You may be surprised to learn that there is an alternative which keeps search engine spiders (reasonably) happy whilst drastically cutting down on the necessary scripts within any given web page.

External JavaScript Source Files
Let’s take the humble “Add Bookmark” script as an example (please note that I have replaced the < > brackets with [ ] brackets so as to be able to display the code properly within this article).

[script Language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"]
var bookmarkurl = “http://www.doodademporium.com”;
var bookmarktitle = “Purple Doodads for sale”;
function addbookmark()
{
if (document.all)
window.external.AddFavorite(bookmarkurl, bookmarktitle);
}
[/script]

By placing the script’s function into an external folder and file (/java/bookmark.js for example) you will be able to streamline your code down to the following:

[script Language="JavaScript1.2" src="java/bookmark.js" type="text/javascript"][/script]

It’s worth remembering that this is probably one of the simplest examples of JavaScript out there and that the savings in terms of code are going to be substantial with larger scripts.
This method is also worth its weight in gold, so to speak, if you are running a number of scripts on the same page.
Just remember to create a different source file for each script, so as not to confuse matters unnecessarily.

Through the use of external JavaScript files you not only save yourself having to write (or even copy/paste) the same bulky scripts again and again, you are also saving search engine spiders from becoming seriously disillusioned with your web page and going elsewhere in search of easier prey.

Always remember that any web site should make a search engine’s life as easy as possible.
If you do use JavaScript in your pages, this approach will prevent unnecessary complications when having your site indexed, whilst at the same time easing your task of coding.

Popular among non-programmers for its user-friendly nature, JavaScript also allows scripting access to objects embedded in other applications. However, JavaScript errors are fairly common too, largely because so many amateurs write web development programs using it. The three most common reasons for your browser showing a JavaScript error message are a) JavaScript is not enabled in the browser; b) The browser does not support JavaScript technology; c) The web page contains a JavaScript programming error.

Web programmer Patrick Hanmer says the best way to eliminate JavaScript errors would be to clean Windows Registry regularly. You say you know nothing of Windows Registry? You are not alone. The majority of PC users are unaware that the Registry is a huge internal database on your PC that monitors the running of your system. Therefore, whatever changes you make to the system reflect in the Registry. And when you are browsing the Net, you leave footprints in the Registry as well.

Explains Chris, “When you are viewing a web page that uses JavaScript, JavaScript is writing to Windows Registry, so that it records components that may be missing in the future, so you get a JavaScript error message when you view a web page.”

Clear so far? Good, so you understand the value of Windows Registry cleaning when it comes to repairing JavaScript errors. I recommend downloading a user-friendly, reliable and reputable Registry cleaner, to ensure that your PC does not suffer additional damages when you clean the Registry (see my recommendation in the resource box below). Make no mistake, choosing the wrong Registry cleaner could well induct all kinds of malware into your system, so that you are left with a bigger headache than when you began the cleaning process.

The bottom line is that JavaScript is not the technical gobbledygook that you take it to be, and even better, you need not be a programming expert when it comes to repairing JavaScript errors. A simple installation of a reliable Registry cleaner will give you JavaScript error-free browsing.

1) Browser support: To access flash content, you need to install flash plugin in your browser. But to use javascript, you don’t have to use any plugin at all. This is because all browsers have accepted javascript as a scripting language for them and provides integrated support for it. All you need to do is to handle some of the tasks that are dependent on DOM (Document Object Model) of different browsers properly.

2) Can be used on client side as well as on server side: As javascript has access to Document object model of browser, you can actually change the structure of web pages at runtime. Due to this, javascript can be used to add different effects to webpages. On the other hand, javascript could be used on the server side as well. For example, in Alfresco which is a popular open source enterprise content management system, javascript is used in creating webscripts. This makes adding custom tasks to alfresco quite simple.

3) Functional programming language: In javascript, function could be assigned to variables just like any other data types. Not only that, but a function can accept another function as a parameter and can also return a function. You can have functions with no name as well. Clearly, this gives you the ability to code in functional programming style.

4) Support for objects: Javascript is an object oriented language. However, the way javascript handles objects and inheritance is bit different from conventional object oriented programming languages like Java. Due to this, javascript supports most of the object oriented concepts while being simple to learn and use.

These are some of the features that give javascript an ability to handle simple as well as complex tasks. Due to this, javascript has remained as the most popular programming language for a long time. It is also a good language for people who want to learn computer programming as it supports object oriented as well as function concepts and to use it, you just need a browser and a text editor.

All of this provides the user to the site with an enhanced user experience. Because javascript is a client-side language, all of these features are available in real time without the browser having to refer to the server all the time. This prevents time delays and increases user satisfaction.

Let’s take a closer look at the great things you can do with javascript programming:

Perform Calculations

Javascript can be used to perform simple to advanced mathematical calculations. This is especially useful if you want your users to interact with your site by inputting some information that requires some sort of calculation and displaying the relevant content based on that result. For example, javascript can calculate a loan repayment and display the appropriate result if a user enters a required loan amount on the site. Furthermore, javascript can also tell date and time, time a certain activity and perform intricate date and time calculations.

User Interaction

The javascript on the webpage can take interaction from a user and perform a certain function by way events. Some of the most popular events are:

onblur
onchange
onclick
ondblclick
onfocus
onkeydown
onkeypress
onkeyup
onload
onmousedown
onmousemove
onmouseout
onmouseover
onmouseup
onselect
onsubmit

Perform Form Validations

Javascript can validate and check user input to determine whether it conforms to a certain requirement. For example, you can check if a field is left empty, if an email address is in the proper format, if a zip code code is in the proper format, etc. In most cases, if an error is made by your site visitor, an alert can display the appropriate error message to him or her.

Manipulate Elements On A Webpage

Javascript allows a user to change content or styles of a webpage upon a user interaction by way of the aforementioned events. For example, hovering over a certain text can make an image appear, text on a submit button can change on submit, etc.

Provide Visual Effects

Javascript has a host of ways to provide visual effects to a webpage that other server-side programming languages cannot. A typical example of this might be some fancy image rollover buttons.

Enables Dynamic Functions

Javascript, together with AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML), can be used to create dynamic applications. One example of this is to load dynamic content onto a webpage without refreshing the page.

In my next chapter, we will delve further into javascript programming.