JavaScript For Kids For Dummies

Chapter 4

Fiddling with Web Applications

In Chapter 1, we explain and demonstrate the JavaScript Console. In Chapters 2 and 3, we show you how to put multiple statements together to form a program. In this chapter, we kick things up a notch and introduce you to our favorite JavaScript playground: JSFiddle. Instead of swings and slides, you’ll be playing with JavaScript statements, HTML tags, and CSS styles.

JSFiddle lets you write and experiment with JavaScript code from within your web browser. You can use it to try out code, get feedback on your code, share your code, and even work on programs with your friends! You’ll learn how to use JSFiddle to view, modify, save, and share JavaScript web applications, too.

You may be wondering what we mean by web application. A web application (or web app) is software that runs in a browser and is usually powered by JavaScript. Google Earth, for example, is a popular web app you may be familiar with. It can look up and show you nearly any place on Earth in high-resolution photos. Google Earth is also a website because you can access it using a web address, or URL. Do you think JSFiddle is a web app, a website, or both? It’s actually both. In fact, every web application is a website. Not all websites are web applications, however.

In this chapter, you use JSFiddle to experiment with some animations. In the end, you have a JavaScript bubble machine that you can customize as much as you want! It’s called JSFiddle because you can use it to ...