So what is Javascript? Let’s try to get to the bottom of this question now.
- Javascript is a programming language.
The first thing to understand is that Javascript is a programming language.
That means you can use all the main features of programming languages: you can use conditions (if – do “that”, otherwise – do “this”), loops, looping, values, and so on.
In general, work with data, process it and do some automation.
- Javascript is a client-side programming language.
What does client-side mean?
This means it works on the client side. When we go to some site on the Internet, we do it via HTTP protocol. From our home computer we send a request to a remote server where the site is located. And the remote server already sends us a response (the html page to be displayed on the home computer in the browser).
It is a client-server structure.
The client is our local computer from which we work.
The server is a remote computer where a site is located.
What you need to understand – Javascript runs on the client.
What is the client for the http protocol?
The client for the http protocol is the browser. It is the browser you use to visit web sites on the internet. It can be Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.
Javascript is that programming language that works in browsers.
You could simplistically say that Javascript programming language is built into the capabilities of a browser. When you install a browser, you already have the capabilities to work with the Javascript language.
Hence, the biggest advantage of the Javascript language is that you don’t need to install any additional software to use it.
Everything is built into the browser and having it, you can already work with Javascript language.
That’s where the downside comes in. We’re having a hard time switching to new versions of Javascript.
When the language will be updated and new features will be available, there may be some difficulties to support those features for all visitors to any site.
The fact is that a web page that is published on the Internet can be accessed by a wide variety of people, from a wide variety of browsers. Some people have fresh versions of browsers installed, some have older versions of browsers, hence the difficulties may arise. Some people have these new features supported, some people don’t.
But, in fact, there are ways around this disadvantage, how you can make it possible to support new Javascript features for all site visitors and clients, but that’s not the topic of this video.