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JavaScript is one of the most commonly used programming languages. As well as HTML and CSS, the language has changed the approach to web development and is supported by all of the modern web browsers. For those who work in web development, it’s essential to have a thorough understanding of JavaScript, as computer programmer Jonathan De Vita knows from experience. The language enables developers to create more interactive web pages, including components such as animations, pop-up menus and buttons.  

There are many JavaScript features of webpages that can be overlooked as we are so used to seeing them. This includes search engines predicting the end of a customer’s search query and social media pages refreshing. Using JavaScript also allows developers to create mobile applications and web-based browser games and can also be utilised in back-end development.  

The Characteristics of JavaScript 

JavaScript is considered a lightweight scripting language that lends itself well to client-side execution and web apps. The code is relatively straightforward to implement, as it relies on dynamic typing and negates any need to declare the data types of variables. The programming language is also functional, with objects created using constructor functions. As JavaScript is platform-independent, its code can be written and run from anywhere. 

JavaScript also uses asynchronous programming. This technique enables software to start more time-consuming tasks while running other functions in the meantime, allowing for more efficiency. 

Adding JavaScript to a Website 

For those who are familiar with using HTML and CSS, adding JavaScript to a website is quite simple. Adding JavaScript can be done by using <script> tags and allocating the type attribute text/javascript. JavaScript code can also be attached to a page as a separate header file with the extension .js. This is a useful tool for developers who wish to include it across several pages at once. Each person’s web browser then downloads and processes the code. 

There is also a range of tools which can simplify the use of JavaScript and make the process more efficient. There are certain JavaScript features which can be found across a large number of websites and apps, including menu animations and image galleries. Developers can build these themselves, but there are coding libraries such as jQuery which can make building pages much quicker. Another well-known JavaScript library is React JS, which offers pre-written code for commonly implemented menu objects and effects.