What is JavaScript (JS)?
JavaScript (JS) is a scripting language that enables developers to create interactive web pages. It was initially developed by Netscape Communications and has since become one of the primary programming languages used to build websites and applications. JavaScript adds dynamic content, links, metadata, or other elements to websites. It can also control certain aspects of the website, such as form validation and user input processing.
JavaScript is a high-level interpreted language, meaning it does not need to be compiled before being executed in the browser. JavaScript runs on all major browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Internet Explorer, and more. JS scripts can be embedded directly into HTML documents and combined with HTML and CSS for web development. This makes it possible for developers to quickly create visually appealing websites with advanced features such as animations, navigation menus, interactive forms, complex calculations and more.
In addition to giving developers greater flexibility when building websites, JavaScript can also help reduce page loading time for users due to its asynchronous nature. However, excessive use of JavaScript can slow down sites or make them difficult for search engine bots to crawl and index properly. Therefore, developers must balance functionality and performance when using JavaScript on their sites.