| Q1: | I've heard the term object-oriented applied to languages such as C++ and Java. If JavaScript supports objects, is it an object-oriented language? |
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A1:
| Yes, although it might not fit some people's strict definitions. JavaScript objects do not support all of the features that languages such as C++ and Java support, although the latest versions of JavaScript have added more object-oriented features. |
| Q2: | Having several scripts that execute at different times seems confusing. Why would I want to use event handlers? |
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A2:
| Event handlers are the ideal way (and in JavaScript, the only way) to handle gadgets within the web page, such as buttons, check boxes, and text fields. It's actually more convenient to handle them this way. Rather than writing a script that sits and waits for a button to be pushed, you can simply create an event handler and let the browser do the waiting for you. |
| Q3: | Some examples in other books suggest enclosing scripts in HTML comments (<!-- and -->) to hide the script from older browsers. Is this necessary? |
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A3:
| This technique was only necessary for supporting very old browsers, such as Netscape 2.0. I no longer recommend this because all modern browsers handle JavaScript correctly. If you are still concerned about non-JavaScript browsers, the best way to hide your script is to use an external JavaScript file, as described in Hour 2. |
