JavaScripts and Dynamic HTML Workshop

Dan Farkas and Narayan Murthy
Pace University  Pleasantville, NY
dfarkas@pace.edu nmurthy@pace.edu


JavaScript is a lightweight programming language that was developed by Netscape to create dynamic web pages. JavaScript source code is embedded in HTML documents. When an HTML document is loaded using a browser, the JavaScript source code is also loaded along with the HTML code. The client browser interprets the JavaScript code. 

Salient features of JavaScript:
* Currently supported by both Netscape and Internet Explorer
* Program source code directly embedded in an HTML document
* Event driven programming
* Compact and easy to learn
* Object-based scripting language
* Can use to develop client and server internet applications
* Interpreted language (interpreted by the browser)
* Each statement goes on a separate line.  If two statements are placed on the same line a semicolon separates them.

In comparison to Java, JavaScript language:
* Resembles Java
* Supports Java's expression syntax and basic control flow constructs
* Does not have Java's static typing
* Type checking is not as strong as Java
* Object based (Java is object-oriented). Uses built-in, extensible objects
* No classes; no inheritance
* Variables are not declared - data type of variables is decided by context
* Cannot automatically write to hard disk

The topics covered in the workshop include:
Introduction to JavaScript
JavaScript Language Basics
Events in JavaScripts
Selected JavaScript Objects
Multimedia in JavaScripts
Dynamic HTML and JavaScript

Several examples will be demonstrated during the workshop.   Authors provide a notes developed by them.