How Javascript can make your site more interactive!

Javascript is a scripting language that allows you to make your web pages more interactive. For Javascript to work on your webpages, your users need to have Javascript enabled on their browsers. The stats at The Counter give a rough idea of percentages online using javascript. As at June 2008, 6% of browsers did not have javascript enabled.

Also Search Engines often have difficult spidering javascript. Don't let this put you off however because Javascript can add a lot of very useful functionality to your webpages. Just make sure if you use it for navigation, you also give the search engines links they can spider, for example in the footer.

Javascript is easy to set up and use. You don't need to learn it from scratch because in most cases you can cut and paste free scripts and modify them slightly to work on your own website.

Examples of what you can do with Javascript

• launch a pop-up window
• validate forms
• create mouseover effects and image rollovers
• detect browser and operating system type and redirection
• set up a ticker tape to scroll text in a window
• use cookies to store information about your visitors
• create image and special text effects

List of Javascript Resources

• DynamicDrive - the best place on the net to get free original DHTML javascripts.
• Website Abstraction - an excellent source of free javascripts.
• ZDNet Developer - an extensive directory of free javascripts you can use to enhance your site!
• The Javascript Source - an Internet.com site with many free scripts for download.

Javascript Articles