JavaScript

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.

JavaScript originated from Netscape and, for a time, only

their products supported it. Microsoft now supports a

work-alike called 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)