Learn Javascript

[hot_pastrami]

Feel free to pipe up if you have any questions or comments, as I am certain to prove a highly imperfect teacher.

First, you'll need an environment:

EDITOR: You can use any text editor, including Windows' built-in Notepad or Wordpad, but I recommend something the provides line numbers, as Javascript errors will reference the line number they're on. Textpad does this, as does jEdit, but there are many options. You can use MS Word and the like, but they're overkill, and the built-in spelling and grammar checkers may give you problems.

BROWSER: Internet Explorer will run Javascript OK, but it doesn't provide helpful error messages when something goes awry. I recommend downloading Mozilla or Mozilla Firefox, and installing with the Javascript Debugger option. Very handy. Opera is also better than IE, if you already have that.

Here is the Javascript testing tool I created, it's just a text box which you can paste Javascript into, and have it interpreted without the need to create an actual HTML file. I recommend cutting-and-pasting into the text box rather than trying to do your editing directly on the page itself. I'll add stuff to this page as we go to make it more useful, it's pretty rudimentary now. Let me know if you have any suggestions for it.

On the next post, I'll start on the language itself.

Edit: fixed spelling error.