An Introduction to JavaScript: Getting Started with Basics.

Javascript is a programming language widely used to develop interactive web applications. It is a high-level, interpreted language that can be run on a browser, server or any other platform that supports it. In this article, we will go through the basics of Javascript and how to get started.

Setting up the Development Environment

To get started with Javascript, you need a text editor and a web browser. There are many text editors available, such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, and Sublime Text. Choose any one you prefer.

Once you have a text editor, create a new file and save it with a .js extension. This is the file extension for Javascript files.

Next, open a web browser and create a new HTML file, or create a new file in your text editor and save it with a .html. In the head section of the HTML file, add the following code:

<script src="yourfile.js"></script>

This code tells the web browser to load your Javascript file.

Basic Syntax

Javascript syntax is similar to other programming languages such as Java and C++. It uses semicolons to separate statements and curly braces to enclose blocks of code.

Here is an example of a basic JavaScript program:

var message = "Hello, World!";
console.log(message);

This program declares a variable message and assigns the value “Hello, World!” to it. The console.log() function is used to display the value of the message variable in the browser console.

Variables and Data Types

In Javascript, variables are used to store data. There are three types of variables in javascript: var, let and const.

• The var keyword is used to declare a variable that can be redeclared and reassigned.

• The let keyword is used to declare a variable that can be reassigned but not redeclared.

• The const keyword is used to declare a variable that cannot be reassigned or redeclared.

Javascript has several data types, including numbers, strings, booleans, and objects.

Here are some examples of how to declare and use variables in javascript.

var num = 10; //numbers
var str = "Hello"; //strings
var bool = true; //boolean
var obj = {name: "Mimi", age: 30}; //objects

Operators

Javascript has several operators that are used to perform arithmetic, comparison, and logical operations. Here are some examples of operators in javascript:

var a = 10;
var b = 5;
var c = a + b; // addition operator
var d = a > b; // comparison operator
var e = true && false; // logical operator

Functions

Functions are used to group a set of statements that perform a specific task. Here is an example of a function in javascript:

function add(a, b) {
  return a + b;
}

This function takes two parameters, a and b, and returns their sum.

Conclusion

In this article, we have gone through the basics of Javascript and how to get started. We covered setting up the development environment, basic syntax, variables and data types, operators, and functions. Javascript is a powerful language that can be used to create interactive web applications, and this is just the beginning of what you can do with it. Be patient with your learning and build more applications to reinforce your knowledge.

I wish you all the best. Ciao!