What You Need to Begin

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The great thing about JavaScripts and JScripts is that they are easy to create. You do not have to spend a lot of money on programming tools before you can begin developing scripts. To begin developing JavaScripts, all that you'll need is

A computer. Just about any computer will work because you don't need a lot of horsepower to develop and test JavaScripts.
Internet access. Whether it is from work or home, you must be able to access the Internet so that you can upload your Web pages to your Web site.
An Internet Web browser. Several Internet browsers support JavaScript, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Opera. You need at least one of these browsers to test your JavaScripts. However, it's a good idea to have copies of all of them to make sure that your JavaScripts work correctly with each browser.
A Web site. If you do not already have your own Web site, the odds are that your local Internet service provider can set you up with one.
A text editor. You can use any basic text editor to write and save your JavaScripts. You can even use the Windows Notepad application.
A graphics editor. This tool is optional, though it is required if you plan to add any graphic images to your Web pages. For example, you might want to design your own banner pages or Web site logo.

Unlike many programming languages, JScript doesn't require you to learn how to work with a complicated integrated development environment or IDE before you can develop scripts that run directly from the Windows desktop. To begin developing JScripts, all that you'll need is

Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, XP, 2000, or 2003. Only Windows computers support JScript.
The Windows Script Host or WSH, version 5.6. Available for free at http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting.
JScript 5.6. Available for free at http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting.
A text editor. Like JavaScript, any text editor, including Notepad, will do.

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