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| Javascript |
Many of the technologies that make the World Wide
Web possible have far exceeded their original visions.
Envisioned at the outset as a medium for publishing static
text and image content across a network, the Web is forever
being probed, pushed, and pulled by content authors. By taking for granted so much of the “dirty work” of establishing the
connection and conveying the bits between server and client
computers, content developers and programmers dream of
using that connection to generate new user experiences and
operating system-independent applications. A developer community essentially taking ownership of a technology and
molding it to do new and exciting things is not new. It’s the
enormous popularity of the Web and the accessibility of the
technologies to everyday folks who have intriguing ideas that
has led to an unprecedented explosion in turning the World
Wide Web from a bland publishing medium into a highly interactive, operating system-agnostic authoring platform.
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| javascript |
The JavaScript language is a Web-enhancing technology. When
employed on the client computer, the language can help turn
a static page of content into an engaging, interactive, and
intelligent experience. Applications can be as subtle as welcoming a site’s visitor with the greeting “Good morning!”
when it is morning in the client computer’s time zone — even
though it is dinnertime where the server is located. Or applications can be much more obvious, such as delivering the
content of a slide show in one-page download while JavaScript
controls the sequence of hiding, showing, and “flying slide”
transitions while navigating through the presentation.
Of course, JavaScript is not the only technology that can give life to drab Web content. Therefore, it is important to understand where JavaScript fits within the array of standards, tools, and other technologies at your disposal. The alternative technologies described in this chapter are HTML, server programs, plug-ins, and Java applets. In most cases, JavaScript can work side by side with these other technologies, even though the hype around some make them sound like one-stop shopping places for all your interactive needs. That’s rarely the case. Finally, you learn about the origins of JavaScript and what role it plays in today’s advanced Web browsers.
Of course, JavaScript is not the only technology that can give life to drab Web content. Therefore, it is important to understand where JavaScript fits within the array of standards, tools, and other technologies at your disposal. The alternative technologies described in this chapter are HTML, server programs, plug-ins, and Java applets. In most cases, JavaScript can work side by side with these other technologies, even though the hype around some make them sound like one-stop shopping places for all your interactive needs. That’s rarely the case. Finally, you learn about the origins of JavaScript and what role it plays in today’s advanced Web browsers.
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