on the visitor's computer

The Real Name is ECMAScript

JavaScript's official name is "ECMAScript". The standard is developed and maintained by the ECMA organisation.

ECMA-262 is the official JavaScript standard. The standard is based on JavaScript (Netscape) and JScript (Microsoft).

The language was invented by Brendan Eich at Netscape (with Navigator 2.0), and has appeared in all Netscape and Microsoft browsers since 1996.

The development of ECMA-262 started in 1996, and the first edition of was adopted by the ECMA General Assembly in June 1997.

The standard was approved as an international ISO (ISO/IEC 16262) standard in 1998.

The development of the standard is still in progress.

JavaScript How To

The HTML <script> tag is used to insert a JavaScript into an HTML page.

How to Put a JavaScript Into an HTML Page

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">document.write("Hello World!");</script></body></html>

The code above will produce this output on an HTML page:

Hello World!

Example Explained

To insert a JavaScript into an HTML page, we use the <script> tag. Inside the <script> tag we use the type attribute to define the scripting language.

So, the <script type="text/javascript"> and </script> tells where the JavaScript starts and ends:

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">...</script></body></html>

The word document.write is a standard JavaScript command for writing output to a page.

By entering the document.write command between the <script> and </script> tags, the browser will recognize it as a JavaScript command and execute the code line. In this case the browser will write Hello World! to the page:

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">document.write("Hello World!");</script></body></html>

Try it yourself.

Note: If we had not entered the <script> tag, the browser would have treated the document.write("Hello World!") command as pure text, and just write the entire line on the page.

Try it yourself.

HTML Comments to Handle Simple Browsers

Browsers that do not support JavaScript will display JavaScript as page content.

To prevent them from doing this, and as a part of the JavaScript standard, the HTML comment tag can be used to "hide" the JavaScript. Just add an HTML comment tag  (end of comment) after the last JavaScript statement.

<html><body><script type="text/javascript"></script></body></html>

The two forward slashes at the end of comment line (//) is the JavaScript comment symbol. This prevents JavaScript from executing the --> tag.

JavaScript Where To

JavaScripts in the body section will be executed WHILE the page loads.

JavaScripts in the head section will be executed when CALLED.

Where to Put the JavaScript

JavaScripts in a page will be executed immediately while the page loads into the browser. This is not always what we want. Sometimes we want to execute a script when a page loads, other times when a user triggers an event.

Scripts in the head section: Scripts to be executed when they are called, or when an event is triggered, go in the head section. When you place a script in the head section, you will ensure that the script is loaded before anyone uses it.

<html>

<head>

<script type="text/javascript">

....

</script>

</head>

Scripts in the body section: Scripts to be executed when the page loads go in the body section. When you place a script in the body section it generates the content of the page.

<html>

<head>

</head>

<body>

<script type="text/javascript">

....

</script>

</body>

Scripts in both the body and the head section: You can place an unlimited number of scripts in your document, so you can have scripts in both the body and the head section.

<html>

<head>

<script type="text/javascript">

....

</script>

</head>

<body>

<script type="text/javascript">

....

</script>

</body>

Using an External JavaScript

Sometimes you might want to run the same JavaScript on several pages, without having to write the same script on every page.

To simplify this, you can write a JavaScript in an external file. Save the external JavaScript file with a .js file extension.

Note: The external script cannot contain the <script> tag!

To use the external script, point to the .js file in the "src" attribute of the <script> tag:

<html>

<head>

<script type="text/javascript" src="xxx.js"></script>

</head>

<body>

</body>

</html>

Note: Remember to place the script exactly where you normally would write the script!

JavaScript Statements

JavaScript is a sequence of statements to be executed by the browser.

JavaScript is Case Sensitive

Unlike HTML, JavaScript is case sensitive - therefore watch your capitalization closely when you write JavaScript statements, create or call variables, objects and functions.

JavaScript Statements

A JavaScript statement is a command to the browser. The purpose of the command is to tell the browser what to do.

This JavaScript statement tells the browser to write "Hello Dolly" to the web page:

document.write("Hello Dolly");

It is normal to add a semicolon at the end of each executable statement. Most people think this is a good programming practice, and most often you will see this in JavaScript examples on the web.

The semicolon is optional (according to the JavaScript standard), and the browser is supposed to interpret the end of the line as the end of the statement. Because of this you will often see examples without the semicolon at the end.

Note: Using semicolons makes it possible to write multiple statements on one line.

JavaScript Code

JavaScript code (or just JavaScript) is a sequence of JavaScript statements.

Each statement is executed by the browser in the sequence they are written.

This example will write a header and two paragraphs to a web page:

<script type="text/javascript">

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

</script>

Try it yourself.

JavaScript Blocks

JavaScript statements can be grouped together in blocks.

Blocks start with a left curly bracket {, and ends with a right curly bracket }.

The purpose of a block is to make the sequence of statements execute together.

This example will write a header and two paragraphs to a web page:

<script type="text/javascript">

{

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

}

</script>

Try it yourself.

The example above is not very useful. It just demonstrates the use of a block. Normally a block is used to group statements together in a function or in a condition (where a group of statements should be executed if a condition is met).

You will learn more about functions and conditions in later chapters.

JavaScript Comments

JavaScript comments can be used to make the code more readable.

JavaScript Comments

Comments can be added to explain the JavaScript, or to make it more readable.

Single line comments start with //.

This example uses single line comments to explain the code:

<script type="text/javascript">

// This will write a header:

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

// This will write two paragraphs:

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

</script>

Try it yourself.

JavaScript Multi-Line Comments

Multi line comments start with /* and end with */.

This example uses a multi line comment to explain the code:

<script type="text/javascript">

/*

The code below will write

one header and two paragraphs

*/

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

</script>

Try it yourself.

Using Comments to Prevent Execution

In this example the comment is used to prevent the execution of a single code line:

<script type="text/javascript">

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

//document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

</script>

Try it yourself.

In this example the comments is used to prevent the execution of multiple code lines:

<script type="text/javascript">

/*

document.write("<h1>This is a header</h1>");

document.write("<p>This is a paragraph</p>");

document.write("<p>This is another paragraph</p>");

*/

</script>

Try it yourself.

Using Comments at the End of a Line

In this example the comment is placed at the end of a line:

<script type="text/javascript">

document.write("Hello"); // This will write "Hello"

document.write("Dolly"); // This will write "Dolly"

</script>

JavaScript Variables

Variables are "containers" for storing information.

Do You Remember Algebra From School?

Do you remember algebra from school? x=5, y=6, z=x+y

Do you remember that a letter (like x) could be used to hold a value (like 5), and that you could use the information above to calculate the value of z to be 11?

These letters are called variables, and variables can be used to hold values (x=5) or expressions (z=x+y).

JavaScript Variables

As with algebra, JavaScript variables are used to hold values or expressions.

A variable can have a short name, like x, or a more descriptive name, like carname.

Rules for JavaScript variable names:

Variable names are case sensitive (y and Y are two different variables)Variable names must begin with a letter or the underscore character

Note: Because JavaScript is case-sensitive, variable names are case-sensitive.

Example

A variable's value can change during the execution of a script. You can refer to a variable by its name to display or change its value.

This example will show you how

Declaring (Creating) JavaScript Variables

Creating variables in JavaScript is most often referred to as "declaring" variables.

You can declare JavaScript variables with the var statement:

var x;

var carname;

After the declaration shown above, the variables are empty (they have no values yet).

However, you can also assign values to the variables when you declare them:

var x=5;

var carname="Volvo";

After the execution of the statements above, the variable x will hold the value 5, and carname will hold the value Volvo.

Note: When you assign a text value to a variable, use quotes around the value.

Assigning Values to Undeclared JavaScript Variables

If you assign values to variables that have not yet been declared, the variables will automatically be declared.

These statements:

x=5;

carname="Volvo";

have the same effect as:

var x=5;

var carname="Volvo";

Redeclaring JavaScript Variables

If you redeclare a JavaScript variable, it will not lose its original value.

var x=5;

var x;

After the execution of the statements above, the variable x will still have the value of 5. The value of x is not reset (or cleared) when you redeclare it.

JavaScript Arithmetic

As with algebra, you can do arithmetic operations with JavaScript variables:

y=x-5;

z=y+5;

JavaScript Operators

The operator = is used to assign values.

The operator + is used to add values.

The assignment operator = is used to assign values to JavaScript variables.

The arithmetic operator + is used to add values together.

y=5;

z=2;

x=y+z;

The value of x, after the execution of the statements above is 7.

JavaScript Arithmetic Operators

Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic between variables and/or values.

Given that y=5, the table below explains the arithmetic operators:

Operator

Description

Example

Result

+

Addition

x=y+2

x=7

-

Subtraction

x=y-2

x=3

*

Multiplication

x=y*2

x=10

/

Division

x=y/2

x=2.5

%

Modulus (division remainder)

x=y%2

x=1

++

Increment

x=++y

x=6

--

Decrement

x=--y

x=4

JavaScript Assignment Operators

Assignment operators are used to assign values to JavaScript variables.

Given that x=10 and y=5, the table below explains the assignment operators:

Operator

Example

Same As

Result

=

x=y

x=5

+=

x+=y

x=x+y

x=15

-=

x-=y

x=x-y

x=5

*=

x*=y

x=x*y

x=50

/=

x/=y

x=x/y

x=2

%=

x%=y

x=x%y

x=0

The + Operator Used on Strings

The + operator can also be used to add string variables or text values together.

To add two or more string variables together, use the + operator.

txt1="What a very";

txt2="nice day";

txt3=txt1+txt2;

After the execution of the statements above, the variable txt3 contains "What a verynice day".

To add a space between the two strings, insert a space into one of the strings:

txt1="What a very ";

txt2="nice day";

txt3=txt1+txt2;

or insert a space into the expression:

txt1="What a very";

txt2="nice day";

txt3=txt1+" "+txt2;

After the execution of the statements above, the variable txt3 contains:

"What a very nice day"

Adding Strings and Numbers

Look at these examples:

x=5+5;

document.write(x);

x="5"+"5";

document.write(x);

x=5+"5";

document.write(x);

x="5"+5;

document.write(x);

Try it yourself.

The rule is:

If you add a number and a string, the result will be a string.

JavaScript Comparison and Logical Operators

Comparison and Logical operators are used to test for true or false.

Comparison Operators

Comparison operators are used in logical statements to determine equality or difference between variables or values.

Given that x=5, the table below explains the comparison operators:

Operator

Description

Example

==

is equal to

x==8 is false

===

is exactly equal to (value and type)

x===5 is true
x==="5" is false

!=

is not equal

x!=8 is true

>

is greater than

x>8 is false

<

is less than

x<8 is true

>=

is greater than or equal to

x>=8 is false

<=

is less than or equal to

x<=8 is true

How Can it be Used

Comparison operators can be used in conditional statements to compare values and take action depending on the result:

if (age<18) document.write("Too young");

You will learn more about the use of conditional statements in the next chapter of this tutorial.

Logical Operators

Logical operators are used to determine the logic between variables or values.

Given that x=6 and y=3, the table below explains the logical operators:

Operator

Description

Example

&&

and

(x < 10 && y > 1) is true

||

or

(x==5 || y==5) is false

!

not

!(x==y) is true

Conditional Operator

JavaScript also contains a conditional operator that assigns a value to a variable based on some condition.

Syntax

variablename=(condition)?value1:value2

Example

greeting=(visitor=="PRES")?"Dear President ":"Dear ";

If the variable visitor has the value of "PRES", then the variable greeting will be assigned the value "Dear President " else it will be assigned "Dear".

JavaScript If...Else Statements

Conditional statements in JavaScript are used to perform different actions based on different conditions.

Conditional Statements

Very often when you write code, you want to perform different actions for different decisions. You can use conditional statements in your code to do this.

In JavaScript we have the following conditional statements:

if statement - use this statement if you want to execute some code only if a specified condition is trueif...else statement - use this statement if you want to execute some code if the condition is true and another code if the condition is falseif...else if....else statement - use this statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to be executedswitch statement - use this statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to be executed

If Statement

You should use the if statement if you want to execute some code only if a specified condition is true.

Syntax

if (condition){code to be executed if condition is true}

Note that if is written in lowercase letters. Using uppercase letters (IF) will generate a JavaScript error!

Example 1

<script type="text/javascript">//Write a "Good morning" greeting if//the time is less than 10var d=new Date();var time=d.getHours(); if (time<10) {document.write("<b>Good morning</b>");}</script>

Example 2

<script type="text/javascript">//Write "Lunch-time!" if the time is 11var d=new Date();var time=d.getHours(); if (time==11) {document.write("<b>Lunch-time!</b>");}</script>

Note: When comparing variables you must always use two equals signs next to each other (==)!

Notice that there is no ..else.. in this syntax. You just tell the code to execute some code only if the specified condition is true.

If...else Statement

If you want to execute some code if a condition is true and another code if the condition is not true, use the if....else statement.

Syntax

if (condition){code to be executed if condition is true}else{code to be executed if condition is not true}

Example

<script type="text/javascript">//If the time is less than 10,//you will get a "Good morning" greeting.//Otherwise you will get a "Good day" greeting.var d = new Date();var time = d.getHours(); if (time < 10) {document.write("Good morning!");}else{document.write("Good day!");}</script>

If...else if...else Statement

You should use the if....else if...else statement if you want to select one of many sets of lines to execute.

Syntax

if (condition1){code to be executed if condition1 is true}else if (condition2){code to be executed if condition2 is true}else{code to be executed if condition1 andcondition2 are not true}

Example

<script type="text/javascript">var d = new Date()var time = d.getHours()if (time<10){document.write("<b>Good morning</b>");}else if (time>10 && time<16){document.write("<b>Good day</b>");}else{document.write("<b>Hello World!</b>");}</script>

JavaScript Switch Statement

Conditional statements in JavaScript are used to perform different actions based on different conditions.

The JavaScript Switch Statement

You should use the switch statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to be executed.

Syntax

switch(n){case 1: execute code block 1 break; case 2: execute code block 2 break;default: code to be executed if n is different from case 1 and 2}

This is how it works: First we have a single expression n (most often a variable), that is evaluated once. The value of the expression is then compared with the values for each case in the structure. If there is a match, the block of code associated with that case is executed. Use break to prevent the code from running into the next case automatically.

Example

<script type="text/javascript">//You will receive a different greeting based//on what day it is. Note that Sunday=0,//Monday=1, Tuesday=2, etc.var d=new Date();theDay=d.getDay();switch (theDay){case 5: document.write("Finally Friday"); break;case 6: document.write("Super Saturday"); break;case 0: document.write("Sleepy Sunday"); break;default: document.write("I'm looking forward to this weekend!");}</script>

JavaScript Popup Boxes

In JavaScript we can create three kinds of popup boxes: Alert box, Confirm box, and Prompt box.

Alert Box

An alert box is often used if you want to make sure information comes through to the user.

When an alert box pops up, the user will have to click "OK" to proceed.

Syntax:

alert("sometext");

Confirm Box

A confirm box is often used if you want the user to verify or accept something.

When a confirm box pops up, the user will have to click either "OK" or "Cancel" to proceed.

If the user clicks "OK", the box returns true. If the user clicks "Cancel", the box returns false.

Syntax:

confirm("sometext");

Prompt Box

A prompt box is often used if you want the user to input a value before entering a page.

When a prompt box pops up, the user will have to click either "OK" or "Cancel" to proceed after entering an input value.

If the user clicks "OK" the box returns the input value. If the user clicks "Cancel" the box returns null.

Syntax:

prompt("sometext","defaultvalue");

JavaScript Functions

A function is a reusable code-block that will be executed by an event, or when the function is called.

JavaScript Functions

To keep the browser from executing a script when the page loads, you can put your script into a function.

A function contains code that will be executed by an event or by a call to that function.

You may call a function from anywhere within the page (or even from other pages if the function is embedded in an external .js file).

Functions can be defined both in the <head> and in the <body> section of a document. However, to assure that the function is read/loaded by the browser before it is called, it could be wise to put it in the <head> section.

Example

<html><head><script type="text/javascript">function displaymessage(){alert("Hello World!");}</script></head><body><form><input type="button" value="Click me!"onclick="displaymessage()" ></form></body></html>

If the line: alert("Hello world!!") in the example above had not been put within a function, it would have been executed as soon as the line was loaded. Now, the script is not executed before the user hits the button. We have added an onClick event to the button that will execute the function displaymessage() when the button is clicked.

You will learn more about JavaScript events in the JS Events chapter.

How to Define a Function

The syntax for creating a function is:

function functionname(var1,var2,...,varX){some code}

var1, var2, etc are variables or values passed into the function. The { and the } defines the start and end of the function.

Note: A function with no parameters must include the parentheses () after the function name:

function functionname(){some code}

Note: Do not forget about the importance of capitals in JavaScript! The word function must be written in lowercase letters, otherwise a JavaScript error occurs! Also note that you must call a function with the exact same capitals as in the function name.

The return Statement

The return statement is used to specify the value that is returned from the function.

So, functions that are going to return a value must use the return statement.

Example

The function below should return the product of two numbers (a and b):

function prod(a,b){x=a*b;return x;}

When you call the function above, you must pass along two parameters:

product=prod(2,3);

The returned value from the prod() function is 6, and it will be stored in the variable called product.

The Lifetime of JavaScript Variables

When you declare a variable within a function, the variable can only be accessed within that function. When you exit the function, the variable is destroyed. These variables are called local variables. You can have local variables with the same name in different functions, because each is recognized only by the function in which it is declared.

If you declare a variable outside a function, all the functions on your page can access it. The lifetime of these variables starts when they are declared, and ends when the page is closed.

JavaScript For Loop

Loops in JavaScript are used to execute the same block of code a specified number of times or while a specified condition is true.

JavaScript Loops

Very often when you write code, you want the same block of code to run over and over again in a row. Instead of adding several almost equal lines in a script we can use loops to perform a task like this.

In JavaScript there are two different kind of loops:

for - loops through a block of code a specified number of timeswhile - loops through a block of code while a specified condition is true

The for Loop

The for loop is used when you know in advance how many times the script should run.

Syntax

for (var=startvalue;var<=endvalue;var=var+increment)

{

code to be executed

}

Example

Explanation: The example below defines a loop that starts with i=0. The loop will continue to run as long as i is less than, or equal to 10. i will increase by 1 each time the loop runs.

Note: The increment parameter could also be negative, and the <= could be any comparing statement.

<html>

<body>

<script type="text/javascript">

var i=0;

for (i=0;i<=10;i++)

{

document.write("The number is " + i);

document.write("<br />");

}

</script>

</body>

</html>

Result

The number is 0

The number is 1

The number is 2

The number is 3

The number is 4

The number is 5

The number is 6

The number is 7

The number is 8

The number is 9

The number is 10

JavaScript While Loop

Loops in JavaScript are used to execute the same block of code a specified number of times or while a specified condition is true.

The while loop

The while loop is used when you want the loop to execute and continue executing while the specified condition is true.

while (var<=endvalue)

{

code to be executed

}

Note: The <= could be any comparing statement.

Example

Explanation: The example below defines a loop that starts with i=0. The loop will continue to run as long as i is less than, or equal to 10. i will increase by 1 each time the loop runs.

<html>

<body>

<script type="text/javascript">

var i=0;

while (i<=10)

{

document.write("The number is " + i);

document.write("<br />");

i=i+1;

}

</script>

</body>

</html>

Result

The number is 0

The number is 1

The number is 2

The number is 3

The number is 4

The number is 5

The number is 6

The number is 7

The number is 8

The number is 9

The number is 10

The do...while Loop

The do...while loop is a variant of the while loop. This loop will always execute a block of code ONCE, and then it will repeat the loop as long as the specified condition is true. This loop will always be executed at least once, even if the condition is false, because the code is executed before the condition is tested.

do

{

code to be executed

}

while (var<=endvalue);

Example

<html>

<body>

<script type="text/javascript">

var i=0;

do

{

document.write("The number is " + i);

document.write("<br />");

i=i+1;

}

while (i<0);

</script>

</body>

</html>

Result

The number is 0

JavaScript Break and Continue

There are two special statements that can be used inside loops: break and continue.

JavaScript break and continue Statements

There are two special statements that can be used inside loops: break and continue.

Break

The break command will break the loop and continue executing the code that follows after the loop (if any).

Example

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">var i=0;for (i=0;i<=10;i++){if (i==3){break;}document.write("The number is " + i);document.write("<br />");}</script></body></html>

Result

The number is 0The number is 1The number is 2

Continue

The continue command will break the current loop and continue with the next value.

Example

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">var i=0for (i=0;i<=10;i++){if (i==3){continue;}document.write("The number is " + i);document.write("<br />");}</script></body></html>

Result

The number is 0The number is 1The number is 2The number is 4The number is 5The number is 6The number is 7The number is 8The number is 9The number is 10

JavaScript For...In Statement

The for...in statement is used to loop (iterate) through the elements of an array or through the properties of an object.

JavaScript For...In Statement

The for...in statement is used to loop (iterate) through the elements of an array or through the properties of an object.

The code in the body of the for ... in loop is executed once for each element/property.

Syntax

for (variable in object){ code to be executed}

The variable argument can be a named variable, an array element, or a property of an object.

Example

Using for...in to loop through an array:

<html><body><script type="text/javascript">var x;var mycars = new Array();mycars[0] = "Saab";mycars[1] = "Volvo";mycars[2] = "BMW"; for (x in mycars){document.write(mycars[x] + "<br />");}</script></body></html>

JavaScript Events

Events are actions that can be detected by JavaScript.

Events

By using JavaScript, we have the ability to create dynamic web pages. Events are actions that can be detected by JavaScript.

Every element on a web page has certain events which can trigger JavaScript functions. For example, we can use the onClick event of a button element to indicate that a function will run when a user clicks on the button. We define the events in the HTML tags.

Examples of events:

A mouse clickA web page or an image loadingMousing over a hot spot on the web pageSelecting an input box in an HTML formSubmitting an HTML formA keystroke

Note: Events are normally used in combination with functions, and the function will not be executed before the event occurs!

For a complete reference of the events recognized by JavaScript, go to our complete Event reference.

onload and onUnload

The onload and onUnload events are triggered when the user enters or leaves the page.

The onload event is often used to check the visitor's browser type and browser version, and load the proper version of the web page based on the information.

Both the onload and onUnload events are also often used to deal with cookies that should be set when a user enters or leaves a page. For example, you could have a popup asking for the user's name upon his first arrival to your page. The name is then stored in a cookie. Next time the visitor arrives at your page, you could have another popup saying something like: "Welcome John Doe!".

onFocus, onBlur and onChange

The onFocus, onBlur and onChange events are often used in combination with validation of form fields.

Below is an example of how to use the onChange event. The checkEmail() function will be called whenever the user changes the content of the field:

<input type="text" size="30"

id="email" onchange="checkEmail()">

onSubmit

The onSubmit event is used to validate ALL form fields before submitting it.

Below is an example of how to use the onSubmit event. The checkForm() function will be called when the user clicks the submit button in the form. If the field values are not accepted, the submit should be cancelled. The function checkForm() returns either true or false. If it returns true the form will be submitted, otherwise the submit will be cancelled:

<form method="post" action="xxx.htm"

onsubmit="return checkForm()">

onMouseOver and onMouseOut

onMouseOver and onMouseOut are often used to create "animated" buttons.

Below is an example of an onMouseOver event. An alert box appears when an onMouseOver event is detected:

<a href="http://www.w3schools.com"

onmouseover="alert('An onMouseOver event');return false">

<img src="w3schools.gif" width="100" height="30">

JavaScript Try...Catch Statement

The try...catch statement allows you to test a block of code for errors.

JavaScript - Catching Errors

When browsing Web pages on the internet, we all have seen a JavaScript alert box telling us there is a runtime error and asking "Do you wish to debug?". Error message like this may be useful for developers but not for users. When users see errors, they often leave the Web page.

This chapter will teach you how to trap and handle JavaScript error messages, so you don't lose your audience.

There are two ways of catching errors in a Web page:

By using the try...catch statement (available in IE5+, Mozilla 1.0, and Netscape 6)By using the onerror event. This is the old standard solution to catch errors (available since Netscape 3)

Try...Catch Statement

The try...catch statement allows you to test a block of code for errors. The try block contains the code to be run, and the catch block contains the code to be executed if an error occurs.

Syntax

try{//Run some code here}catch(err){//Handle errors here}

Note that try...catch is written in lowercase letters. Using uppercase letters will generate a JavaScript error!

Example 1

The example below contains a script that is supposed to display the message "Welcome guest!" when you click on a button. However, there's a typo in the message() function. alert() is misspelled as adddlert(). A JavaScript error occurs:

<html><head><script type="text/javascript">function message(){adddlert("Welcome guest!");}</script></head> <body><input type="button" value="View message" onclick="message()" /></body> </html>

To take more appropriate action when an error occurs, you can add a try...catch statement.

The example below contains the "Welcome guest!" example rewritten to use the try...catch statement. Since alert() is misspelled, a JavaScript error occurs. However, this time, the catch block catches the error and executes a custom code to handle it. The code displays a custom error message informing the user what happened:

<html><head><script type="text/javascript">var txt=""function message(){try { adddlert("Welcome guest!"); }catch(err) { txt="There was an error on this page.\n\n"; txt+="Error description: " + err.description + "\n\n"; txt+="Click OK to continue.\n\n"; alert(txt); }}</script></head> <body><input type="button" value="View message" onclick="message()" /></body> </html>

Example 2

The next example uses a confirm box to display a custom message telling users they can click OK to continue viewing the page or click Cancel to go to the homepage. If the confirm method returns false, the user clicked Cancel, and the code redirects the user. If the confirm method returns true, the code does nothing:

<html><head><script type="text/javascript">var txt=""function message(){try { adddlert("Welcome guest!"); }catch(err) { txt="There was an error on this page.\n\n"; txt+="Click OK to continue viewing this page,\n"; txt+="or Cancel to return to the home page.\n\n"; if(!confirm(txt)) { document.location.href="http://Www.wowfactor360.com.ng/"; } }}</script></head><body><input type="button" value="View message" onclick="message()" /></body></html>

JavaScript Guidelines

Some other important things to know when scripting with JavaScript.

JavaScript is Case Sensitive

A function named "myfunction" is not the same as "myFunction" and a variable named "myVar" is not the same as "myvar".

JavaScript is case sensitive - therefore watch your capitalization closely when you create or call variables, objects and functions.

White Space

JavaScript ignores extra spaces. You can add white space to your script to make it more readable. The following lines are equivalent:

name="Hege";

name = "Hege";

Break up a Code Line

You can break up a code line within a text string with a backslash. The example below will be displayed properly:

document.write("Hello \

World!");

However, you cannot break up a code line like this:

document.write \

("Hello World!");

Labels: Tech, what is javascript

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Wowfactor360

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

What is javascript? How to write javascript

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