Introduction

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Congratulations on your decision to learn JavaScript and JScript. JavaScript is a powerful scripting language that, when combined with HTML, allows you to create exciting and powerful Web pages. You can use these Web pages to run a small business or to share information with family and friends over the Internet. JScript is a Microsoft implementation of JavaScript that can be used as a scripting language for automating repetitive or complex desktop and system tasks .

What you are probably asking yourself is, "Can I really learn to program using JavaScript and JScript in a single weekend ?" The answer is "Yes!" I am not promising that you will become a programming guru in just a few days, but if you will dedicate a full weekend to this book and follow along with its examples, you will be able to write your own JavaScripts and JScripts. In no time you will be able to make dramatic improvements to your Web pages as well as develop scripts that automate any number of Windows desktop tasks.

Syntactically, JavaScript and JScript are virtually identical. So by learning how to write JavaScripts, you are also learning how to work with JScript as well. Where the two languages differ is in the environments in which they execute. JavaScripts are embedded inside HTML pages and run by Web browsers. JScripts, on the other hand, are written as plain text files that are executed directly from the Windows desktop by the Windows Script Host or WSH.

As long as you have basic Windows skills and a good HTML background, you'll find that this book will provide you with all the information and examples you need to get up and running with both of these exciting scripting languages in a single weekend.

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