Summary

This chapter provided a brief overview of the basic features of JavaScript, a simple yet powerful scripting language generally hosted within Web browsers. Most of the features of the language are similar to other languages such as C or Java. Common programming constructs such as if statements, while loops, and functions are found in the language. However, JavaScript is not a simplistic language and it does contain more advanced features, such as composite data types, objects, and regular expressions. The most important part of JavaScript is its use of objects, both user-created and built-in (such as Window, navigator, and Document). Most of the book will be spent covering the use of these objects. Experienced programmers might wish to quickly skim the next few chapters, focusing on the subtle differences between JavaScript and other programming languages. However, new programmers should carefully read the next five chapters in order to get a solid foundation to build upon.