JavaScript

JavaScript
LiveScript

   <language> (Formerly "LiveScript") {Netscape}'s simple,
   cross-{platform}, {World-Wide Web} {scripting language}, only
   very vaguely related to {Java} (which is a {Sun} trademark).
   JavaScript is intimately tied to the {World-Wide Web}, and
   currently runs in only three environments - as a {server}-side
   {scripting} language, as an embedded language in
   {server-parsed HTML}, and as an embedded language run in web
   {browsers} where it is the most important part of {DHTML}.

   JavaScript has a simplified {C}-like {syntax} and is tightly
   integrated with the browser {Document Object Model}.  It is
   useful for implementing enhanced {forms}, simple web
   {database} {front-ends}, and navigation enhancements.  It is
   unusual in that the {scope} of {variables} extends throughout
   the function in which they are declared rather than the
   smallest enclosing block as in C.

   JavaScript originated from {Netscape} and, for a time, only
   their products supported it.  {Microsoft} now supports a
   work-alike which they call JScript.  The resulting
   inconsistencies make it difficult to write JavaScript that
   behaves the same in all browsers.  This could be attributed to
   the slow progress of JavaScript through the standards bodies.

   JavaScript runs "100x" slower than {C}, as it is purely
   interpreted ({Java} runs "10x" slower than C code).
   {Netscape} and allies say JavaScript is an "open standard" in
   an effort to keep {Microsoft} from monopolising web software
   as they have desktop software.  {Netscape} and {Sun} have
   co-operated to enable {Java} and JavaScript to exchange
   messages and data.

   See also {VBScript}.

   Usenet newsgroup: news:comp.lang.javascript.

   Mailing List: <[email protected]> ("subscribe javascript"
   in body).

   (2003-04-28)