What is Javascript?

You've probably heard of this

Welcome back to the Birds Nest. After a long break, Lark is back to our regularly scheduled programming. Where have I been? Long story short, BowTiedBull was right all along about creating a WIFI business. After a few failed attempts, I’m back to the basics. However, not all was lost. I’ve learned so much and have probably done more work in my 6 months of absence than I did my entire life. Without further, let’s start on todays topic.

What is JavaScript and why is it important?

JavaScript is a programming language that is primarily used to create interactive web pages and web-based applications. It is a client-side programming language, which means that it is executed by the user's web browser rather than on a server.

JavaScript is often used in combination with HTML and CSS to create dynamic web pages that can change in response to user input. It is also used to create interactive elements such as buttons, forms, and animations.

Before diving into coding with JavaScript, it's important to understand some basic concepts:

• Variables: Variables are used to store values in JavaScript. They are declared using the "var" keyword, followed by the variable name. For example: "var x = 5;"

• Data types: JavaScript has several data types, such as strings, numbers, and booleans. A string is a sequence of characters, a number is a numeric value, and a boolean is a true or false value.

• Operators: JavaScript has several operators such as mathematical operators (+, -, *, /), comparison operators (>, <, ==), and logical operators (&&, ||, !).

• Conditional statements: Conditional statements are used to make decisions in JavaScript. The most commonly used conditional statement is the "if" statement, which allows you to execute certain code if a certain condition is true.

Here is an example of a basic JavaScript program that uses a variable, a data type, an operator, and a conditional statement:

var x = 5;
var y = 10;

if (x < y) {
  console.log("x is less than y");
} else {
  console.log("x is greater than or equal to y");
}

In this example, we first declare two variables "x" and "y" and give them values of 5 and10 respectively. We then use an if-else statement to check if the value of "x" is less than "y". If the condition is true, the code inside the first set of curly braces is executed and the message "x is less than y" is logged to the console. If the condition is false, the code inside the second set of curly braces is executed and the message "x is greater than or equal to y" is logged to the console.

Another important concept in JavaScript is functions. Functions are blocks of code that can be called and executed by other parts of the program. Functions can take in input in the form of parameters and return output in the form of a return value.

Here is an example of a simple function in JavaScript:

function add(x, y) {
    return x + y;
}
console.log(add(3, 4)); // Output: 7

In this example, we have defined a function called "add" that takes in two parameters "x" and "y". The function simply adds the two parameters together and returns the result. We then call the function and pass in the values 3 and 4 as arguments. The function is executed and the result 7 is logged to the console.

JavaScript also has a lot of built-in objects and methods that can be used to perform various tasks such as manipulating strings, working with arrays and objects, and handling events.

This is just a brief introduction to the basics of JavaScript. There is much more to learn, such as how to work with objects and arrays, how to handle events, and how to use JavaScript in conjunction with other technologies such as HTML and CSS.

Keep in mind that JavaScript is constantly evolving, new features and technologies are added to the language all the time, so it's important to stay up to date with the latest developments in JavaScript.

Summary

In conclusion, JavaScript is a widely used programming language that allows developers to create interactive web pages and web-based applications. It is a client-side programming language and is often used in combination with HTML and CSS to create dynamic web pages.

This introduction highlighted some basic concepts such as variables, data types, operators, conditional statements and functions, which are fundamental to understand before diving deeper into JavaScript. You also learned about built-in objects and methods and how they can be used to perform various tasks.

And that wraps up this weeks article in our learning to code series. Lark is back in full force and the birds nest will be flocking in 2023.

Be on the look out for a learn JavaScript in 10 days series coming out soon to get you up to speed.

Till next time,
Lark