JavaScript and JQuery: Interactive Front-End Web Development

1

THE ABC OF PROGRAMMING

Before you learn how to read and write the JavaScript language itself, you need to become familiar with some key concepts in computer programming. They will be covered in three sections:

A

What is a script and how do I create one?

B

How do computers fit in with the world around them?

C

How do I write a script for a web page?

Once you have learned the basics, the following chapters will show how the JavaScript language can be used to tell browsers what you want them to do.

1/a

WHAT IS A SCRIPT AND HOW DO I CREATE ONE?

A SCRIPT IS A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONS

A script is a series of instructions that a computer can follow to achieve a goal. You could compare scripts to any of the following:

RECIPES

By following the instructions in a recipe, one-by-one in the order set out, cooks can create a dish they have never made before.

Some scripts are simple and only deal with one individual scenario, like a simple recipe for a basic dish. Other scripts can perform many tasks, like a recipe for a complicated three-course meal.

Another similarity is that, if you are new to cooking or programming, there is a lot of new terminology to learn.

HANDBOOKS

Large companies often provide handbooks for new employees that contain procedures to follow in certain situations.

For example, hotel handbooks may contain steps to follow in different scenarios such as when a guest checks in, ...