JavaScript is one language I have been struggling with for many months. Each time I try to learn continuously saying to myself that "this has to be the last time" the process overwhelms me, I get frustrated and I start to get "welcome home again" messages from imposter syndrome.
Then I sat and thought about how I can overcome my Instability and be more determined, so I came to a conclusion that I would be writing an article on each topic in JavaScript, this way, I would keep track of my progress, understand better, and hopefully, my articles will help a newbie out there who is willing to break free from the chains of imposter syndrome.
In this article, we'll learn what JavaScript is and why it is Important to have JavaScript on our webpage, so sit back and let me explain it to you like you are five.
Let's go!
Table of contents
- What is JavaScript?
- Server-side Scripting Language
- Client-Side Scripting Language
- JavaScript Development Tools
- Conclusion
- Further Reading
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a scripting language that is used in web development to make web pages interactive. Without JavaScript, the web pages will just be static and It will be impossible for the web to perform certain functions.
Simple and short!
Now let's understand better, what does scripting language mean? A scripting language is a language that is used to write scripts, the language contains a number of commands that the script needs to create interactive effects on the web pages.
(These commands are interpreted and executed individually one after the other)
There are two types of Scripting languages namely; Server Side Scripting Language and Client-Side Scripting Language.
Server-Side Scripting Language
Server-Side Scripting Language is the type of language that runs on the server. The server is responsible for providing the information requested by the client, this means that the content on the web pages must be active and not static.
Here's a breakdown:
A user opens his browser (client) and clicks on a link e.g. instagram.com/thejunejohnson
(The user is requesting to access the Instagram page of June Johnson from the client)
- The client then sends the request to the server.
- The server acknowledges this request and responds with a link or access to the page back to the client.
The client accepts and interprets the page to the user.
(which is the Instagram page requested by the user)
Languages that are used for server-side programming include PHP, Ruby, Java, Python, C++, etc.
Client-Side Scripting Language
Client-Side Scripting Language is a type of language used to run scripts that the web browser executes. The client-side scripting language enables more interaction on the web such as form validation, Image zooming, changing the color of a button, etc.
The most popular language used for client-side programming is JavaScript.
JavaScript Development Tools
A development tool is a computer program used by software developers to create application programs, if for any reason there seems to be an error with the program, a development tool can also be used to debug. A common development tool is a text editor, text editor is a program that enables web developers to edit, store and print plain texts. Text editors such as Vs Code, Notepad++, Sublime Text, Eclipse, etc. can be used to write JavaScript programs.
Conclusion
This article has explained JavaScript vividly. We have learned that JavaScript is a scripting language that adds interactivity to our web page.
We took a look at the two types of scripting language we have and also how they carry out their functions.
Lastly, we learned about development tools and the types of text editors that can be used to create JavaScript programs.