ECMAScript programming language

The ECMAScript programming language, commonly known as JavaScript, is an object-oriented [scripting language]? specified by the ECMA-262 standard. [Netscape Communications]? originally developed the language under the name "LiveScript" but then renamed it to "JavaScript" and gave it a syntax closer to that of the Java programming language developed by Sun Microsystems at roughly the same time Netscape was including support for Java technology in its Netscape Navigator browser.

ECMAScript is an object-oriented scripting language that connects through interfaces called Document Object Models (DOMs) to applications, especially to the server side ([web servers]?) and the client side ([Internet browsers]?) of internet applications. Many web sites use client-side ECMAScript technology to create powerful dynamic web applications. It may use Unicode and can evalutate regular expressions and Javascript expressions contained in a string (eval function).

Data structures

The primary data structure is an [associative array]? similar to hashes in the Perl programming language. Strings are objects. (To do: more information on the language)

Control structures

If ... else

if (condition)
   { statements1}
[else { statements2}]

While loop

while (condition)<br> { statements}<br>

Do ... while

do
{statements}
while (condition);

For loop

 for ([initial-expression;] [condition;] [increment-expression])</br>
  {   statements}

Switch expression

 switch (expression)
 {   case label :       statement;  
     break;   
     case label :       statement;
     break; 
     ... 
     default : statement;}

External link:

• The ECMAScript Language Specification is available from http://www.ecma.ch/ecma1/STAND/ECMA-262.HTM
• [Reference for version 1.2]