JavaScript
JavaScript (JS) is a lightweight, interpreted, or just-in-time compiled programming language
with
first-class functions. While it is most well-known as the scripting language for Web pages, many non-browser
environments also use it, such as Node.js, Apache CouchDB and Adobe Acrobat. JavaScript is a prototype-based,
multi-paradigm, single-threaded, dynamic language, supporting object-oriented, imperative, and declarative (e.g.
functional programming) styles. Read more about JavaScript.
This section is dedicated to the JavaScript language itself, and not the parts that are specific to Web pages or
other host environments.
For information about API specifics to Web pages, please see Web APIs and DOM.
The standard for JavaScript is ECMAScript. As of 2012, all modern browsers fully support ECMAScript 5.1. Older
browsers support at least ECMAScript 3. On June 17, 2015, ECMA International published the sixth major version
of ECMAScript, which is officially called ECMAScript 2015, and was initially referred to as ECMAScript 6 or ES6.
Since then, ECMAScript standards are on yearly release cycles. This documentation refers to the latest draft
version, which is currently ECMAScript 2020.
Do not confuse JavaScript with the Java programming language. Both "Java" and "JavaScript" are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Oracle in the U.S. and other countries. However, the two programming languages have
very different syntax, semantic, and use.
Features of JavaScript
There are following features of JavaScript:
1. All popular web browsers support JavaScript as they provide built-in execution environments.
2. JavaScript follows the syntax and structure of the C programming language. Thus, it is a structured programming language.
3. JavaScript is a weakly typed language, where certain types are implicitly cast (depending on the operation).
4. JavaScript is an object-oriented programming language that uses prototypes rather than using classes for inheritance.
5. It is a light-weighted and interpreted language.
6. It is a case-sensitive language.
7. JavaScript is supportable in several operating systems including, Windows, macOS, etc.
8. It provides good control to the users over the web browsers.