JavaScript W3school
JavaScript W3school
JavaScript W3school
JavaScript - Overview
What is JavaScript ?
JavaScript is a dynamic computer programming language. It is lightweight and most commonly used as a part of web
pages, whose implementations allow client-side script to interact with the user and make dynamic pages. It is an interpreted
programming language with object-oriented capabilities.
JavaScript was first known as LiveScript, but Netscape changed its name to JavaScript, possibly because of the excitement
being generated by Java. JavaScript made its first appearance in Netscape 2.0 in 1995 with the name LiveScript. The
general-purpose core of the language has been embedded in Netscape, Internet Explorer, and other web browsers.
The ECMA-262 Specification defined a standard version of the core JavaScript language.
Client-Side JavaScript
Client-side JavaScript is the most common form of the language. The script should be included in or referenced by an
HTML document for the code to be interpreted by the browser.
It means that a web page need not be a static HTML, but can include programs that interact with the user, control the
browser, and dynamically create HTML content.
The JavaScript client-side mechanism provides many advantages over traditional CGI server-side scripts. For example, you
might use JavaScript to check if the user has entered a valid e-mail address in a form field.
The JavaScript code is executed when the user submits the form, and only if all the entries are valid, they would be
submitted to the Web Server.
JavaScript can be used to trap user-initiated events such as button clicks, link navigation, and other actions that the user
initiates explicitly or implicitly.
Learn Java in-depth with real-world projects through our Java certification course. Enroll and become a certified
expert to boost your career.
Advantages of JavaScript
The merits of using JavaScript are −
Less server interaction − You can validate user input before sending the page off to the server. This saves server
traffic, which means less load on your server.
Immediate feedback to the visitors − They don't have to wait for a page reload to see if they have forgotten to
enter something.
Increased interactivity − You can create interfaces that react when the user hovers over them with a mouse or
activates them via the keyboard.
Richer interfaces − You can use JavaScript to include such items as drag-and-drop components and sliders to
give a Rich Interface to your site visitors.
Limitations of JavaScript
We cannot treat JavaScript as a full-fledged programming language. It lacks the following important features −
Client-side JavaScript does not allow the reading or writing of files. This has been kept for security reason.
JavaScript cannot be used for networking applications because there is no such support available.
Once again, JavaScript is a lightweight, interpreted programming language that allows you to build interactivity into
otherwise static HTML pages.
To make our life simpler, various vendors have come up with very nice JavaScript editing tools. Some of them are listed
here −
Microsoft FrontPage − Microsoft has developed a popular HTML editor called FrontPage. FrontPage also
provides web developers with a number of JavaScript tools to assist in the creation of interactive websites.
Macromedia Dreamweaver MX − Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is a very popular HTML and JavaScript
editor in the professional web development crowd. It provides several handy prebuilt JavaScript components,
integrates well with databases, and conforms to new standards such as XHTML and XML.
Macromedia HomeSite 5 − HomeSite 5 is a well-liked HTML and JavaScript editor from Macromedia that can
be used to manage personal websites effectively.
The specification for JavaScript 2.0 can be found on the following site: https://www-
archive.mozilla.org/js/language/js20-2002-04/
Today, Netscape's JavaScript and Microsoft's JScript conform to the ECMAScript standard, although both the languages
still support the features that are not a part of the standard.
JavaScript - Syntax
JavaScript can be implemented using JavaScript statements that are placed within the <script>... </script> HTML tags in a
web page.
You can place the <script> tags, containing your JavaScript, anywhere within your web page, but it is normally
recommended that you should keep it within the <head> tags.
The <script> tag alerts the browser program to start interpreting all the text between these tags as a script. A simple syntax
of your JavaScript will appear as follows.
<script ...>
JavaScript code
</script>
Language − This attribute specifies what scripting language you are using. Typically, its value will be javascript.
Although recent versions of HTML (and XHTML, its successor) have phased out the use of this attribute.
Type − This attribute is what is now recommended to indicate the scripting language in use and its value should
be set to "text/javascript".
This function can be used to write text, HTML, or both. Take a look at the following code.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script language = "javascript" type = "text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Hello World!")
//-->
</script>
</body>
</html>
Hello World!
But when formatted in a single line as follows, you must use semicolons −
Case Sensitivity
JavaScript is a case-sensitive language. This means that the language keywords, variables, function names, and any other
identifiers must always be typed with a consistent capitalization of letters.
So the identifiers Time and TIME will convey different meanings in JavaScript.
NOTE − Care should be taken while writing variable and function names in JavaScript.
Comments in JavaScript
JavaScript supports both C-style and C++-style comments, Thus −
Any text between a // and the end of a line is treated as a comment and is ignored by JavaScript.
Any text between the characters /* and */ is treated as a comment. This may span multiple lines.
JavaScript also recognizes the HTML comment opening sequence <!--. JavaScript treats this as a single-line
comment, just as it does the // comment.
The HTML comment closing sequence --> is not recognized by JavaScript so it should be written as //-->.
Example
/*
* This is a multi-line comment in JavaScript
* It is very similar to comments in C Programming
*/
//-->
</script>
To disable JavaScript support in your Internet Explorer, you need to select Disable radio button under Active scripting.
JavaScript in Firefox
Here are the steps to turn on or turn off JavaScript in Firefox −
Then you will find the warning dialog. Select I’ll be careful, I promise!
Then you will find the list of configure options in the browser.
If javascript.enabled is true; it converts to false upon clicking toogle. If javascript is disabled; it gets enabled upon clicking
toggle.
JavaScript in Chrome
Here are the steps to turn on or turn off JavaScript in Chrome −
Click the Chrome menu at the top right hand corner of your browser.
Select Settings.
In the "Javascript" section, select "Do not allow any site to run JavaScript" or "Allow all sites to run JavaScript
(recommended)".
JavaScript in Opera
Here are the steps to turn on or turn off JavaScript in Opera −
To disable JavaScript support in your Opera, you should not select the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
You can add a noscript block immediately after the script block as follows −
<html>
<body>
<script language = "javascript" type = "text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Hello World!")
//-->
</script>
<noscript>
Sorry...JavaScript is needed to go ahead.
</noscript>
</body>
</html>
Now, if the user's browser does not support JavaScript or JavaScript is not enabled, then the message from </noscript>
will be displayed on the screen.
In the following section, we will see how we can place JavaScript in an HTML file in different ways.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function sayHello() {
alert("Hello World")
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<input type = "button" onclick = "sayHello()" value = "Say Hello" />
</body>
</html>
Say Hello
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Hello World")
//-->
</script>
Hello World
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function sayHello() {
alert("Hello World")
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Hello World")
//-->
</script>
Hello World
Say Hello
You are not restricted to be maintaining identical code in multiple HTML files. The script tag provides a mechanism to allow
you to store JavaScript in an external file and then include it into your HTML files.
Here is an example to show how you can include an external JavaScript file in your HTML code using script tag and its src
attribute.
<html>
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript" src = "filename.js" ></script>
</head>
<body>
.......
</body>
</html>
To use JavaScript from an external file source, you need to write all your JavaScript source code in a simple text file with the
extension ".js" and then include that file as shown above.
For example, you can keep the following content in filename.js file and then you can use sayHello function in your HTML
file after including the filename.js file.
function sayHello() {
alert("Hello World")
}
JavaScript - Variables
JavaScript Datatypes
One of the most fundamental characteristics of a programming language is the set of data types it supports. These are the
type of values that can be represented and manipulated in a programming language.
JavaScript also defines two trivial data types, null and undefined, each of which defines only a single value. In addition to
these primitive data types, JavaScript supports a composite data type known as object. We will cover objects in detail in a
separate chapter.
Note − JavaScript does not make a distinction between integer values and floating-point values. All numbers in JavaScript
are represented as floating-point values. JavaScript represents numbers using the 64-bit floating-point format defined by the
IEEE 754 standard.
JavaScript Variables
Like many other programming languages, JavaScript has variables. Variables can be thought of as named containers. You
can place data into these containers and then refer to the data simply by naming the container.
Before you use a variable in a JavaScript program, you must declare it. Variables are declared with the var keyword as
follows.
You can also declare multiple variables with the same var keyword as follows −
Storing a value in a variable is called variable initialization. You can do variable initialization at the time of variable
creation or at a later point in time when you need that variable.
For instance, you might create a variable named money and assign the value 2000.50 to it later. For another variable, you
can assign a value at the time of initialization as follows.
Note − Use the var keyword only for declaration or initialization, once for the life of any variable name in a document. You
should not re-declare same variable twice.
JavaScript is untyped language. This means that a JavaScript variable can hold a value of any data type. Unlike many
other languages, you don't have to tell JavaScript during variable declaration what type of value the variable will hold.
The value type of a variable can change during the execution of a program and JavaScript takes care of it automatically.
Global Variables − A global variable has global scope which means it can be defined anywhere in your
JavaScript code.
Local Variables − A local variable will be visible only within a function where it is defined. Function parameters
are always local to that function.
Within the body of a function, a local variable takes precedence over a global variable with the same name. If you
declare a local variable or function parameter with the same name as a global variable, you effectively hide the global
variable. Take a look into the following example.
<html>
Live Demo
<body onload = checkscope();>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var myVar = "global"; // Declare a global variable
function checkscope( ) {
var myVar = "local"; // Declare a local variable
document.write(myVar);
}
//-->
</script>
</body>
</html>
local
JavaScript variable names should not start with a numeral (0-9). They must begin with a letter or an underscore
character. For example, 123test is an invalid variable name but _123test is a valid one.
JavaScript variable names are case-sensitive. For example, Name and name are two different variables.
double in super
JavaScript - Operators
What is an Operator?
Let us take a simple expression 4 + 5 is equal to 9. Here 4 and 5 are called operands and ‘+’ is called the operator.
JavaScript supports the following types of operators.
Arithmetic Operators
Comparison Operators
Logical (or Relational) Operators
Assignment Operators
Conditional (or ternary) Operators
Arithmetic Operators
JavaScript supports the following arithmetic operators −
+ (Addition)
1 Adds two operands
Ex: A + B will give 30
- (Subtraction)
2 Subtracts the second operand from the first
Ex: A - B will give -10
* (Multiplication)
3 Multiply both operands
Ex: A * B will give 200
/ (Division)
4 Divide the numerator by the denominator
Ex: B / A will give 2
% (Modulus)
5 Outputs the remainder of an integer division
Ex: B % A will give 0
++ (Increment)
6 Increases an integer value by one
Ex: A++ will give 11
7 -- (Decrement)
Decreases an integer value by one
Ex: A-- will give 9
Note − Addition operator (+) works for Numeric as well as Strings. e.g. "a" + 10 will give "a10".
Example
The following code shows how to use arithmetic operators in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
document.write("a + b = ");
result = a + b;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
document.write("a - b = ");
result = a - b;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
document.write("a / b = ");
result = a / b;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
document.write("a % b = ");
result = a % b;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
document.write("a + b + c = ");
result = a + b + c;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
a = ++a;
document.write("++a = ");
result = ++a;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
b = --b;
document.write("--b = ");
result = --b;
document.write(result);
document.write(linebreak);
//-->
</script>
Output
a + b = 43
a - b = 23
a / b = 3.3
a%b=3
a + b + c = 43Test
++a = 35
--b = 8
Set the variables to different values and then try...
Comparison Operators
JavaScript supports the following comparison operators −
= = (Equal)
1 Checks if the value of two operands are equal or not, if yes, then the condition becomes true.
Ex: (A == B) is not true.
2 != (Not Equal)
Checks if the value of two operands are equal or not, if the values are not equal, then the condition becomes
true.
Ex: (A != B) is true.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = 10;
var b = 20;
var linebreak = "<br />";
Output
(a == b) => false
(a < b) => true
(a > b) => false
(a != b) => true
(a >= b) => false
a <= b) => true
Set the variables to different values and different operators and then try...
Logical Operators
JavaScript supports the following logical operators −
|| (Logical OR)
2 If any of the two operands are non-zero, then the condition becomes true.
Ex: (A || B) is true.
! (Logical NOT)
3 Reverses the logical state of its operand. If a condition is true, then the Logical NOT operator will make it false.
Ex: ! (A && B) is false.
Example
Try the following code to learn how to implement Logical Operators in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = true;
var b = false;
var linebreak = "<br />";
Output
Bitwise Operators
JavaScript supports the following bitwise operators −
| (BitWise OR)
2 It performs a Boolean OR operation on each bit of its integer arguments.
Ex: (A | B) is 3.
^ (Bitwise XOR)
It performs a Boolean exclusive OR operation on each bit of its integer arguments. Exclusive OR means that
3
either operand one is true or operand two is true, but not both.
Ex: (A ^ B) is 1.
~ (Bitwise Not)
4 It is a unary operator and operates by reversing all the bits in the operand.
Ex: (~B) is -4.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = 2; // Bit presentation 10
var b = 3; // Bit presentation 11
var linebreak = "<br />";
(a & b) => 2
(a | b) => 3
(a ^ b) => 1
(~b) => -4
(a << b) => 16
(a >> b) => 0
Set the variables to different values and different operators and then try...
Assignment Operators
JavaScript supports the following assignment operators −
= (Simple Assignment )
1 Assigns values from the right side operand to the left side operand
Ex: C = A + B will assign the value of A + B into C
Note − Same logic applies to Bitwise operators so they will become like <<=, >>=, >>=, &=, |= and ^=.
Example
Try the following code to implement assignment operator in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = 33;
var b = 10;
var linebreak = "<br />";
Output
Miscellaneous Operator
We will discuss two operators here that are quite useful in JavaScript: the conditional operator (? :) and the typeof
operator.
Conditional Operator (? :)
The conditional operator first evaluates an expression for a true or false value and then executes one of the two given
statements depending upon the result of the evaluation.
? : (Conditional )
1
If Condition is true? Then value X : Otherwise value Y
Example
Try the following code to understand how the Conditional Operator works in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = 10;
var b = 20;
var linebreak = "<br />";
Output
typeof Operator
The typeof operator is a unary operator that is placed before its single operand, which can be of any type. Its value is a
string indicating the data type of the operand.
The typeof operator evaluates to "number", "string", or "boolean" if its operand is a number, string, or boolean value and
returns true or false based on the evaluation.
Number "number"
String "string"
Boolean "boolean"
Object "object"
Function "function"
Undefined "undefined"
Null "object"
Example
The following code shows how to implement typeof operator.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var a = 10;
var b = "String";
var linebreak = "<br />";
Output
JavaScript supports conditional statements which are used to perform different actions based on different conditions. Here
we will explain the if..else statement.
if statement
if...else statement
if statement
The if statement is the fundamental control statement that allows JavaScript to make decisions and execute statements
conditionally.
Syntax
Here a JavaScript expression is evaluated. If the resulting value is true, the given statement(s) are executed. If the expression
is false, then no statement would be not executed. Most of the times, you will use comparison operators while making
decisions.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var age = 20;
Output
if...else statement
The 'if...else' statement is the next form of control statement that allows JavaScript to execute statements in a more controlled
way.
Syntax
if (expression) {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression is true
} else {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression is false
}
Here JavaScript expression is evaluated. If the resulting value is true, the given statement(s) in the ‘if’ block, are executed. If
the expression is false, then the given statement(s) in the else block are executed.
Example
Try the following code to learn how to implement an if-else statement in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var age = 15;
Output
if (expression 1) {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression 1 is true
} else if (expression 2) {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression 2 is true
} else if (expression 3) {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression 3 is true
} else {
Statement(s) to be executed if no expression is true
}
There is nothing special about this code. It is just a series of if statements, where each if is a part of the else clause of the
previous statement. Statement(s) are executed based on the true condition, if none of the conditions is true, then the else
block is executed.
Example
Try the following code to learn how to implement an if-else-if statement in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var book = "maths";
if( book == "history" ) {
document.write("<b>History Book</b>");
} else if( book == "maths" ) {
document.write("<b>Maths Book</b>");
} else if( book == "economics" ) {
document.write("<b>Economics Book</b>");
} else {
document.write("<b>Unknown Book</b>");
}
//-->
</script>
<p>Set the variable to different value and then try...</p>
</body>
<html>
Output
Maths Book
Set the variable to different value and then try...
Starting with JavaScript 1.2, you can use a switch statement which handles exactly this situation, and it does so more
efficiently than repeated if...else if statements.
Flow Chart
The following flow chart explains a switch-case statement works.
Syntax
The objective of a switch statement is to give an expression to evaluate and several different statements to execute based
on the value of the expression. The interpreter checks each case against the value of the expression until a match is found.
If nothing matches, a default condition will be used.
switch (expression) {
case condition 1: statement(s)
break;
default: statement(s)
}
The break statements indicate the end of a particular case. If they were omitted, the interpreter would continue executing
each statement in each of the following cases.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var grade = 'A';
document.write("Entering switch block<br />");
switch (grade) {
case 'A': document.write("Good job<br />");
break;
Output
Break statements play a major role in switch-case statements. Try the following code that uses switch-case statement without
any break statement.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var grade = 'A';
document.write("Entering switch block<br />");
switch (grade) {
case 'A': document.write("Good job<br />");
case 'B': document.write("Pretty good<br />");
case 'C': document.write("Passed<br />");
case 'D': document.write("Not so good<br />");
case 'F': document.write("Failed<br />");
default: document.write("Unknown grade<br />")
}
document.write("Exiting switch block");
//-->
</script>
<p>Set the variable to different value and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
JavaScript supports all the necessary loops to ease down the pressure of programming.
Flow Chart
while (expression) {
Statement(s) to be executed if expression is true
}
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
document.write("Loop stopped!");
//-->
</script>
Output
Starting Loop
Current Count : 0
Current Count : 1
Current Count : 2
Current Count : 3
Current Count : 4
Current Count : 5
Current Count : 6
Current Count : 7
Current Count : 8
Current Count : 9
Loop stopped!
Set the variable to different value and then try...
Flow Chart
do {
Statement(s) to be executed;
} while (expression);
Note − Don’t miss the semicolon used at the end of the do...while loop.
Example
Try the following example to learn how to implement a do-while loop in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var count = 0;
Output
Starting Loop
Current Count : 0
Current Count : 1
Current Count : 2
Current Count : 3
Current Count : 4
Loop Stopped!
Set the variable to different value and then try...
The loop initialization where we initialize our counter to a starting value. The initialization statement is executed
before the loop begins.
The test statement which will test if a given condition is true or not. If the condition is true, then the code given
inside the loop will be executed, otherwise the control will come out of the loop.
The iteration statement where you can increase or decrease your counter.
You can put all the three parts in a single line separated by semicolons.
Flow Chart
The flow chart of a for loop in JavaScript would be as follows −
Syntax
Example
Try the following example to learn how a for loop works in JavaScript.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var count;
document.write("Starting Loop" + "<br />");
Output
Starting Loop
Current Count : 0
Current Count : 1
Current Count : 2
Current Count : 3
Current Count : 4
Current Count : 5
Current Count : 6
Current Count : 7
Current Count : 8
Current Count : 9
Loop stopped!
Set the variable to different value and then try...
Syntax
The syntax of ‘for..in’ loop is −
In each iteration, one property from object is assigned to variablename and this loop continues till all the properties of the
object are exhausted.
Example
Try the following example to implement ‘for-in’ loop. It prints the web browser’s Navigator object.
Li D
Live Demo
<html>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var aProperty;
document.write("Navigator Object Properties<br /> ");
for (aProperty in navigator) {
document.write(aProperty);
document.write("<br />");
}
document.write ("Exiting from the loop!");
//-->
</script>
<p>Set the variable to different object and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
To handle all such situations, JavaScript provides break and continue statements. These statements are used to immediately
come out of any loop or to start the next iteration of any loop respectively.
Flow Chart
The following example illustrates the use of a break statement with a while loop. Notice how the loop breaks out early
once x reaches 5 and reaches to document.write (..) statement just below to the closing curly brace −
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var x = 1;
document.write("Entering the loop<br /> ");
Output
We already have seen the usage of break statement inside a switch statement.
Example
This example illustrates the use of a continue statement with a while loop. Notice how the continue statement is used to skip
printing when the index held in variable x reaches 5 −
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var x = 1;
document.write("Entering the loop<br /> ");
if (x == 5) {
continue; // skip rest of the loop body
}
document.write( x + "<br />");
}
document.write("Exiting the loop!<br /> ");
//-->
</script>
<p>Set the variable to different value and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
Note − Line breaks are not allowed between the ‘continue’ or ‘break’ statement and its label name. Also, there should not
be any other statement in between a label name and associated loop.
Example 1
The following example shows how to implement Label with a break statement.
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("Entering the loop!<br /> ");
outerloop: // This is the label name
for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
document.write("Outerloop: " + i + "<br />");
innerloop:
for (var j = 0; j < 5; j++) {
if (j > 3 ) break ; // Quit the innermost loop
if (i == 2) break innerloop; // Do the same thing
if (i == 4) break outerloop; // Quit the outer loop
document.write("Innerloop: " + j + " <br />");
}
}
document.write("Exiting the loop!<br /> ");
//-->
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output
Entering the loop!
Outerloop: 0
Innerloop: 0
Innerloop: 1
Innerloop: 2
Innerloop: 3
Outerloop: 1
Innerloop: 0
Innerloop: 1
Innerloop: 2
Innerloop: 3
Outerloop: 2
Outerloop: 3
Innerloop: 0
Innerloop: 1
Innerloop: 2
Innerloop: 3
Outerloop: 4
Exiting the loop!
Example 2
<html>
Live Demo
<body>
</body>
</html>
Output
JavaScript - Functions
A function is a group of reusable code which can be called anywhere in your program. This eliminates the need of writing
the same code again and again. It helps programmers in writing modular codes. Functions allow a programmer to divide a
big program into a number of small and manageable functions.
Like any other advanced programming language, JavaScript also supports all the features necessary to write modular
code using functions. You must have seen functions like alert() and write() in the earlier chapters. We were using these
functions again and again, but they had been written in core JavaScript only once.
JavaScript allows us to write our own functions as well. This section explains how to write your own functions in JavaScript.
Function Definition
Before we use a function, we need to define it. The most common way to define a function in JavaScript is by using the
function keyword, followed by a unique function name, a list of parameters (that might be empty), and a statement block
surrounded by curly braces.
Syntax
The basic syntax is shown here.
Example
Try the following example. It defines a function called sayHello that takes no parameters −
Calling a Function
To invoke a function somewhere later in the script, you would simply need to write the name of that function as shown in the
following code.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
function sayHello() {
document.write ("Hello there!");
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to call the function</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" onclick = "sayHello()" value = "Say Hello">
</form>
<p>Use different text in write method and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
Say Hello
Function Parameters
Till now, we have seen functions without parameters. But there is a facility to pass different parameters while calling a
function. These passed parameters can be captured inside the function and any manipulation can be done over those
parameters. A function can take multiple parameters separated by comma.
Example
Try the following example. We have modified our sayHello function here. Now it takes two parameters.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
function sayHello(name, age) {
document.write (name + " is " + age + " years old.");
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to call the function</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" onclick = "sayHello('Zara', 7)" value = "Sa
</form>
<p>Use different parameters inside the function and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
Say Hello
For example, you can pass two numbers in a function and then you can expect the function to return their multiplication in
your calling program.
Example
Try the following example. It defines a function that takes two parameters and concatenates them before returning the
resultant in the calling program.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
function concatenate(first, last) {
var full;
full = first + last;
return full;
}
function secondFunction() {
var result;
result = concatenate('Zara', 'Ali');
document.write (result );
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to call the function</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" onclick = "secondFunction()" value = "Call
</form>
<p>Use different parameters inside the function and then try...</p>
</body>
</html>
Output
Call Function
There is a lot to learn about JavaScript functions, however we have covered the most important concepts in this tutorial.
JavaScript - Events
What is an Event ?
JavaScript's interaction with HTML is handled through events that occur when the user or the browser manipulates a page.
When the page loads, it is called an event. When the user clicks a button, that click too is an event. Other examples
include events like pressing any key, closing a window, resizing a window, etc.
Developers can use these events to execute JavaScript coded responses, which cause buttons to close windows, messages
to be displayed to users, data to be validated, and virtually any other type of response imaginable.
Events are a part of the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 and every HTML element contains a set of events which
can trigger JavaScript Code.
Please go through this small tutorial for a better understanding HTML Event Reference. Here we will see a few examples to
understand a relation between Event and JavaScript −
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function sayHello() {
alert("Hello World")
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button and see result</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" onclick = "sayHello()" value = "Say Hello"
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Say Hello
Example
The following example shows how to use onsubmit. Here we are calling a validate() function before submitting a form data
to the webserver. If validate() function returns true, the form will be submitted, otherwise it will not submit the data.
<body>
<form method = "POST" action = "t.cgi" onsubmit = "return validate()"
.......
<input type = "submit" value = "Submit" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function over() {
document.write ("Mouse Over");
}
function out() {
document.write ("Mouse Out");
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Bring your mouse inside the division to see the result:</p>
<div onmouseover = "over()" onmouseout = "out()">
<h2> This is inside the division </h2>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Output
oncanplay script Triggers when media can start play, but might has to stop for buffering
oncanplaythrough script Triggers when media can be played to the end, without stopping for buffering
ondragenter script Triggers when an element has been dragged to a valid drop target
ondragleave script Triggers when an element is being dragged over a valid drop target
onemptied script Triggers when a media resource element suddenly becomes empty.
onloadedmetadata script Triggers when the duration and other media data of a media element is loaded
onloadstart script Triggers when the browser starts to load the media data
onmouseout script Triggers when the mouse pointer moves out of an element
onmouseover script Triggers when the mouse pointer moves over an element
onprogress script Triggers when the browser is fetching the media data
onratechange script Triggers when the media data's playing rate has changed
Triggers when a media element's seeking attribute is no longer true, and the seeking
onseeked script
has ended
onseeking script Triggers when a media element's seeking attribute is true, and the seeking has begun
Triggers when the browser has been fetching media data, but stopped before the entire
onsuspend script
media file was fetched
onvolumechange script Triggers when media changes the volume, also when volume is set to "mute"
onwaiting script Triggers when media has stopped playing, but is expected to resume
In many situations, using cookies is the most efficient method of remembering and tracking preferences, purchases,
commissions, and other information required for better visitor experience or site statistics.
How It Works ?
Your server sends some data to the visitor's browser in the form of a cookie. The browser may accept the cookie. If it does,
it is stored as a plain text record on the visitor's hard drive. Now, when the visitor arrives at another page on your site, the
browser sends the same cookie to the server for retrieval. Once retrieved, your server knows/remembers what was stored
earlier.
Expires − The date the cookie will expire. If this is blank, the cookie will expire when the visitor quits the browser.
Cookies were originally designed for CGI programming. The data contained in a cookie is automatically transmitted
between the web browser and the web server, so CGI scripts on the server can read and write cookie values that are
stored on the client.
JavaScript can also manipulate cookies using the cookie property of the Document object. JavaScript can read, create,
modify, and delete the cookies that apply to the current web page.
Storing Cookies
The simplest way to create a cookie is to assign a string value to the document.cookie object, which looks like this.
Here the expires attribute is optional. If you provide this attribute with a valid date or time, then the cookie will expire on a
given date or time and thereafter, the cookies' value will not be accessible.
Note − Cookie values may not include semicolons, commas, or whitespace. For this reason, you may want to use the
JavaScript escape() function to encode the value before storing it in the cookie. If you do this, you will also have to use the
corresponding unescape() function when you read the cookie value.
Example
Try the following. It sets a customer name in an input cookie.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function WriteCookie() {
if( document.myform.customer.value == "" ) {
alert("Enter some value!");
return;
}
cookievalue = escape(document.myform.customer.value) + ";";
document.cookie = "name=" + cookievalue;
document.write ("Setting Cookies : " + "name=" + cookievalue
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form name = "myform" action = "">
Enter name: <input type = "text" name = "customer"/>
<input type = "button" value = "Set Cookie" onclick = "WriteCookie
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Now your machine has a cookie called name. You can set multiple cookies using multiple key = value pairs separated by
comma.
Reading Cookies
Reading a cookie is just as simple as writing one, because the value of the document.cookie object is the cookie. So you
can use this string whenever you want to access the cookie. The document.cookie string will keep a list of name=value
pairs separated by semicolons, where name is the name of a cookie and value is its string value.
You can use strings' split() function to break a string into key and values as follows −
Example
Try the following example to get all the cookies.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function ReadCookie() {
var allcookies = document.cookie;
document.write ("All Cookies : " + allcookies );
<body>
<form name = "myform" action = "">
<p> click the following button and see the result:</p>
<input type = "button" value = "Get Cookie" onclick = "ReadCookie(
</form>
</body>
</html>
Note − Here length is a method of Array class which returns the length of an array. We will discuss Arrays in a separate
chapter. By that time, please try to digest it.
Get Cookie
Note − There may be some other cookies already set on your machine. The above code will display all the cookies set on
your machine.
Example
Try the following example. It illustrates how to extend the expiry date of a cookie by 1 Month.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function WriteCookie() {
var now = new Date();
now.setMonth( now.getMonth() + 1 );
cookievalue = escape(document.myform.customer.value) + ";"
<body>
<form name = "myform" action = "">
Enter name: <input type = "text" name = "customer"/>
<input type = "button" value = "Set Cookie" onclick = "WriteCookie
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Deleting a Cookie
Sometimes you will want to delete a cookie so that subsequent attempts to read the cookie return nothing. To do this, you
just need to set the expiry date to a time in the past.
Example
Try the following example. It illustrates how to delete a cookie by setting its expiry date to one month behind the current
date.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function WriteCookie() {
var now = new Date();
now.setMonth( now.getMonth() - 1 );
cookievalue = escape(document.myform.customer.value) + ";"
<body>
<form name = "myform" action = "">
Enter name: <input type = "text" name = "customer"/>
<input type = "button" value = "Set Cookie" onclick = "WriteCookie
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
There could be various reasons why you would like to redirect a user from the original page. We are listing down a few of
the reasons −
You did not like the name of your domain and you are moving to a new one. In such a scenario, you may want
to direct all your visitors to the new site. Here you can maintain your old domain but put a single page with a
page redirection such that all your old domain visitors can come to your new domain.
You have built-up various pages based on browser versions or their names or may be based on different
countries, then instead of using your server-side page redirection, you can use client-side page redirection to land
your users on the appropriate page.
The Search Engines may have already indexed your pages. But while moving to another domain, you would not
like to lose your visitors coming through search engines. So you can use client-side page redirection. But keep in
mind this should not be done to fool the search engine, it could lead your site to get banned.
Example 1
It is quite simple to do a page redirect using JavaScript at client side. To redirect your site visitors to a new page, you just
need to add a line in your head section as follows.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function Redirect() {
window.location = "https://www.tutorialspoint.com";
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button, you will be redirected to home page.</
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Redirect Me" onclick = "Redirect()
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click the following button, you will be redirected to home page.
Redirect Me
Example 2
You can show an appropriate message to your site visitors before redirecting them to a new page. This would need a bit
time delay to load a new page. The following example shows how to implement the same. Here setTimeout() is a built-in
JavaScript function which can be used to execute another function after a given time interval.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function Redirect() {
window.location = "https://www.tutorialspoint.com";
}
document.write("You will be redirected to main page in 10 sec."
setTimeout('Redirect()', 10000);
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Output
<html>
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var browsername = navigator.appName;
if( browsername == "Netscape" ) {
window.location = "http://www.location.com/ns.htm";
} else if ( browsername =="Microsoft Internet Explorer") {
window.location = "http://www.location.com/ie.htm";
} else {
window.location = "http://www.location.com/other.htm";
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
Nonetheless, an alert box can still be used for friendlier messages. Alert box gives only one button "OK" to select and
proceed.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function Warn() {
alert ("This is a warning message!");
document.write ("This is a warning message!");
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to see the result: </p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "Warn();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
If the user clicks on the OK button, the window method confirm() will return true. If the user clicks on the Cancel button, then
confirm() returns false. You can use a confirmation dialog box as follows.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function getConfirmation() {
var retVal = confirm("Do you want to continue ?");
if( retVal == true ) {
document.write ("User wants to continue!");
return true;
} else {
document.write ("User does not want to continue!");
return false;
}
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to see the result: </p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "getConfirmati
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
This dialog box is displayed using a method called prompt() which takes two parameters: (i) a label which you want to
display in the text box and (ii) a default string to display in the text box.
This dialog box has two buttons: OK and Cancel. If the user clicks the OK button, the window method prompt() will return
the entered value from the text box. If the user clicks the Cancel button, the window method prompt() returns null.
Example
The following example shows how to use a prompt dialog box −
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function getValue() {
var retVal = prompt("Enter your name : ", "your name here");
document.write("You have entered : " + retVal);
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following button to see the result: </p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "getValue();"
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
Syntax
The syntax of void can be either of the following two −
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
void func()
javascript:void func()
or:
void(func())
javascript:void(func())
//-->
</script>
</head>
Example 1
The most common use of this operator is in a client-side javascript: URL, where it allows you to evaluate an expression for its
side-effects without the browser displaying the value of the evaluated expression.
Here the expression alert ('Warning!!!') is evaluated but it is not loaded back into the current document −
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following, This won't react at all...</p>
<a href = "javascript:void(alert('Warning!!!'))">Click me!</a>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click me!
Example 2
Take a look at the following example. The following link does nothing because the expression "0" has no effect in
JavaScript. Here the expression "0" is evaluated, but it is not loaded back into the current document.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following, This won't react at all...</p>
<a href = "javascript:void(0)">Click me!</a>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click me!
Example 3
Another use of void is to purposely generate the undefined value as follows.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function getValue() {
var a,b,c;
a = void ( b = 5, c = 7 );
document.write('a = ' + a + ' b = ' + b +' c = ' + c );
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "getValue();"
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
The JavaScript print function window.print() prints the current web page when executed. You can call this function directly
using the onclick event as shown in the following example.
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Print" onclick = "window.print()"
</form>
</body>
<html>
Output
Although it serves the purpose of getting a printout, it is not a recommended way. A printer friendly page is really just a
page with text, no images, graphics, or advertising.
Make a copy of the page and leave out unwanted text and graphics, then link to that printer friendly page from
the original. Check Example.
If you do not want to keep an extra copy of a page, then you can mark your printable text using proper
comments like <!-- PRINT STARTS HERE -->..... <!-- PRINT ENDS HERE --> and then you can use PERL or any other
script in the background to purge printable text and display for final printing. We at Tutorialspoint use this method
to provide print facility to our site visitors.
Encapsulation − the capability to store related information, whether data or methods, together in an object.
Aggregation − the capability to store one object inside another object.
Inheritance − the capability of a class to rely upon another class (or number of classes) for some of its properties
and methods.
Polymorphism − the capability to write one function or method that works in a variety of different ways.
Objects are composed of attributes. If an attribute contains a function, it is considered to be a method of the object,
otherwise the attribute is considered a property.
Object Properties
Object properties can be any of the three primitive data types, or any of the abstract data types, such as another object.
Object properties are usually variables that are used internally in the object's methods, but can also be globally visible
variables that are used throughout the page.
objectName.objectProperty = propertyValue;
For example − The following code gets the document title using the "title" property of the document object.
Object Methods
Methods are the functions that let the object do something or let something be done to it. There is a small difference
between a function and a method – at a function is a standalone unit of statements and a method is attached to an object
and can be referenced by the this keyword.
Methods are useful for everything from displaying the contents of the object to the screen to performing complex
mathematical operations on a group of local properties and parameters.
For example − Following is a simple example to show how to use the write() method of document object to write any
content on the document.
document.write("This is test");
User-Defined Objects
All user-defined objects and built-in objects are descendants of an object called Object.
In the following example, the constructor methods are Object(), Array(), and Date(). These constructors are built-in
JavaScript functions.
var employee = new Object();
var books = new Array("C++", "Perl", "Java");
var day = new Date("August 15, 1947");
The variable contains a reference to the new object. The properties assigned to the object are not variables and are not
defined with the var keyword.
Example 1
Try the following example; it demonstrates how to create an Object.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>User-defined objects</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var book = new Object(); // Create the object
book.subject = "Perl"; // Assign properties to the object
book.author = "Mohtashim";
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
document.write("Book name is : " + book.subject + "<br>");
document.write("Book author is : " + book.author + "<br>");
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output
Example 2
This example demonstrates how to create an object with a User-Defined Function. Here this keyword is used to refer to the
object that has been passed to a function.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>User-defined objects</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
function book(title, author) {
this.title = title;
this.author = author;
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var myBook = new book("Perl", "Mohtashim");
document.write("Book title is : " + myBook.title + "<br>");
document.write("Book author is : " + myBook.author + "<br>");
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output
Example
Try the following example; it shows how to add a function along with an object.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>User-defined objects</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
// Define a function which will work as a method
function addPrice(amount) {
this.price = amount;
}
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var myBook = new book("Perl", "Mohtashim");
myBook.addPrice(100);
Output
The object specified as an argument to with becomes the default object for the duration of the block that follows. The
properties and methods for the object can be used without naming the object.
Syntax
The syntax for with object is as follows −
with (object) {
properties used without the object name and dot
}
Example
Try the following example.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>User-defined objects</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
// Define a function which will work as a method
function addPrice(amount) {
with(this) {
price = amount;
}
}
function book(title, author) {
this.title = title;
this.author = author;
this.price = 0;
this.addPrice = addPrice; // Assign that method as property.
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
var myBook = new book("Perl", "Mohtashim");
myBook.addPrice(100);
Output
Book title is : Perl
Book author is : Mohtashim
Book price is : 100
Syntax
In the place of number, if you provide any non-number argument, then the argument cannot be converted into a number, it
returns NaN (Not-a-Number).
Number Properties
Here is a list of each property and their description.
MIN_VALUE
2
The smallest possible value a number in JavaScript can have 5E-324
NaN
3
Equal to a value that is not a number.
NEGATIVE_INFINITY
4
A value that is less than MIN_VALUE.
POSITIVE_INFINITY
5
A value that is greater than MAX_VALUE
prototype
6 A static property of the Number object. Use the prototype property to assign new properties and methods to
the Number object in the current document
constructor
7
Returns the function that created this object's instance. By default this is the Number object.
In the following sections, we will take a few examples to demonstrate the properties of Number.
Number Methods
The Number object contains only the default methods that are a part of every object's definition.
toExponential()
1 Forces a number to display in exponential notation, even if the number is in the range in which JavaScript
normally uses standard notation.
toFixed()
2
Formats a number with a specific number of digits to the right of the decimal.
toLocaleString()
3 Returns a string value version of the current number in a format that may vary according to a browser's local
settings.
toPrecision()
4
Defines how many total digits (including digits to the left and right of the decimal) to display of a number.
toString()
5
Returns the string representation of the number's value.
valueOf()
6
Returns the number's value.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to explain the methods of Number.
Syntax
Use the following syntax to create a boolean object.
Boolean Properties
Here is a list of the properties of Boolean object −
constructor
1
Returns a reference to the Boolean function that created the object.
prototype
2
The prototype property allows you to add properties and methods to an object.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to illustrate the properties of Boolean object.
Boolean Methods
Here is a list of the methods of Boolean object and their description.
toSource()
1 Returns a string containing the source of the Boolean object; you can use this string to create an equivalent
object.
toString()
2
Returns a string of either "true" or "false" depending upon the value of the object.
valueOf()
3
Returns the primitive value of the Boolean object.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of the Boolean methods.
As JavaScript automatically converts between string primitives and String objects, you can call any of the helper methods
of the String object on a string primitive.
Syntax
The String parameter is a series of characters that has been properly encoded.
String Properties
Here is a list of the properties of String object and their description.
constructor
1
Returns a reference to the String function that created the object.
length
2
Returns the length of the string.
prototype
3
The prototype property allows you to add properties and methods to an object.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of String properties.
String Methods
Here is a list of the methods available in String object along with their description.
charCodeAt()
2
Returns a number indicating the Unicode value of the character at the given index.
concat()
3
Combines the text of two strings and returns a new string.
indexOf()
4
Returns the index within the calling String object of the first occurrence of the specified value, or -1 if not found.
lastIndexOf()
5
Returns the index within the calling String object of the last occurrence of the specified value, or -1 if not found.
localeCompare()
6 Returns a number indicating whether a reference string comes before or after or is the same as the given string
in sort order.
match()
7
Used to match a regular expression against a string.
replace()
8 Used to find a match between a regular expression and a string, and to replace the matched substring with a
new substring.
search()
9
Executes the search for a match between a regular expression and a specified string.
slice()
10
Extracts a section of a string and returns a new string.
split()
11
Splits a String object into an array of strings by separating the string into substrings.
substr()
12 Returns the characters in a string beginning at the specified location through the specified number of
characters.
substring()
13
Returns the characters in a string between two indexes into the string.
toLocaleLowerCase()
14
The characters within a string are converted to lower case while respecting the current locale.
toLocaleUpperCase()
15
The characters within a string are converted to upper case while respecting the current locale.
toLowerCase()
16
Returns the calling string value converted to lower case.
toString()
17
Returns a string representing the specified object.
toUpperCase()
18
Returns the calling string value converted to uppercase.
valueOf()
19
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
anchor()
1
Creates an HTML anchor that is used as a hypertext target.
big()
2
Creates a string to be displayed in a big font as if it were in a <big> tag.
blink()
3
Creates a string to blink as if it were in a <blink> tag.
bold()
4
Creates a string to be displayed as bold as if it were in a <b> tag.
fixed()
5
Causes a string to be displayed in fixed-pitch font as if it were in a <tt> tag
fontcolor()
6
Causes a string to be displayed in the specified color as if it were in a <font color="color"> tag.
fontsize()
7
Causes a string to be displayed in the specified font size as if it were in a <font size="size"> tag.
italics()
8
Causes a string to be italic, as if it were in an <i> tag.
link()
9
Creates an HTML hypertext link that requests another URL.
small()
10
Causes a string to be displayed in a small font, as if it were in a <small> tag.
strike()
11
Causes a string to be displayed as struck-out text, as if it were in a <strike> tag.
sub()
12
Causes a string to be displayed as a subscript, as if it were in a <sub> tag
sup()
13
Causes a string to be displayed as a superscript, as if it were in a <sup> tag
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of String methods.
Syntax
Use the following syntax to create an Array object −
The Array parameter is a list of strings or integers. When you specify a single numeric parameter with the Array constructor,
you specify the initial length of the array. The maximum length allowed for an array is 4,294,967,295.
You will use ordinal numbers to access and to set values inside an array as follows.
Array Properties
Here is a list of the properties of the Array object along with their description.
index
2
The property represents the zero-based index of the match in the string
input
3
This property is only present in arrays created by regular expression matches.
length
4
Reflects the number of elements in an array.
prototype
5
The prototype property allows you to add properties and methods to an object.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to illustrate the usage of Array properties.
Array Methods
Here is a list of the methods of the Array object along with their description.
concat()
1
Returns a new array comprised of this array joined with other array(s) and/or value(s).
every()
2
Returns true if every element in this array satisfies the provided testing function.
filter()
3
Creates a new array with all of the elements of this array for which the provided filtering function returns true.
forEach()
4
Calls a function for each element in the array.
indexOf()
5
Returns the first (least) index of an element within the array equal to the specified value, or -1 if none is found.
join()
6
Joins all elements of an array into a string.
lastIndexOf()
7 Returns the last (greatest) index of an element within the array equal to the specified value, or -1 if none is
found.
map()
8
Creates a new array with the results of calling a provided function on every element in this array.
pop()
9
Removes the last element from an array and returns that element.
push()
10
Adds one or more elements to the end of an array and returns the new length of the array.
reduce()
11 Apply a function simultaneously against two values of the array (from left-to-right) as to reduce it to a single
value.
reduceRight()
12 Apply a function simultaneously against two values of the array (from right-to-left) as to reduce it to a single
value.
reverse()
13
Reverses the order of the elements of an array -- the first becomes the last, and the last becomes the first.
shift()
14
Removes the first element from an array and returns that element.
slice()
15
Extracts a section of an array and returns a new array.
some()
16
Returns true if at least one element in this array satisfies the provided testing function.
toSource()
17
Represents the source code of an object
sort()
18
Sorts the elements of an array
splice()
19
Adds and/or removes elements from an array.
toString()
20
Returns a string representing the array and its elements.
unshift()
21
Adds one or more elements to the front of an array and returns the new length of the array.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of Array methods.
The ECMAScript standard requires the Date object to be able to represent any date and time, to millisecond precision,
within 100 million days before or after 1/1/1970. This is a range of plus or minus 273,785 years, so JavaScript can
represent date and time till the year 275755.
Syntax
You can use any of the following syntaxes to create a Date object using Date() constructor.
new Date( )
new Date(milliseconds)
new Date(datestring)
new Date(year,month,date[,hour,minute,second,millisecond ])
No Argument − With no arguments, the Date() constructor creates a Date object set to the current date and time.
milliseconds − When one numeric argument is passed, it is taken as the internal numeric representation of the
date in milliseconds, as returned by the getTime() method. For example, passing the argument 5000 creates a
date that represents five seconds past midnight on 1/1/70.
datestring − When one string argument is passed, it is a string representation of a date, in the format accepted
by the Date.parse() method.
7 agruments − To use the last form of the constructor shown above. Here is a description of each argument −
year − Integer value representing the year. For compatibility (in order to avoid the Y2K problem), you
should always specify the year in full; use 1998, rather than 98.
month − Integer value representing the month, beginning with 0 for January to 11 for December.
constructor
1
Specifies the function that creates an object's prototype.
prototype
2
The prototype property allows you to add properties and methods to an object
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of different Date properties.
Date Methods
Here is a list of the methods used with Date and their description.
Date()
1
Returns today's date and time
getDate()
2
Returns the day of the month for the specified date according to local time.
getDay()
3
Returns the day of the week for the specified date according to local time.
getFullYear()
4
Returns the year of the specified date according to local time.
getHours()
5
Returns the hour in the specified date according to local time.
getMilliseconds()
6
Returns the milliseconds in the specified date according to local time.
getMinutes()
7
Returns the minutes in the specified date according to local time.
getMonth()
8
Returns the month in the specified date according to local time.
getSeconds()
9
Returns the seconds in the specified date according to local time.
getTime()
10 Returns the numeric value of the specified date as the number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970,
00:00:00 UTC.
getTimezoneOffset()
11
Returns the time-zone offset in minutes for the current locale.
getUTCDate()
12
Returns the day (date) of the month in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCDay()
13
Returns the day of the week in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCFullYear()
14
Returns the year in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCHours()
15
Returns the hours in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCMilliseconds()
16
Returns the milliseconds in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCMinutes()
17
Returns the minutes in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCMonth()
18
Returns the month in the specified date according to universal time.
getUTCSeconds()
19
Returns the seconds in the specified date according to universal time.
getYear()
20
Deprecated - Returns the year in the specified date according to local time. Use getFullYear instead.
setDate()
21
Sets the day of the month for a specified date according to local time.
setFullYear()
22
Sets the full year for a specified date according to local time.
setHours()
23
Sets the hours for a specified date according to local time.
setMilliseconds()
24
Sets the milliseconds for a specified date according to local time.
setMinutes()
25
Sets the minutes for a specified date according to local time.
setMonth()
26
Sets the month for a specified date according to local time.
setSeconds()
27
Sets the seconds for a specified date according to local time.
setTime()
28 Sets the Date object to the time represented by a number of milliseconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00
UTC.
setUTCDate()
29
Sets the day of the month for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCFullYear()
30
Sets the full year for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCHours()
31
Sets the hour for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCMilliseconds()
32
Sets the milliseconds for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCMinutes()
33
Sets the minutes for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCMonth()
34
Sets the month for a specified date according to universal time.
setUTCSeconds()
35
Sets the seconds for a specified date according to universal time.
setYear()
36
Deprecated - Sets the year for a specified date according to local time. Use setFullYear instead.
toDateString()
37
Returns the "date" portion of the Date as a human-readable string.
toGMTString()
38
Deprecated - Converts a date to a string, using the Internet GMT conventions. Use toUTCString instead.
toLocaleDateString()
39
Returns the "date" portion of the Date as a string, using the current locale's conventions.
toLocaleFormat()
40
Converts a date to a string, using a format string.
toLocaleString()
41
Converts a date to a string, using the current locale's conventions.
toLocaleTimeString()
42
Returns the "time" portion of the Date as a string, using the current locale's conventions.
toSource()
43 Returns a string representing the source for an equivalent Date object; you can use this value to create a new
object.
toString()
44
Returns a string representing the specified Date object.
toTimeString()
45
Returns the "time" portion of the Date as a human-readable string.
toUTCString()
46
Converts a date to a string, using the universal time convention.
valueOf()
47
Returns the primitive value of a Date object.
Date.parse( )
1 Parses a string representation of a date and time and returns the internal millisecond representation of that
date.
Date.UTC( )
2
Returns the millisecond representation of the specified UTC date and time.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usages of Date Static methods.
Thus, you refer to the constant pi as Math.PI and you call the sine function as Math.sin(x), where x is the method's
argument.
Syntax
The syntax to call the properties and methods of Math are as follows
Math Properties
Here is a list of all the properties of Math and their description.
E\
1
Euler's constant and the base of natural logarithms, approximately 2.718.
LN2
2
Natural logarithm of 2, approximately 0.693.
LN10
3
Natural logarithm of 10, approximately 2.302.
LOG2E
4
Base 2 logarithm of E, approximately 1.442.
LOG10E
5
Base 10 logarithm of E, approximately 0.434.
PI
6
Ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14159.
SQRT1_2
7
Square root of 1/2; equivalently, 1 over the square root of 2, approximately 0.707.
SQRT2
8
Square root of 2, approximately 1.414.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of Math properties.
Math Methods
Here is a list of the methods associated with Math object and their description
acos()
2
Returns the arccosine (in radians) of a number.
asin()
3
Returns the arcsine (in radians) of a number.
atan()
4
Returns the arctangent (in radians) of a number.
atan2()
5
Returns the arctangent of the quotient of its arguments.
ceil()
6
Returns the smallest integer greater than or equal to a number.
cos()
7
Returns the cosine of a number.
exp()
8
Returns EN, where N is the argument, and E is Euler's constant, the base of the natural logarithm.
floor()
9
Returns the largest integer less than or equal to a number.
log()
10
Returns the natural logarithm (base E) of a number.
max()
11
Returns the largest of zero or more numbers.
min()
12
Returns the smallest of zero or more numbers.
pow()
13
Returns base to the exponent power, that is, base exponent.
random()
14
Returns a pseudo-random number between 0 and 1.
round()
15
Returns the value of a number rounded to the nearest integer.
sin()
16
Returns the sine of a number.
sqrt()
17
Returns the square root of a number.
tan()
18
Returns the tangent of a number.
toSource()
19
Returns the string "Math".
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of the methods associated with Math.
The JavaScript RegExp class represents regular expressions, and both String and RegExp define methods that use regular
expressions to perform powerful pattern-matching and search-and-replace functions on text.
Syntax
pattern − A string that specifies the pattern of the regular expression or another regular expression.
attributes − An optional string containing any of the "g", "i", and "m" attributes that specify global, case-
insensitive, and multi-line matches, respectively.
Brackets
Brackets ([]) have a special meaning when used in the context of regular expressions. They are used to find a range of
characters.
[...]
1
Any one character between the brackets.
2 [^...]
Any one character not between the brackets.
[0-9]
3
It matches any decimal digit from 0 through 9.
[a-z]
4
It matches any character from lowercase a through lowercase z.
[A-Z]
5
It matches any character from uppercase A through uppercase Z.
[a-Z]
6
It matches any character from lowercase a through uppercase Z.
The ranges shown above are general; you could also use the range [0-3] to match any decimal digit ranging from 0
through 3, or the range [b-v] to match any lowercase character ranging from b through v.
Quantifiers
The frequency or position of bracketed character sequences and single characters can be denoted by a special character.
Each special character has a specific connotation. The +, *, ?, and $ flags all follow a character sequence.
p+
1
It matches any string containing one or more p's.
p*
2
It matches any string containing zero or more p's.
p?
3
It matches any string containing at most one p.
p{N}
4
It matches any string containing a sequence of N p's
p{2,3}
5
It matches any string containing a sequence of two or three p's.
p{2, }
6
It matches any string containing a sequence of at least two p's.
p$
7
It matches any string with p at the end of it.
^p
8
It matches any string with p at the beginning of it.
Examples
Following examples explain more about matching characters.
[^a-zA-Z]
1
It matches any string not containing any of the characters ranging from a through z and A through Z.
p.p
2
It matches any string containing p, followed by any character, in turn followed by another p.
^.{2}$
3
It matches any string containing exactly two characters.
<b>(.*)</b>
4
It matches any string enclosed within <b> and </b>.
p(hp)*
5
It matches any string containing a p followed by zero or more instances of the sequence hp.
Literal characters
Sr.No. Character & Description
Alphanumeric
1
Itself
\0
2
The NUL character (\u0000)
\t
3
Tab (\u0009
\n
4
Newline (\u000A)
\v
5
Vertical tab (\u000B)
\f
6
Form feed (\u000C)
\r
7
Carriage return (\u000D)
8 \xnn
The Latin character specified by the hexadecimal number nn; for example, \x0A is the same as \n
\uxxxx
9
The Unicode character specified by the hexadecimal number xxxx; for example, \u0009 is the same as \t
\cX
10
The control character ^X; for example, \cJ is equivalent to the newline character \n
Metacharacters
A metacharacter is simply an alphabetical character preceded by a backslash that acts to give the combination a special
meaning.
For instance, you can search for a large sum of money using the '\d' metacharacter: /([\d]+)000/, Here \d will search
for any string of numerical character.
The following table lists a set of metacharacters which can be used in PERL Style Regular Expressions.
.
1
a single character
\s
2
a whitespace character (space, tab, newline)
\S
3
non-whitespace character
\d
4
a digit (0-9)
\D
5
a non-digit
\w
6
a word character (a-z, A-Z, 0-9, _)
\W
7
a non-word character
[\b]
8
a literal backspace (special case).
[aeiou]
9
matches a single character in the given set
10 [^aeiou]
matches a single character outside the given set
(foo|bar|baz)
11
matches any of the alternatives specified
Modifiers
Several modifiers are available that can simplify the way you work with regexps, like case sensitivity, searching in multiple
lines, etc.
i
1
Perform case-insensitive matching.
m
2 Specifies that if the string has newline or carriage return characters, the ^ and $ operators will now match
against a newline boundary, instead of a string boundary
g
3
Performs a global matchthat is, find all matches rather than stopping after the first match.
RegExp Properties
Here is a list of the properties associated with RegExp and their description.
constructor
1
Specifies the function that creates an object's prototype.
global
2
Specifies if the "g" modifier is set.
ignoreCase
3
Specifies if the "i" modifier is set.
lastIndex
4
The index at which to start the next match.
multiline
5
Specifies if the "m" modifier is set.
source
6
The text of the pattern.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of RegExp properties.
RegExp Methods
Here is a list of the methods associated with RegExp along with their description.
exec()
1
Executes a search for a match in its string parameter.
test()
2
Tests for a match in its string parameter.
toSource()
3
Returns an object literal representing the specified object; you can use this value to create a new object.
toString()
4
Returns a string representing the specified object.
In the following sections, we will have a few examples to demonstrate the usage of RegExp methods.
A Document object represents the HTML document that is displayed in that window. The Document object has various
properties that refer to other objects which allow access to and modification of document content.
The way a document content is accessed and modified is called the Document Object Model, or DOM. The Objects are
organized in a hierarchy. This hierarchical structure applies to the organization of objects in a Web document.
Window object − Top of the hierarchy. It is the outmost element of the object hierarchy.
Document object − Each HTML document that gets loaded into a window becomes a document object. The
document contains the contents of the page.
Form object − Everything enclosed in the <form>...</form> tags sets the form object.
Form control elements − The form object contains all the elements defined for that object such as text fields,
buttons, radio buttons, and checkboxes.
The Legacy DOM − This is the model which was introduced in early versions of JavaScript language. It is well
supported by all browsers, but allows access only to certain key portions of documents, such as forms, form
elements, and images.
The W3C DOM − This document object model allows access and modification of all document content and is
standardized by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This model is supported by almost all the modern
browsers.
The IE4 DOM − This document object model was introduced in Version 4 of Microsoft's Internet Explorer
browser. IE 5 and later versions include support for most basic W3C DOM features.
DOM compatibility
If you want to write a script with the flexibility to use either W3C DOM or IE 4 DOM depending on their availability, then
you can use a capability-testing approach that first checks for the existence of a method or property to determine whether
the browser has the capability you desire. For example −
if (document.getElementById) {
// If the W3C method exists, use it
} else if (document.all) {
// If the all[] array exists, use it
} else {
// Otherwise use the legacy DOM
}
Syntax Errors
Syntax errors, also called parsing errors, occur at compile time in traditional programming languages and at interpret time
in JavaScript.
For example, the following line causes a syntax error because it is missing a closing parenthesis.
When a syntax error occurs in JavaScript, only the code contained within the same thread as the syntax error is affected
and the rest of the code in other threads gets executed assuming nothing in them depends on the code containing the
error.
Runtime Errors
Runtime errors, also called exceptions, occur during execution (after compilation/interpretation).
For example, the following line causes a runtime error because here the syntax is correct, but at runtime, it is trying to call a
method that does not exist.
Exceptions also affect the thread in which they occur, allowing other JavaScript threads to continue normal execution.
Logical Errors
Logic errors can be the most difficult type of errors to track down. These errors are not the result of a syntax or runtime error.
Instead, they occur when you make a mistake in the logic that drives your script and you do not get the result you
expected.
You cannot catch those errors, because it depends on your business requirement what type of logic you want to put in your
program.
The try...catch...finally Statement
The latest versions of JavaScript added exception handling capabilities. JavaScript implements the try...catch...finally
construct as well as the throw operator to handle exceptions.
You can catch programmer-generated and runtime exceptions, but you cannot catch JavaScript syntax errors.
catch ( e ) {
// Code to run if an exception occurs
[break;]
}
[ finally {
// Code that is always executed regardless of
// an exception occurring
}]
//-->
</script>
The try block must be followed by either exactly one catch block or one finally block (or one of both). When an exception
occurs in the try block, the exception is placed in e and the catch block is executed. The optional finally block executes
unconditionally after try/catch.
Examples
Here is an example where we are trying to call a non-existing function which in turn is raising an exception. Let us see how
it behaves without try...catch−
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
function myFunc() {
var a = 100;
alert("Value of variable a is : " + a );
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
Now let us try to catch this exception using try...catch and display a user-friendly message. You can also suppress this
message, if you want to hide this error from a user.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
You can use finally block which will always execute unconditionally after the try/catch. Here is an example.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
try {
alert("Value of variable a is : " + a );
}
catch ( e ) {
alert("Error: " + e.description );
}
finally {
alert("Finally block will always execute!" );
}
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
Example
The following example demonstrates how to use a throw statement.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
try {
if ( b == 0 ) {
throw( "Divide by zero error." );
} else {
var c = a / b;
}
}
catch ( e ) {
alert("Error: " + e );
}
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
You can raise an exception in one function using a string, integer, Boolean, or an object and then you can capture that
exception either in the same function as we did above, or in another function using a try...catch block.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
The onerror event handler provides three pieces of information to identify the exact nature of the error −
Error message − The same message that the browser would display for the given error
Example
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
</head>
<body>
<p>Click the following to see the result:</p>
<form>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "myFunc();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
You can display extracted information in whatever way you think it is better.
You can use an onerror method, as shown below, to display an error message in case there is any problem in loading an
image.
You can use onerror with many HTML tags to display appropriate messages in case of errors.
JavaScript provides a way to validate form's data on the client's computer before sending it to the web server. Form
validation generally performs two functions.
Basic Validation − First of all, the form must be checked to make sure all the mandatory fields are filled in. It
would require just a loop through each field in the form and check for data.
Data Format Validation − Secondly, the data that is entered must be checked for correct form and value. Your
code must include appropriate logic to test correctness of data.
Example
We will take an example to understand the process of validation. Here is a simple form in html format.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>Form Validation</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
// Form validation code will come here.
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form action = "/cgi-bin/test.cgi" name = "myForm" onsubmit = "return
<table cellspacing = "2" cellpadding = "2" border = "1">
<tr>
<td align = "right">Name</td>
<td><input type = "text" name = "Name" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align = "right">EMail</td>
<td><input type = "text" name = "EMail" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align = "right">Zip Code</td>
<td><input type = "text" name = "Zip" /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align = "right">Country</td>
<td>
<select name = "Country">
<option value = "-1" selected>[choose yours]</option>
<option value = "1">USA</option>
<option value = "2">UK</option>
<option value = "3">INDIA</option>
</select>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align = "right"></td>
<td><input type = "submit" value = "Submit" /></td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Name
EMail
Zip Code
Country [choose yours]
Submit
The following example shows how to validate an entered email address. An email address must contain at least a ‘@’ sign
and a dot (.). Also, the ‘@’ must not be the first character of the email address, and the last dot must at least be one
character after the ‘@’ sign.
Example
Try the following code for email validation.
JavaScript - Animation
You can use JavaScript to create a complex animation having, but not limited to, the following elements −
Fireworks
Fade Effect
Roll-in or Roll-out
Page-in or Page-out
Object movements
This tutorial provides a basic understanding of how to use JavaScript to create an animation.
JavaScript can be used to move a number of DOM elements (<img />, <div> or any other HTML element) around the
page according to some sort of pattern determined by a logical equation or function.
JavaScript provides the following two functions to be frequently used in animation programs.
setTimeout( function, duration) − This function calls function after duration milliseconds from now.
setInterval(function, duration) − This function calls function after every duration milliseconds.
clearTimeout(setTimeout_variable) − This function calls clears any timer set by the setTimeout() functions.
JavaScript can also set a number of attributes of a DOM object including its position on the screen. You can set top and
left attribute of an object to position it anywhere on the screen. Here is its syntax.
or
// Set distance from top edge of the screen.
object.style.top = distance in pixels or points;
Manual Animation
So let's implement one simple animation using DOM object properties and JavaScript functions as follows. The following
list contains different DOM methods.
We are using the JavaScript function getElementById() to get a DOM object and then assigning it to a global
variable imgObj.
We have defined an initialization function init() to initialize imgObj where we have set its position and left
attributes.
We are calling initialization function at the time of window load.
Finally, we are calling moveRight() function to increase the left distance by 10 pixels. You could also set it to a
negative value to move it to the left side.
Example
Try the following example.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>JavaScript Animation</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var imgObj = null;
function init() {
imgObj = document.getElementById('myImage');
imgObj.style.position= 'relative';
imgObj.style.left = '0px';
}
function moveRight() {
imgObj.style.left = parseInt(imgObj.style.left) + 10 + 'px';
}
window.onload = init;
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<img id = "myImage" src = "/images/html.gif" />
<p>Click button below to move the image to right</p>
<input type = "button" value = "Click Me" onclick = "moveRight();"
</form>
</body>
</html>
Output
Click Me
Automated Animation
In the above example, we saw how an image moves to right with every click. We can automate this process by using the
JavaScript function setTimeout() as follows −
Here we have added more methods. So let's see what is new here −
The moveRight() function is calling setTimeout() function to set the position of imgObj.
We have added a new function stop() to clear the timer set by setTimeout() function and to set the object at its
initial position.
Example
function init() {
imgObj = document.getElementById('myImage');
imgObj.style.position= 'relative';
imgObj.style.left = '0px';
}
function moveRight() {
imgObj.style.left = parseInt(imgObj.style.left) + 10 + 'px';
animate = setTimeout(moveRight,20); // call moveRight in
}
function stop() {
clearTimeout(animate);
imgObj.style.left = '0px';
}
window.onload = init;
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<img id = "myImage" src = "/images/html.gif" />
<p>Click the buttons below to handle animation</p>
<input type = "button" value = "Start" onclick = "moveRight();" />
<input type = "button" value = "Stop" onclick = "stop();" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
Click the buttons below to handle animation
Start Stop
At the time of loading this page, the ‘if’ statement checks for the existence of the image object. If the image
object is unavailable, this block will not be executed.
The Image() constructor creates and preloads a new image object called image1.
The src property is assigned the name of the external image file called /images/html.gif.
Similarly, we have created image2 object and assigned /images/http.gif in this object.
The # (hash mark) disables the link so that the browser does not try to go to a URL when clicked. This link is an
image.
The onMouseOver event handler is triggered when the user's mouse moves onto the link, and the onMouseOut
event handler is triggered when the user's mouse moves away from the link (image).
When the mouse moves over the image, the HTTP image changes from the first image to the second one. When
the mouse is moved away from the image, the original image is displayed.
When the mouse is moved away from the link, the initial image html.gif will reappear on the screen.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>Rollover with a Mouse Events</title>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
if(document.images) {
var image1 = new Image(); // Preload an image
image1.src = "/images/html.gif";
var image2 = new Image(); // Preload second image
image2.src = "/images/http.gif";
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p>Move your mouse over the image to see the result</p>
JavaScript - Multimedia
The JavaScript navigator object includes a child object called plugins. This object is an array, with one entry for each plug-
in installed on the browser. The navigator.plugins object is supported only by Netscape, Firefox, and Mozilla only.
Example
Here is an example that shows how to list down all the plug-on installed in your browser −
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>List of Plug-Ins</title>
</head>
<body>
<table border = "1">
<tr>
<th>Plug-in Name</th>
<th>Filename</th>
<th>Description</th>
</tr>
Output
Plug-in Name Filename Description
filename − is the executable file that was loaded to install the plug-in.
description − is a description of the plug-in, supplied by the developer.
mimeTypes − is an array with one entry for each MIME type supported by the plug-in.
You can use these properties in a script to find out the installed plug-ins, and then using JavaScript, you can play
appropriate multimedia file. Take a look at the following example.
<html>
<head>
<title>Using Plug-Ins</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language = "JavaScript" type = "text/javascript">
media = navigator.mimeTypes["video/quicktime"];
if (media) {
document.write("<embed src = 'quick.mov' height = 100 width = 1
} else {
document.write("<img src = 'quick.gif' height = 100 width = 100
}
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output
NOTE − Here we are using HTML <embed> tag to embed a multimedia file.
Controlling Multimedia
Let us take one real example which works in almost all the browsers −
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>Using Embeded Object</title>
<body>
<embed id = "demo" name = "demo"
src = "http://www.amrood.com/games/kumite.swf"
width = "318" height = "300" play = "false" loop = "false"
pluginspage = "http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"
swliveconnect = "true">
Output
JavaScript - Debugging
Every now and then, developers commit mistakes while coding. A mistake in a program or a script is referred to as a bug.
The process of finding and fixing bugs is called debugging and is a normal part of the development process. This section
covers tools and techniques that can help you with debugging tasks..
Error Messages in IE
The most basic way to track down errors is by turning on error information in your browser. By default, Internet Explorer
shows an error icon in the status bar when an error occurs on the page.
Double-clicking this icon takes you to a dialog box showing information about the specific error that occurred.
Since this icon is easy to overlook, Internet Explorer gives you the option to automatically show the Error dialog box
whenever an error occurs.
To enable this option, select Tools → Internet Options → Advanced tab. and then finally check the "Display a Notification
About Every Script Error" box option as shown below −
Unfortunately, since these browsers give no visual indication when an error occurs, you must keep the Console open and
watch for errors as your script executes.
Error Notifications
Error notifications that show up on Console or through Internet Explorer dialog boxes are the result of both syntax and
runtime errors. These error notification include the line number at which the error occurred.
If you are using Firefox, then you can click on the error available in the error console to go to the exact line in the script
having error.
The most convenient validator for JavaScript is Douglas Crockford's JavaScript Lint, which is available for free at Douglas
Crockford's JavaScript Lint.
Simply visit that web page, paste your JavaScript (Only JavaScript) code into the text area provided, and click the jslint
button. This program will parse through your JavaScript code, ensuring that all the variable and function definitions follow
the correct syntax. It will also check JavaScript statements, such as if and while, to ensure they too follow the correct format
You can use the alert() or document.write() methods in your program to debug your code. For example, you might write
something as follows −
var debugging = true;
var whichImage = "widget";
if( debugging )
alert( "Calls swapImage() with argument: " + whichImage );
var swapStatus = swapImage( whichImage );
if( debugging )
alert( "Exits swapImage() with swapStatus=" + swapStatus );
By examining the content and order of the alert() as they appear, you can examine the health of your program very easily.
A debugger is an application that places all aspects of script execution under the control of the programmer. Debuggers
provide fine-grained control over the state of the script through an interface that allows you to examine and set values as
well as control the flow of execution.
Once a script has been loaded into a debugger, it can be run one line at a time or instructed to halt at certain breakpoints.
Once execution is halted, the programmer can examine the state of the script and its variables in order to determine if
something is amiss. You can also watch variables for changes in their values.
The latest version of the Mozilla JavaScript Debugger (code-named Venkman) for both Mozilla and Netscape browsers
can be downloaded at http://www.hacksrus.com/~ginda/venkman
Use plenty of comments. Comments enable you to explain why you wrote the script the way you did and to
explain particularly difficult sections of code.
Always use indentation to make your code easy to read. Indenting statements also makes it easier for you to
match up beginning and ending tags, curly braces, and other HTML and script elements.
Write modular code. Whenever possible, group your statements into functions. Functions let you group related
statements, and test and reuse portions of code with minimal effort.
Be consistent in the way you name your variables and functions. Try using names that are long enough to be
meaningful and that describe the contents of the variable or the purpose of the function.
Use consistent syntax when naming variables and functions. In other words, keep them all lowercase or all
uppercase; if you prefer Camel-Back notation, use it consistently.
Test long scripts in a modular fashion. In other words, do not try to write the entire script before testing any
portion of it. Write a piece and get it to work before adding the next portion of code.
Use descriptive variable and function names and avoid using single-character names.
Watch your quotation marks. Remember that quotation marks are used in pairs around strings and that both
quotation marks must be of the same style (either single or double).
Watch your equal signs. You should not used a single = for comparison purpose.
The image that is going to form the map is inserted into the page using the <img /> element as normal, except that it
carries an extra attribute called usemap. The value of the usemap attribute is the value of the name attribute on the <map>
element, which you are about to meet, preceded by a pound or hash sign.
The <map> element actually creates the map for the image and usually follows directly after the <img /> element. It acts
as a container for the <area /> elements that actually define the clickable hotspots. The <map> element carries only one
attribute, the name attribute, which is the name that identifies the map. This is how the <img /> element knows which
<map> element to use.
The <area> element specifies the shape and the coordinates that define the boundaries of each clickable hotspot.
The following code combines imagemaps and JavaScript to produce a message in a text box when the mouse is moved
over different parts of an image.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>Using JavaScript Image Map</title>
<body>
<form name = "myform">
<input type = "text" name = "stage" size = "20" />
</form>
Output
You can feel the map concept by placing the mouse cursor on the image object.
JavaScript - Browsers Compatibility
It is important to understand the differences between different browsers in order to handle each in the way it is expected.
So it is important to know which browser your web page is running in.
To get information about the browser your webpage is currently running in, use the built-in navigator object.
Navigator Properties
There are several Navigator related properties that you can use in your Web page. The following is a list of the names
and descriptions of each.
appCodeName
1 This property is a string that contains the code name of the browser, Netscape for Netscape and Microsoft
Internet Explorer for Internet Explorer.
appVersion
2 This property is a string that contains the version of the browser as well as other useful information such as its
language and compatibility.
language
3
This property contains the two-letter abbreviation for the language that is used by the browser. Netscape only.
mimTypes[]
4
This property is an array that contains all MIME types supported by the client. Netscape only.
platform[]
5 This property is a string that contains the platform for which the browser was compiled."Win32" for 32-bit
Windows operating systems
plugins[]
6
This property is an array containing all the plug-ins that have been installed on the client. Netscape only.
userAgent[]
7 This property is a string that contains the code name and version of the browser. This value is sent to the
originating server to identify the client.
Navigator Methods
There are several Navigator-specific methods. Here is a list of their names and descriptions.
Sr.No. Description
javaEnabled()
1 This method determines if JavaScript is enabled in the client. If JavaScript is enabled, this method returns true;
otherwise, it returns false.
plugings.refresh
2 This method makes newly installed plug-ins available and populates the plugins array with all new plug-in
names. Netscape only.
preference(name,value)
This method allows a signed script to get and set some Netscape preferences. If the second parameter is
3
omitted, this method will return the value of the specified preference; otherwise, it sets the value. Netscape
only.
taintEnabled()
4
This method returns true if data tainting is enabled; false otherwise.
Browser Detection
There is a simple JavaScript which can be used to find out the name of a browser and then accordingly an HTML page
can be served to the user.
<html>
Live Demo
<head>
<title>Browser Detection Example</title>
</head>
<body>
<script type = "text/javascript">
<!--
var userAgent = navigator.userAgent;
var opera = (userAgent.indexOf('Opera') != -1);
var ie = (userAgent.indexOf('MSIE') != -1);
var gecko = (userAgent.indexOf('Gecko') != -1);
var netscape = (userAgent.indexOf('Mozilla') != -1);
var version = navigator.appVersion;
if (opera) {
document.write("Opera based browser");
// Keep your opera specific URL here.
} else if (gecko) {
document.write("Mozilla based browser");
// Keep your gecko specific URL here.
} else if (ie) {
document.write("IE based browser");
// Keep your IE specific URL here.
} else if (netscape) {
document.write("Netscape based browser");
// Keep your Netscape specific URL here.
} else {
document.write("Unknown browser");
}
Output
Mozilla based browser
Browser version info : 5.0 (Linux; Android 8.1.0; CPH1803) AppleWebKit/537.36
(KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/108.0.0.0 Mobile Safari/537.36