FULL JAVASCRIPT
Introduction to JavaScript
JavaScript is the scripting language of the Web.
It is used in millions of Web pages to improve the design, validate forms, detect browsers, create cookies, and much more.
It works in all major browsers, such as Google chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera.
JavaScript was designed to add interactivity to HTML pages.
A scripting language is a lightweight programming language.
JavaScript is usually embedded directly into HTML pages.
JavaScript is an interpreted language (means that scripts execute without preliminary compilation).
Everyone can use JavaScript without purchasing a license.
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++.
What can a JavaScript Do?
1. JavaScript gives HTML designers a programming tool. JavaScript is a scripting language with a very simple syntax. Almost anyone can put small "snippets" of code into their HTML pages.
2. JavaScript can put dynamic text into an HTML page.
3. 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.
4. A JavaScript can read and change the content of an HTML element.
5. JavaScript can be used to create cookies to store and retrieve information on the visitor's computer.
JavaScript Variables
1. Variables are "containers" for storing information.
2. JavaScript variables are used to hold values or expressions.
3. A variable can have a short name, like x, or a more descriptive name, like carname.
Rules for JavaScript variable names
1. Variable names are case sensitive (y and Y are two different variables).
2. Variable names must begin with a letter or the underscore character.
Note: Because JavaScript is case-sensitive, variable names are case-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>
<p>The script above declares a variable, assigns a value to it, displays the value, change the value, and displays the value again.</p>
</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.
Declaring (Creating) JavaScript Variables
Creating variables in JavaScript is most often referred to as "declaring" variables.
You can declare JavaScript variables with the var statement:
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.
Assigning Values to Undeclared JavaScript Variables
If you assign values to variables that have not yet been declared, the variables will automatically be declared.
These statements:
x=5;
carname="Scorpio";
have the same effect as:
var x=5;
var carname="Scorpio";
Redeclaring JavaScript Variables
If you redeclare a JavaScript variable, it will not lose its original value.
var x=5;
var x;
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.
Data Types
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Boolean (true/false) - lets you evaluate whether a condition meets or does not meet specified criteria.
4. 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 TYPE EXAMPLE
Numbers Any number, such as 17, 21, or 54
Strings "Greetings!" or "Fun"
Boolean Either true or false
Null A special keyword for exactly that – the null value (that is, nothing)
JavaScript Arithmetic
As with algebra, you can do arithmetic operations with JavaScript variables:
y=x-5;
z=y+5;
JavaScript Operators
The operator = is used to assign values.
The operator + is used to add values.
The assignment operator = is used to assign values to JavaScript variables.
The arithmetic operator + is used to add values together.
y=5;
z=2;
x=y+z;
The value of x, after the execution of the statements above is 7.
JavaScript Arithmetic Operators
Arithmetic operators are used to perform arithmetic between variables and/or values.
Given that y=5, the table below explains the arithmetic operators:
Operator Description Example Result
+ Addition x=y+2; x=7
- Subtraction x=y-2; x=3
* Multiplication x=y*2; x=10
/ Division x=y/2; x=2.5
% Modulus (division remainder) x=y%2; x=1
++ Increment x=++y; x=6
-- Decrement x=--y; x=4
JavaScript Assignment Operators
Assignment operators are used to assign values to JavaScript variables.
1. a + = b - This shorthand operator is the same as a = a + b. It adds the values of the right-side variables and assigns them to the left side variable.
Example:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<p id="example"></p>
<script>
var b = 10;
var a = 10;
a += b;
document.getElementById("example").innerHTML = a;
</script>
</body>
</html>
Output:
20
The + Operator Used on Strings
The + operator can also be used to add string variables or text values together.
To add two or more string variables together, use the + operator.
txt1="What a very";
txt2="nice day";
txt3=txt1+txt2;
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;
To insert a space into the expression:
txt1="What a very";
txt2="nice day";
txt3=txt1+" "+txt2;
After the execution of the statements above, the variable txt3 contains:
"What a very nice day"
Adding Strings and Numbers
Look at these examples:
x=5+5;
document.write(x);
x="5"+"5";
document.write(x);
x=5+"5";
document.write(x);
x="5"+5;
document.write(x);
The rule is:
If you add a number and a string, the result will be a string.
JavaScript Comparison and Logical Operators
Comparison and Logical operators are used to test for true or false.
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:
Operator Description Example
== is equal to x==8 is false
=== is exactly equal to (value and type) x===5 is true
x==="5" is false
!= is not equal x!=8 is true
> is greater than x>8 is false
< is less than x<8 is true
>= is greater than or equal to x>=8 is false
<= is less than or equal to x<=8 is true
How Can it be Used
Comparison operators can be used in conditional statements to compare values and take action depending on the result:
if (age<18) document.write("Too young");
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:
Operator Description Example
&& and (x < 10 && y > 1) is true
|| or (x==5 || y==5) is false
! not !(x==y) is true
Conditional Operator
JavaScript also contains a conditional operator that assigns a value to a variable based on some condition.
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
In JavaScript we have the following conditional statements:
1. if statement - use this statement if you want to execute some code only if a specified condition is true.
2. 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.
3. if...else if....else statement - use this statement if you want to select one of many blocks of code to be executed.
4. 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: if is written in lowercase letters. Using uppercase letters (IF) will generate a JavaScript error!
Example
<script type="text/javascript">
var d=new Date();
var time=d.getHours();
if (time<10)
{
document.write("<b>Good morning</b>");
}
</script>
Note: 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">
var d = new Date();
var time = d.getHours();
if (time < 10)
{
document.write("Good morning!");
}
else
{
document.write("Good day!");
}
</script>
If...else if...else Statement
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
{
document.write("<b>Hello World!</b>");
}
</script>
The JavaScript Switch Statement
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">
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");
break;
default:
document.write("I'm looking forward to this weekend!");
}
</script>
JavaScript Controlling(Looping) Statements
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.
In JavaScript there are two different kind of loops:
1. for - loops through a block of code a specified number of times
2. while - loops through a block of code while a specified condition is true
for Loop
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<=5;i++)
{
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 3
The number is 4
The number is 5
JavaScript while Loop
Loops in JavaScript are used to execute the same block of code a specified number of times or while a specified condition is true.
while Loop
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
}
Note: The <= could be any comparing statement.
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>
<body>
<script type="text/javascript">
var i=0;
while (i<=5)
{
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
do...while Loop
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">
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
JavaScript Break and Continue
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>
</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<=5;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
JavaScript Functions
1. A function or a method is a self-contained piece of code that performs a particular "function".
2. You can recognise a function by its format as it's a piece of descriptive text, followed by open and close brackets.
3. A function is a reusable code-block that will be executed by an event, or when the function is called.
4. To keep the browser from executing a script when the page loads, you can put your script into a function.
5. 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).
6. 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.
How to Define a Function
Syntax
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
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);
The returned value from the prod() function is 6, and it will be stored in the variable called product.
The Lifetime of JavaScript Variables
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.
An Event is always the result of something a user does. For example, we've already seen Event Handler like onClick that respond to mouse actions.
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:
<INPUT TYPE="button" NAME="click1" VALUE="Click me for fun!"
onClick="event_handler_code">
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.
Method 1 (Link Events):
Places an Event Handler as an attribute within an <A HREF= > tag, like this:
<A HREF="foo.html" onMouseOver="doSomething()"> </A>
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.
<AHREF="javascript:void('')"onClick="open('index.htm','links','height=200,width=200');"></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.
Here are the three lines of interest:
1. <A HREF="#" onClick="alert('Ooo, do it again!');">Click on me!</A>
2. <A HREF="javascript:void('')" onClick="alert('Ooo, do it again!');">Click on me!</A>
3. <A HREF="javascript:alert('Ooo, do it again!')" >Click on me!</A>
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.
Let's go over each line:
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.
The next line is
<A HREF="javascript:void('')" onMouseOver="alert('Hee hee!');">Mouse over me!</A>
This is just like the first line, but it uses an onMouseOver instead of an onClick.
Method 2 (Actions within FORMs):
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:
<INPUT TYPE="text" onChange="checkField(this)">
Nonetheless, the entire code for the function could appear in quotation marks rather than a function call:
<INPUT TYPE="text" onChange="if (this.value <= 5) {
alert("Please enter a number greater than 5");
}">
To separate multiple commands in an Event Handler, use semicolons
<INPUT TYPE="text" onChange="alert(‘Thanks for the entry.’);
confirm(‘Do you want to continue?’);">
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.
Method 3 (BODY onLoad & onUnLoad):
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 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>
var loaded = false;
function doit() {
// alert("Everything is \"loaded\" and loaded = " + loaded);
alert('Everything is "loaded" and loaded = ' + loaded);
}
</SCRIPT>
<BODY onLoad="loaded = true;">
-- OR --
<BODY onLoad="window.loaded = true;">
<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.
Setting the bgColor Property
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
onAbort: The user cancels loading of an image.
onBlur: Input focus is removed from a form element (when the user clicks outside the field) or 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.
onReset: The user clears a form using the Reset button.
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.
An array can be viewed like a column of data in a spreadsheet. The name of the array would be the same as the name of the column. Each piece of data (element) in the array is referred to by a number (index), just like a row number in a column.
An array is an object. Earlier, I said that an object is a thing, a collection of properties (array elements, in this case) grouped together.
You can name an array using the same format as a variable, a function or an object. Remember our basic rules: The first character cannot be a number, you cannot use a reserved word, and you cannot use spaces.
Also, be sure to remember that the name of the array object is capitalized, e.g. Array.
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,
var myCar = new Array("Chev","Ford","Buick","Lincoln","Truck");
alert(myCar[4])
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 the Array
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.:
var myCar = new Array(20);
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
This type of an array is similar to parallel arrays. In a multidimensional array, instead of
creating two or more arrays in tandem as we did with the parallel array, we create an array
with several levels or "dimensions." Remember our example of a spreadsheet with rows and
columns? This time, however, we have a couple more columns.
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();
Next, we create arrays for elements of the main array:
emailList[0] = new Array("President", "Paul Smith", "psmith@domain.com");
emailList[1] = new Array("Vice President", "Laura Stevens", "lstevens@domain.com");
emailList[2] = new Array("General Manager", "Mary Larsen", "mlarsen@domain.com");
emailList[3] = new Array("Sales Manager", "Bob Lark", "blark@domain.com");
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.
It would be written like this:
var vpEmail = emailList[1][2]
alert("The address is: "+ vpEmail)
1. We declared a variable, named it emailList, and initialized it with a value of a new instance of an array.
2. Next, we created an array for each of the elements within the original array. Each of the new arrays contained three elements.
3. Then we declared a variable named vpEmail and initialized it with the value of the third element (lstevens@domain.com) of the second element "[1]" of the array named emailList.
You could also retrieve the information using something like:
var title = emailList[1][0]
var email = emailList[1][2]
alert("The e-mail address for the " + title +" is: " + email)
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 bannerImg = new Array();
bannerImg[0]="image-1.gif";
bannerImg[1]="image-2.gif";
bannerImg[2]="image-3.gif";
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:
<img src="image-1.gif" name="banner">
Let's take a look and see what happened here:
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:
1. constructor: Specifies the function that creates an object's prototype.
2. index: Only applies to JavaScript arrays created by a regular expression
match.
3. input: Only applies to JavaScript arrays created by a regular expression
match.
4. prototype: Used to add properties or methods.
JavaScript Array Object
The Array object is used to store multiple values in a single variable.
Create an Array
The following code creates an Array object called myCars:
var myCars=new 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:
var myCars=new Array();
myCars[0]="Saab";
myCars[1]="Volvo";
myCars[2]="BMW";
You could also pass an integer argument to control the array's size:
var myCars=new Array(3);
myCars[0]="Saab";
myCars[1]="Volvo";
myCars[2]="BMW";
2:
var myCars=new Array("Saab","Volvo","BMW");
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.
The following code line:
document.write(myCars[0]);
will result in the following output:
Saab
Modify Values in an Array
To modify a value in an existing array, just add a new value to the array with a specified index number:
myCars[0]="Opel";
Now, the following code line:
document.write(myCars[0]);
will result in the following output:
Opel
JavaScript Date Object
Create a Date Object
The Date object is used to work with dates and times.
The following code create a Date object called myDate:
var myDate=new Date()
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):
var myDate=new Date();
myDate.setFullYear(2010,0,14);
And in the following example we set a Date object to be 5 days into the future:
var myDate=new Date();
myDate.setDate(myDate.getDate()+5);
Note: If adding five days to a date shifts the month or year, the changes are handled automatically by the
Date object itself!
Compare Two Dates
The Date object is also used to compare two dates.
The following example compares today's date with the 14th January 2010:
var myDate=new Date();
myDate.setFullYear(2010,0,14);
var today = new Date();
if (myDate>today)
{
alert("Today is before 14th January 2010");
}
else
{
alert("Today is after 14th January 2010");
}
JavaScript Math Object
Math Object
The Math object allows you to perform mathematical tasks.
The Math object includes several mathematical constants and methods.
Syntax for using properties/methods of Math:
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 code above will result in the following output:
5
The following example uses the random() method of the Math object to return a random number between 0 and 1:
document.write(Math.random());
The code above can result in the following output:
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));
The code above can result in the following output:
4
String Object
The String Object is used to manipulate a stored piece of text.
Examples of use:
The following example uses the length property of the String object to find the length of a string:
var txt="Hello world!";
document.write(txt.length);
The code above will result in the following output:
12
The following example uses the toUpperCase() method of the String object to convert a string to
uppercase letters:
var txt="Hello world!";
document.write(txt.toUpperCase());
The code above will result in the following output:
HELLO WORLD!
Window Object
The Window object is the top level object in the JavaScript hierarchy.
The Window object represents a browser window.
A Window object is created automatically with every instance of a <body> or <frameset> tag.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera.
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).
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.
IE: Internet Explorer, F: Firefox, O: Opera.
Form Object
The Form object represents an HTML form.
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).
Image Object
The Image object represents an embedded image.
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).
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).
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