JS Notes
JS Notes
JS Notes
JAVASCRIPT
JavaScript is the scripting language of the Web.
JavaScript is used in millions of Web pages to add functionality, validate forms, detect browsers, and
much more.
Introduction to JavaScript
JavaScript is used in millions of Web pages to improve the design, validate forms, detect browsers, create
cookies, and much more.
JavaScript is the most popular scripting language on the Internet, and works in all major browsers, such as
Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera.
What is JavaScript?
Java and JavaScript are two completely different languages in both concept and design!
Java (developed by Sun Microsystems) is a powerful and much more complex programming language -
in the same category as C and C++.
JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool - HTML authors are normally not
programmers, but JavaScript is a scripting language with a very simple syntax! Almost anyone
can put small "snippets" of code into their HTML pages
JavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page - A JavaScript statement like
this: document.write("<h1>" + name + "</h1>") can write a variable text into an HTML
page
JavaScript can react to events - A JavaScript can be set to execute when something
happens, like when a page has finished loading or when a user clicks on an HTML element
JavaScript can read and write HTML elements - A JavaScript can read and change the
content of an HTML element
JavaScript can be used to validate data - A JavaScript can be used to validate form data
before it is submitted to a server. This saves the server from extra processing
JavaScript can be used to detect the visitor's browser - A JavaScript can be used to detect the
visitor's browser, and - depending on the browser - load another page specifically designed for
that browser
JavaScript can be used to create cookies - A JavaScript can be used to store and
retrieve information on the visitor's computer.
JavaScript Variables
Variables are "containers" for storing information.
A variable can have a short name, like x, or a more descriptive name, Student_name
Variable names are case sensitive (y and Y are two different variables)
Variable names must begin with a letter or the underscore character
sensitive. Example
A variable's value can change during the execution of a script. You can refer to a variable by its name to
display or change its value.
<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var firstname;
firstname="Welcome";
document.write(firstname);
document.write("<br />");
firstname="XYZ";
document.write(firstname);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output :
Welcome
XYZ
The script above declares a variable, assigns a value to it, displays the value, change the value, and
displays the value again.
By –SUNIL BOLLAM Page 2
JAVASCRIPT Notes
var x;
var carname;
After the declaration shown above, the variables are empty (they have no values yet).
However, you can also assign values to the variables when you declare them:
var x=5;
var carname="Scorpio";
After the execution of the statements above, the variable x will hold the value 5, and carname will hold
the value Scorpio.
Note: When you assign a text value to a variable, use quotes around the value.
If you assign values to variables that have not yet been declared, the variables will automatically be
declared.
These statements:
x=5;
carname="Scorpio";
var x=5;
var carname="Scorpio";
If you redeclare a JavaScript variable, it will not lose its original value.
var x=5;
var x;
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After the execution of the statements above, the variable x will still have the value of 5. The value of x is
not reset (or cleared) when you redeclare it.
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DataTypes
Numbers - are values that can be processed and calculated. You don't enclose them in
quotation marks. The numbers can be either positive or negative.
Strings - are a series of letters and numbers enclosed in quotation marks. JavaScript uses the
string literally; it doesn't process it. You'll use strings for text you want displayed or values you
want passed along.
Boolean (true/false) - lets you evaluate whether a condition meets or does not meet
specified criteria.
Null - is an empty value. null is not the same as 0 -- 0 is a real, calculable number, whereas null
is the absence of any value.
Data Types
TYPE EXAMPLE
Numbers Any number, such as 17, 21, or 54e7
Strings "Greetings!" or "Fun"
Boolean Either true or false
Null A special keyword for exactly that – the null value (that is, nothing)
JavaScript Arithmetic
y=x-5;
z=y+5;
JavaScript Operators
The operator = is used to assign values.
y=5;
z=2;
x=y+z;
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Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic between variables and/or values.
Given that y=5, the table below explains the arithmetic operators:
Given that x=10 and y=5, the table below explains the assignment operators:
The + operator can also be used to add string variables or text values together.
txt1="What a very";
txt2="nice day";
txt3=txt1+txt2;
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After the execution of the statements above, the variable txt3 contains "What a verynice day".
To add a space between the two strings, insert a space into one of the strings:
txt1="What a very";
txt2="nice day";
txt3=txt1+" "+txt2;
After the execution of the statements above, the variable txt3 contains:
x=5+5;
document.write(x);
x="5"+"5";
document.write(x);
x=5+"5";
document.write(x);
x="5"+5;
document.write(x);
Comparison and Logical operators are used to test for true or false.
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JAVASCRIPT Notes
Comparison Operators
Comparison operators are used in logical statements to determine equality or difference between variables
or values.
Given that x=5, the table below explains the comparison operators:
Comparison operators can be used in conditional statements to compare values and take action depending
on the result:
You will learn more about the use of conditional statements in the next chapter of this tutorial.
Logical Operators
Logical operators are used to determine the logic between variables or values.
Given that x=6 and y=3, the table below explains the logical operators:
Conditional Operator
JavaScript also contains a conditional operator that assigns a value to a variable based on some condition.
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JAVASCRIPT Notes
Syntax
variablename=(condition)?value1:value2
Example
greeting=(visitor=="PRES")?"Dear President ":"Dear ";
If the variable visitor has the value of "PRES", then the variable greeting will be assigned the value
"Dear President " else it will be assigned "Dear".
Conditional Statements
Very often when you write code, you want to perform different actions for different decisions. You can
use conditional statements in your code to do this.
if statement - use this statement if you want to execute some code only if a specified condition
is true
if...else statement - use this statement if you want to execute some code if the condition is true
and another code if the condition is false
if...else if....else statement - use this statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to
be executed
switch statement - use this statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to
be executed
If Statement
You should use the if statement if you want to execute some code only if a specified condition is true.
Syntax
if (condition)
{
code to be executed if condition is true
}
Note that if is written in lowercase letters. Using uppercase letters (IF) will generate a JavaScript error!
Example 1
<script type="text/javascript">
//Write a "Good morning" greeting if
//the time is less than 10
var d=new Date();
var time=d.getHours();
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if (time<10)
{
document.write("<b>Good morning</b>");
}
</script>
Example 2
<script type="text/javascript">
//Write "Lunch-time!" if the time is 11
var d=new Date();
var time=d.getHours();
if (time==11)
{
document.write("<b>Lunch-time!</b>");
}
</script>
Note: When comparing variables you must always use two equals signs next to each other (==)!
Notice that there is no ..else.. in this syntax. You just tell the code to execute some code only if the
specified condition is true.
If...else Statement
If you want to execute some code if a condition is true and another code if the condition is not true,
use the if else statement.
Syntax
if (condition)
{
code to be executed if condition is true
}
else
{
code to be executed if condition is not true
}
Example
<script type="text/javascript">
//If the time is less than 10,
//you will get a "Good morning" greeting.
//Otherwise you will get a "Good day" greeting.
var d = new Date();
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You should use the if....else if...else statement if you want to select one of many sets of lines to execute.
Syntax
if (condition1)
{
code to be executed if condition1 is true
}
else if (condition2)
{
code to be executed if condition2 is true
}
else
{
code to be executed if condition1 and
condition2 are not true
}
Example
<script type="text/javascript">
var d = new Date()
var time = d.getHours()
if (time<10)
{
document.write("<b>Good morning</b>");
}
else if (time>10 && time<16)
{
document.write("<b>Good day</b>");
}
else
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{
document.write("<b>Hello World!</b>");
}
</script>
You should use the switch statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to be executed.
Syntax
switch(n)
{
case 1:
execute code block 1
break;
case 2:
execute code block 2
break;
default:
code to be executed if n is
different from case 1 and
2
}
This is how it works: First we have a single expression n (most often a variable), that is evaluated once.
The value of the expression is then compared with the values for each case in the structure. If there is a
match, the block of code associated with that case is executed. Use break to prevent the code from
running into the next case automatically.
Example
<script type="text/javascript">
//You will receive a different greeting based
//on what day it is. Note that Sunday=0,
//Monday=1, Tuesday=2, etc.
var d=new Date();
theDay=d.getDay();
switch (theDay)
{
case 5:
document.write("Finally Friday");
break;
case 6:
document.write("Super Saturday");
break;
case 0:
document.write("Sleepy Sunday");
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JAVASCRIPT Notes
break;
default:
document.write("I'm looking forward to this weekend!");
}
</script>
Loops in JavaScript are used to execute the same block of code a specified number of times or while
a specified condition is true.
JavaScript Loops
Very often when you write code, you want the same block of code to run over and over again in a row.
Instead of adding several almost equal lines in a script we can use loops to perform a task like this.
The for loop is used when you know in advance how many times the script should run.
Syntax
for (var=startvalue;var<=endvalue;var=var+increment)
{
code to be executed
}
Example
Explanation: The example below defines a loop that starts with i=0. The loop will continue to run as long
as i is less than, or equal to 10. i will increase by 1 each time the loop runs.
Note: The increment parameter could also be negative, and the <= could be any comparing statement.
<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var i=0;
for (i=0;i<=10;i++)
{
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JAVASCRIPT Notes
Result
The number is 0
The number is 1
The number is 2
The number is 3
The number is 4
The number is 5
The number is 6
The number is 7
The number is 8
The number is 9
The number is 10
Loops in JavaScript are used to execute the same block of code a specified number of times or while
a specified condition is true.
The while loop is used when you want the loop to execute and continue executing while the specified
condition is true.
while (var<=endvalue)
{
code to be executed
}
Example
Explanation: The example below defines a loop that starts with i=0. The loop will continue to run as long
as i is less than, or equal to 10. i will increase by 1 each time the loop runs.
<html>
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<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var i=0;
while (i<=10)
{
document.write("The number is " + i);
document.write("<br />");
i=i+1;
}
</script>
</body>
</html>
Result
The number is 0
The number is 1
The number is 2
The number is 3
The number is 4
The number is 5
The number is 6
The number is 7
The number is 8
The number is 9
The number is 10
The do...while loop is a variant of the while loop. This loop will always execute a block of code ONCE,
and then it will repeat the loop as long as the specified condition is true. This loop will always be
executed at least once, even if the condition is false, because the code is executed before the condition is
tested.
do
{
code to be executed
}
while (var<=endvalue);
Example
<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
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var i=0;
do
{
document.write("The number is " + i);
document.write("<br />");
i=i+1;
}
while (i<0);
</script>
</body>
</html>
Result
The number is 0
There are two special statements that can be used inside loops: break and continue.
Break
The break command will break the loop and continue executing the code that follows after the loop (if
any).
Example
<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var i=0;
for (i=0;i<=10;i++)
{
if (i==3)
{
break;
}
document.write("The number is " + i);
document.write("<br />");
}
</script>
</body>
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</html>
Result
The number is 0
The number is 1
The number is 2
Continue
The continue command will break the current loop and continue with the next value.
Example
<html>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var i=0
for (i=0;i<=10;i++)
{
if (i==3)
{
continue;
}
document.write("The number is " + i);
document.write("<br />");
}
</script>
</body>
</html>
Result
The number is 0
The number is 1
The number is 2
The number is 4
The number is 5
The number is 6
The number is 7
The number is 8
The number is 9
The number is 10
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JavaScript Functions
A function (also known as a method) is a self-contained piece of code that performs a particular
"function". You can recognise a function by its format - it's a piece of descriptive text, followed by open
and close brackets.A function is a reusable code-block that will be executed by an event, or when the
function is called.
To keep the browser from executing a script when the page loads, you can put your script into a function.
A function contains code that will be executed by an event or by a call to that function.
You may call a function from anywhere within the page (or even from other pages if the function is
embedded in an external .js file).
Functions can be defined both in the <head> and in the <body> section of a document. However, to
assure that the function is read/loaded by the browser before it is called, it could be wise to put it in the
<head> section.
Example
<html>
<head>
<script type="text/javascript">
function displaymessage()
{
alert("Hello World!");
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form>
<input type="button" value="Click me!"
onclick="displaymessage()" >
</form>
</body>
</html>
If the line: alert("Hello world!!") in the example above had not been put within a function, it would have
been executed as soon as the line was loaded. Now, the script is not executed before the user hits the
button. We have added an onClick event to the button that will execute the function displaymessage()
when the button is clicked.
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You will learn more about JavaScript events in the JS Events chapter.
function functionname(var1,var2,...,varX)
{
some code
}
var1, var2, etc are variables or values passed into the function. The { and the } defines the start and end of
the function.
Note: A function with no parameters must include the parentheses () after the function name:
function functionname()
{
some code
}
Note: Do not forget about the importance of capitals in JavaScript! The word function must be written in
lowercase letters, otherwise a JavaScript error occurs! Also note that you must call a function with the
exact same capitals as in the function name.
The return statement is used to specify the value that is returned from the function.
So, functions that are going to return a value must use the return statement.
Example
The function below should return the product of two numbers (a and b):
function prod(a,b)
{
x=a*b;
return x;
}
When you call the function above, you must pass along two parameters:
product=prod(2,3);
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The returned value from the prod() function is 6, and it will be stored in the variable called product.
When you declare a variable within a function, the variable can only be accessed within that function.
When you exit the function, the variable is destroyed. These variables are called local variables. You can
have local variables with the same name in different functions, because each is recognized only by the
function in which it is declared.
If you declare a variable outside a function, all the functions on your page can access it. The lifetime of
these variables starts when they are declared, and ends when the page is closed.
What is an Event?
Event Handlers
Event Handlers are JavaScript methods, i.e. functions of objects, that allow us as JavaScript
programmers to control what happens when events occur.
Directly or indirectly, an Event is always the result of something a user does. For example, we've already
seen Event Handlers like onClick and onMouseOver that respond to mouse actions. Another type of
Event, an internal change-of-state to the page (completion of loading or leaving the page). An onLoad
Event can be considered an indirect result of a user action.
Although we often refer to Events and Event Handlers interchangeably, it's important to keep in mind
the distinction between them. An Event is merely something that happens - something that it is initiated
by an Event Handler (onClick, onMouseOver, etc...).
The elements on a page which can trigger events are known as "targets" or "target elements," and we can
easily understand how a button which triggers a Click event is a target element for this event. Typically,
events are defined through the use of Event Handlers, which are bits of script that tell the browser what
to do when a particular event occurs at a particular target. These Event Handlers are commonly written as
attributes of the target element's HTML tag.
The Event Handler for a Click event at a form field button element is quite simple to understand:
The event_handler_code portion of this example is any valid JavaScript and it will be executed when the
specified event is triggered at this target element. This particular topic will be continued in
Incorporating JavaScripts into your HTML pages.
There are "three different ways" that Event Handlers can be used to trigger Events or Functions.
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Places an Event Handler as an attribute within an <A HREF= > tag, like this:
You can use an Event Handler located within an <A HREF= > tag to make either an image or a text link
respond to a mouseover Event. Just enclose the image or text string between the <A HREF= > and the
</A> tags.
Whenever a user clicks on a link, or moves her cursor over one, JavaScript is sent a Link Event. One
Link Event is called onClick, and it gets sent whenever someone clicks on a link. Another link event is
called onMouseOver. This one gets sent when someone moves the cursor over the link.
You can use these events to affect what the user sees on a page. Here's an example of how to use link
events. Try it out, View Source, and we'll go over it.
<A HREF="javascript:void('')"
onClick="open('index.htm', 'links', 'height=200,width=200');">How to Use Link Events
</A>
The first interesting thing is that there are no <SCRIPT> tags. That's because anything that appears in the
quotes of an onClick or an onMouseOver is automatically interpreted as JavaScript. In fact, because
semicolons mark the end of statements allowing you to write entire JavaScripts in one line, you can fit
an entire JavaScript program between the quotes of an onClick. It'd be ugly, but you could do it.
In the first example we have a normal <A> tag, but it has the magic onClick="" element, which says,
"When someone clicks on this link, run the little bit of JavaScript between my quotes." Notice,
there's even a terminating semicolon at the end of the alert. Question: is this required? NO.
1. HREF="#" tells the browser to look for the anchor #, but there is no anchor "#", so the
browser reloads the page and goes to top of the page since it couldn't find the anchor.
2. <A HREF="javascript:void('')" tells the browser not to go anywhere - it "deadens" the link
when you click on it. HREF="javascript: is the way to call a function when a link (hyperlink or
an HREFed image) is clicked.
3. HREF="javascript:alert('Ooo, do it again!')" here we kill two birds with one stone. The default
behavior of a hyperlink is to click on it. By clicking on the link we call the window Method
alert() and also at the same time "deaden" the link.
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This is just like the first line, but it uses an onMouseOver instead of an onClick.
The second technique we've seen for triggering a Function in response to a mouse action is to place an
onClick Event Handler inside a button type form element, like this:
<FORM>
<INPUT TYPE="button" onClick="doSomething()">
</FORM>
While any JavaScript statement, methods, or functions can appear inside the quotation marks of an Event
Handler, typically, the JavaScript script that makes up the Event Handler is actually a call to a function
defined in the header of the document or a single JavaScript command. Essentially, though, anything that
appears inside a command block (inside curly braces {}) can appear between the quotation marks.
For instance, if you have a form with a text field and want to call the function checkField() whenever the
value of the text field changes, you can define your text field as follows:
Nonetheless, the entire code for the function could appear in quotation marks rather than a function call:
The advantage of using functions as Event Handlers, however, is that you can use the same Event Handler
code for multiple items in your document and, functions make your code easier to read and understand.
The third technique is to us an Event Handler to ensure that all required objects are defined involve the
onLoad and onUnLoad. These Event Handlers are defined in the <BODY> or <FRAMESET> tag of an
HTML file and are invoked when the document or frameset are fully loaded or unloaded. If you set a flag
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within the onLoad Event Handler, other Event Handlers can test this flags to see if they can safely run,
with the knowledge that the document is fully loaded and all objects are defined. For example:
<SCRIPT>
function doit() {
// alert("Everything is \"loaded\" and loaded = " + loaded);
alert('Everything is "loaded" and loaded = ' + loaded);
}
</SCRIPT>
<FORM>
<INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Press Me"
onClick="if (loaded == true) doit();">
-- OR --
<INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Press Me"
onClick="if (window.loaded == true) doit();">
-- OR --
<INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Press Me"
onClick="if (loaded) doit();">
</FORM>
</BODY>
The onLoad Event Handler is executed when the document or frameset is fully loaded, which means that
all images have been downloaded and displayed, all subframes have loaded, any Java Applets and Plugins
(Navigator) have started running, and so on. The onUnLoad Event Handler is executed just before the
page is unloaded, which occurs when the browser is about to move on to a new page. Be aware that when
you are working with multiple frames, there is no guarantee of the order in which the onLoad Event
Handler is invoked for the various frames, except that the Event Handlers for the parent frame is invoked
after the Event Handlers of all its children frames -- This will be discussed in detail in Week 8.
The first example allows the user to change the color by clicking buttons, while the second example
allows you to change colors by using drop down boxes.
Event Handlers
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EVENT DESCRIPTION
onAbort the user cancels loading of an image
input focus is removed from a form element (when the user clicks outside the field) or
onBlur
focus is removed from a window
onClick the user clicks on a link or form element
onChange the value of a form field is changed by the user
onError an error happens during loading of a document or image
onFocus input focus is given to a form element or a window
onLoad once a page is loaded, NOT while loading
onMouseOut the user moves the pointer off of a link or clickable area of an image map
onMouseOver the user moves the pointer over a hypertext link
onReset the user clears a form using the Reset button
onSelect the user selects a form element’s field
onSubmit a form is submitted (ie, when the users clicks on a submit button)
onUnload the user leaves a page
Note: Input focus refers to the act of clicking on or in a form element or field. This can be done by
clicking in a text field or by tabbing between text fields.
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JavaScript Arrays
An array object is used to create a database-like structure within a script. Grouping data points
(array elements) together makes it easier to access and use the data in a script. There are methods
of accessing actual databases (which are beyond the scope of this series) but here we're talking
about small amounts of data.
The JavaScript interpreter uses numbers to access the collection of elements (i.e. the data) in
an array. Each index number (as it is the number of the data in the array's index) refers to a
specific piece of data in the array, similar to an ID number. It's important to remember that
the index numbering of the data starts at "0." So, if you have 8 elements, the first element
will be numbered "0" and the last one will be "7."
Elements can be of any type: character string, integer, Boolean, or even another array. An
array can even have different types of elements within the same array. Each element in the
array is accessed by placing its index number in brackets, i.e. myCar[4]. This would mean
that we are looking for data located in the array myCar which has an index of "4." Since the
numbering of an index starts at "0," this would actually be the fifth index. For instance, in
the following array,
the data point with an index of "4" would be Truck. In this example, the indexes are
numbered as follows: 0=Chev, 1=Ford, 2=Buick, 3=Lincoln, and 4=Truck. When creating
loops, it's much easier to refer to a number than to the actual data itself.
The size of an array is determined by either the actual number of elements it contains or by
actually specifying a given size. You don't need to specify the size of the array.
Sometimes, though, you may want to pre-set the size, e.g.:
That would pre-size the array with 20 elements. You might pre-size the array in order to
set aside the space in memory.
Multidimensional Arrays
Multidimensional arrays can be created in different ways. Let's look at one of these
method. First, we create the main array, which is similar to what we did with previous
arrays.
var emailList = new Array();
In this script we created "sub arrays" or arrays from another level or "dimension." We used
the name of the main array and gave it an index number (e.g., emailList[0]). Then we created
a new instance of an array and gave it a value with three elements.
In order to access a single element, we need to use a double reference. For example, to get
the e-mail address for the Vice President in our example above, access the third element "[2]"
of the second element "[1]" of the array named emailList.
Array Properties
length
The length property returns the number of elements in an array. The format is
arrayName.length. The length property is particularly useful when using a loop to cycle
through an array. One example would be an array used to cycle banners:
var newBanner = 0
var totalBan = bannerImg.length
function cycleBan() {
newBanner++
if (newBanner == totalBan) {
newBanner = 0
}
document.banner.src=bannerImg[newBanner]
setTimeout("cycleBan()", 3*1000)
}
window.onload=cycleBan;
This portion is then placed in the body where the banner is to be displayed:
1. On the first line, we created a new instance of the array bannerImg, and gave it three data
elements. (Remember, we are only making a copy of the Array object here.)
2. Next, we created two variables: newBanner, which has a beginning value of zero; and
totalBan, which returns the length of the array (the total number of elements contained in
the array).
3. Then we created a function named cycleBan. This function will be used to create a loop
to cycle the images.
a. We set the newBanner variable to be increased each time the function cycles.
(Review: By placing the increment operator [" ++ "] after the variable [the
"operand"], the variable is incremented only after it returns its current value to
the script. For example, its beginning value is "0", so in the first cycle it will
return a value of "0" to the script and then its value will be increased by "1".)
b. When the value of the newBanner variable is equal to the variable totalBan (which
is the length of the array), it is then reset to "0". This allows the images to start the
cycle again, from the beginning.
c. The next statement uses the Document Object Method (DOM - we'll be taking a look
at that soon) to display the images on the Web page. Remember, we use the dot
operator to access the properties of an object. We also read the statement backwards,
i.e., "take the element from the array bannerImg, that is specified by the current
value of the variable newBanner, and place it in the src attribute located in the
element with the name attribute of banner, which is located in the document object."
d. We then used the setTimeout function to tell the script how long to display
each image. This is always measured in milliseconds so, in this case, the
function cycleBan is called every 3,000 milliseconds (i.e., every 3 seconds).
4. Finally, we used the window.onload statement to execute the function cycleBan as soon as
the document is loaded.
There are a total of five properties for the Array object. In addition to the length property
listed above, the others are:
The other properties listed here are either more advanced or seldom used. For now, we'll
stick to the basics.
Hierarchy Objects
Object Properties Methods Event Handlers
Window defaultStatus alert onLoad
frames blur onUnload
opener close onBlur
parent confirm onFocus
scroll focus
self open
status prompt
top clearTimeout
window setTimeout
History length back none
forward
go
Navigator appCodeName javaEnabled none
appName
appVersion
mimeTypes
plugins
userAgent
document alinkColor clear none (the onLoad and onUnload event handlers
anchors close belong to the Window object.
applets open
area write
bgColor writeln
cookie
fgColor
forms
images
lastModified
linkColor
links
location
referrer
title
vlinkColor
image border none none
complete
height
hspace
lowsrc
name
src
vspace
width
form action submit onSubmit
elements reset onReset
encoding
FileUpload
method
name
target
text defaultValue focus onBlur
name blur onCharge
type select onFocus
value onSelect
Built-in Objects
Array length join none
reverse
sort xx
Date none getDate none
getDay
getHours
getMinutes
getMonth
getSeconds
getTime
getTimeZoneoffset
getYear
parse
prototype
setDate
setHours
setMinutes
setMonth
setSeconds
setTime
setYear
toGMTString
toLocaleString
UTC
String length anchor Window
prototype big
blink
bold
charAt
fixed
fontColor
fontSize
indexOf
italics
lastIndexOf
link
small
split
strike
sub
substring
sup
toLowerCase
toUpperCase
Create an Array
There are two ways of adding values to an array (you can add as many values as you need to define as
many variables you require).
1:
You could also pass an integer argument to control the array's size:
2:
Note: If you specify numbers or true/false values inside the array then the type of variables will be
numeric or Boolean instead of string.
Access an Array
You can refer to a particular element in an array by referring to the name of the array and the index
number. The index number starts at 0.
document.write(myCars[0]);
Saab
To modify a value in an existing array, just add a new value to the array with a specified index number:
myCars[0]="Opel";
document.write(myCars[0]);
Opel
Note: The Date object will automatically hold the current date and time as its initial value!
Set Dates
We can easily manipulate the date by using the methods available for the Date object.
In the example below we set a Date object to a specific date (14th January 2010):
And in the following example we set a Date object to be 5 days into the future:
Note: If adding five days to a date shifts the month or year, the changes are handled automatically by the
Date object itself!
The following example compares today's date with the 14th January 2010:
Math Object
var pi_value=Math.PI;
var sqrt_value=Math.sqrt(16);
Note: Math is not a constructor. All properties and methods of Math can be called by using Math as an
object without creating it.
Mathematical Constants
JavaScript provides eight mathematical constants that can be accessed from the Math object. These are: E,
PI, square root of 2, square root of 1/2, natural log of 2, natural log of 10, base-2 log of E, and base-10 log
of E.
You may reference these constants from your JavaScript like this:
Math.E
Math.PI
Math.SQRT2
Math.SQRT1_2
Math.LN2
Math.LN10
Math.LOG2E
Math.LOG10E
Mathematical Methods
In addition to the mathematical constants that can be accessed from the Math object there are also several
methods available.
The following example uses the round() method of the Math object to round a number to the nearest
integer:
document.write(Math.round(4.7));
The following example uses the random() method of the Math object to return a random number between
0 and 1:
document.write(Math.random());
0.4218824567728053
The following example uses the floor() and random() methods of the Math object to return a random
number between 0 and 10:
document.write(Math.floor(Math.random()*11));
String object
Examples of use:
The following example uses the length property of the String object to find the length of a string:
12
The following example uses the toUpperCase() method of the String object to convert a string to
uppercase letters:
HELLO WORLD!
Window Object
The Window object is the top level object in the JavaScript hierarchy.
A Window object is created automatically with every instance of a <body> or <frameset> tag.
Document Object
The Document object represents the entire HTML document and can be used to access all elements in a
page.
The Document object is part of the Window object and is accessed through the window.document
property.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera, W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (Internet Standard).
the document
History Object
The History object is actually a JavaScript object, not an HTML DOM object.
The History object is automatically created by the JavaScript runtime engine and consists of an array of
URLs. These URLs are the URLs the user has visited within a browser window.
The History object is part of the Window object and is accessed through the window.history property.
Form Object
For each instance of a <form> tag in an HTML document, a Form object is created.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera, W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (Internet Standard).
Standard Properties
Property Description IE F O W3C
className Sets or returns the class attribute of an element 5 1 9 Yes
dir Sets or returns the direction of text 5 1 9 Yes
lang Sets or returns the language code for an element 5 1 9 Yes
title Sets or returns an element's advisory title 5 1 9 Yes
Image Object
For each instance of an <img> tag in an HTML document, an Image object is created.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera, W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (Internet Standard).
Standard Properties
Property Description IE F O W3C
className Sets or returns the class attribute of an element 5 1 9 Yes
title Sets or returns an element's advisory title 5 1 9 Yes
Area Object
The Area object represents an area of an image-map (An image-map is an image with clickable regions).
For each instance of an <area> tag in an HTML document, an Area object is created.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera, W3C: World Wide Web Consortium (Internet Standard).
Standard Properties
Property Description IE F O W3C
className Sets or returns the class attribute of an element 5 1 9 Yes
dir Sets or returns the direction of text 5 1 9 Yes
lang Sets or returns the language code for an element 5 1 9 Yes
title Sets or returns an element's advisory title 5 1 9 Yes
Navigator Object
The Navigator object is actually a JavaScript object, not an HTML DOM object.
The Navigator object is automatically created by the JavaScript runtime engine and contains information
about the client browser.
2. Add the last code into the BODY of your HTML document -->
<!-- STEP ONE: Paste this code into the HEAD of your HTML document -->
<HEAD>
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript">
<!-- This script and many more are available free online at -->
<!-- Begin
function validateZIP(field) {
var hyphencount = 0;
return false;
hyphencount++;
if (valid.indexOf(temp) == "-1") {
return false;
alert("The hyphen character should be used with a properly formatted 5 digit+four zip code, like '12345-
6789'. Please try again.");
return false;
// End -->
</script>
</HEAD>
<!-- STEP TWO: Copy this code into the BODY of your HTML document -->
<BODY>
<center>
</form>
</center>
<p><center>
</center><p>