About JavaScript – and about this FAQ
JavaScript FAQ |
Basic Syntax & General Questions
|
In the mid-1990s, perhaps the most frequently asked question about JavaScript was: Aren’t JavaScript and Java the same thing? Many predictions have been made that Java would soon become the programming language of the Web. Java was all the rage, Java applets seemed to be everywhere; to many, Java seemed to be the future. And JavaScript was often perceived as nothing more than Java's little brother.
Instead, we now find ourselves in a world characterized by a plurality of technologies and programming languages powering Web servers, including PHP, Java, C#/ASP.NET – this list is by no means exhaustive. For better or for worse, it’s impossible to name one programming language or one Web technology that is a clear leader on the server side. However, on the client side we do have a single programming language that has emerged as a clear leader. Indeed, over the past fifteen years, JavaScript has gradually become the language of the Web browser. JavaScript has a growing number of adopters and an expanding area of relevance. JavaScript is here to stay.
The goal of the JavaScripter.net FAQ collection is to help you learn JavaScript and develop robust client-side scripts that can run in all major browsers, under various operating systems. This FAQ collection is intended to:
- focus on platform-independent coding, rather than on one particular browser or platform.
- provide interactive code examples which you can run without leaving the Web page you are reading.
- give you the solutions – not just a confirmation that the problems exist.
We wish you every success in learning JavaScript. Welcome to JavaScripter.net FAQ!