What is Javascript?

Posted on: 02 May, 2009

JavaScript is a programming language that is commonly used to create effects and enhanced interactions on websites. Although all modern browsers support JavaScript, they also make it possible to turn JavaScript off manually should the user wish to do so.

Older browsers and some other web capable devices (like some mobile phones) do not support JavaScript at all. It is therefore advisable to use JavaScript in a sparing manner, adding extra visual or behavioural value to web pages that will still work when JavaScript is not present. When used in this way JavaScript is an extremely powerful and useful tool, this approach is sometimes called unobtrusive JavaScript. Unfortunately most implementations of JavaScript are not carried out in this manner and the results are often inaccessible at best, and at worst will render a page completely useless without JavaScript activated.

In recent years lots of tools that make writing JavaScript easier have been developed. These tools are often called “JavaScript Libraries” or “JavaScript Frameworks”. Some of the main ones to watch out for are jQuery MooTools Prototype Script.aculo.us Dojo and the Yahoo! User Interface Library.

All of these frameworks provide different ways of using JavaScript. They are not individual programming languages in their own right, just ways of writing JavaScript. So if someone tells you that they are using MooTools, what they are talking about is JavaScript!

For more detailed information check this page on Wikipedia.