Introduction to Javascript

Javascript is a Programming Language.

What is a Programming Language. As the name suggests, Programming Language is a language. What is Language and what is the use of Language. So, Generally, We know, Hindi, English are Languages, and these are used for communication, means if we want to talk to a person, then we need to talk to them in a language, that they understand, If suppose we talk to a person in English, but the person only knows Hindi, then He will not be able to understand, what are we talking to him, and Communication will not be possible. Same way, If we have to communicate with Computer, then we have to use a language, which computer understands, and Computer understands Programming Language. So Programming language is used to establish communication with Computer, and Programming Language is used for writing Programs. Prgrams like Addition of 2 Numbers, Subtraction of 2 numbers.

What is Javascript

Javascript is a lightweight, and cross-platform programming language. It is also known as scripting language for webpages. It is well known for developement of web pages, but it is not only used in web developement but it can be used for other non browser developement activities as well. Javascript was introduced in 1995.

Features of JavaScript:

1. Client-Side Scripting: JavaScript is primarily a client-side scripting language, meaning it runs on the user’s web browser rather than on the server.
2. Dynamic and Weakly Typed: JavaScript is a dynamically typed language, which means we don’t need to declare the data type of a variable explicitly. It’s also weakly typed, allowing variables to change their type during runtime.
3. Asynchronous Programming: JavaScript supports asynchronous programming using features like async/await syntax. This syntax helps when we are trying to access a webpage or any element on the webpage which takes time in loading.
4. DOM Manipulation: JavaScript interacts with the Document Object Model (DOM), representing the structure of an HTML document. This allows developers to manipulate HTML elements, update content, and respond to user interactions dynamically.
5. Cross-Browser Compatibility: JavaScript is supported by all major web browsers, making it a cross-browser scripting language.
6. Server-Side Development: While JavaScript is primarily associated with client-side development, it has gained prominence on the server side as well. Node.js, a server-side JavaScript runtime, allows developers to use JavaScript for server-side scripting, enabling full-stack JavaScript development.
7. Object Oriented Programming Language: Javascript is an Object Oriented Programming Language but it uses prototypes for inheritence rather than classes.
8. Case sensitive language: Javascript is a case sensitive language.

Summary

We have covered below topics in this session

1. What is Javascript
2. Features of Javascript