HTML scripts, also known as client-side scripts, are pieces of programming code or links to source code files embedded in HTML documents that execute when viewing or navigating a website. They extend website interactivity and create visual effects. Most popular HTML scripts are written in JavaScript. They are less complete than compiled programming languages and rely on basic web browser functionality and HTML. They allow access to website components and can be used to process data from HTML forms.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) documents can contain pieces of programming code or links to source code files, which execute at different points when viewing or navigating a website. These blocks of code are usually referred to as HTML script, because they are embedded in the HTML read by the browser and are executed, at least in part, by the browser; they are also known as client-side scripts. Most popular HTML scripts are written in a language known as JavaScript®, although it is possible to write HTML scripts in Visual Basic Scripting Edition® and Tool Command Language (TCL). The purpose of HTML scripts is usually to extend the interactivity of a website by allowing fast client-side processing of user-supplied information, although they can also be used to create visual effects such as animations, games, or dynamic graphics. Most often, an HTML script is inserted into an HTML document through the use of the script tag.
There is a technical distinction between HTML scripts and other types of compiled applications or interactive elements that can be used on a website. The script is usually written in a human readable scripting language and then embedded in an HTML document in some way. Alternatively, a web-based application is usually written in a language that requires the code to be compiled into machine code or bytecode which is then executed by a standalone interpreter on the user’s system. Scripts typically run from your web browser or a web browser plug-in.
Another difference is that HTML scripts tend to be less complete than compiled programming languages, relying more on basic web browser functionality and HTML for some internal aspects. This makes a script easier and safer to run in a browser, but it can also limit performance and other features, such as access to files and hardware. Some client-side scripts execute only partially within the web browser, instead contacting the web server to complete execution via other methods. This technique is often used for secure or proprietary processing of information, as may be the case with an e-commerce site.
In most cases, HTML scripts are used to access components of a website through the web browser. This allows access to the render canvas where the site is drawn, variables such as the background color of a page or even user events like mouse movements or button clicks. Complex HTML scripting languages have a structured or object-oriented syntax, which allows for the creation of full-featured applications such as games or word processors. Other times, HTML scripts are used to process data from HTML forms so that entered values are range-checked, converted to other data types, or even formatted for output to a server.
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