PHP vs Javascript
Which sucks harder?
Rules
Referee: The SuckometerTM (written in Perl)
60 seconds per topic
Topics
− Syntax, Data Types, Scope, Name spaces and
Packaging, Standard Library, Extensions Libraries
− Procedural, Object Oriented, Functional and Meta
Programming, AOP
− Networking, Error Handling, Multi Tasking,
Reflection, Garbage Collection, Security, Tools
− Server Side, Client Side, Community,
Documentation
Syntax
Easy – the best of your favourite languages!
− “JavaScript borrows most of its syntax from Java,
but also inherits from Awk and Perl, with some
indirect influence from Self in its object prototype
system.” - Brendan Eich
Sexy one-liners
− $("p.surprise").addClass("ohmy").show("slow");
Narcissus – Javascript Self Interpreter
− it could almost be Lisp!
Core Data Types
Strings with Unicode support(!)
Objects are everywhere
− (102).toColorPart(); // prototype
Easy type conversion
− + operator overloaded, parseInt(), parseFloat()
Simple Collections
− Arrays for stacks, queues etc.
− Who needs hashes? In Javascript: Objects
Literal arrays / objects easy to generate
− e.g. JSON – it’s the new XML!
Scope / Name spacing / Packaging
Lexical scoping rules simple and easy to
remember:
− If it ain’t local… it’s global
Functions as name spaces – highly flexible!
Dynamic package loading on Internet scale!
− The library is everywhere:
Adsense
Maps
Tracking users
Standard Library
All the basics you need
− RegExp, Math, Date
Browser APIs
− The joy of DOM (OK: jquery)
− XMLHttpRequest - the worlds most exciting API!
And lots more...
− J2SE (via Rhino)
− .NET (via JScript.NET)
− XPCOM (e.g. Firefox extensions)
− wxJS (Javascript on wxWidgets)
Extension Libraries
prototype – the hottest library ever…
…apart from jquery, which is hotter
JSAN http://www.openjsan.org/
− CPAN for Javascript
Mozilla dying to blow our minds
− E.g. E4X - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E4X
− Canvas
− Etc.
Lots more cool stuff at http://www.mozdev.org
Procedural Programming
All the control statements you know and love
− if, else, for, while, do...while, switch
Scales down
− Remember “DHTML for Dummies”?
Object Oriented Programming
(Almost) everything is an object
Implicit this variable makes Java programmers
feel right at home!
Prototype based inheritance radically reduces
lines of code
− No need for inherits!
Easy mix-ins at runtime
− add behaviour to prototypes
− add behaviour to objects
Functional Programming
Functions are objects too!
Functional programming blows your mind!
− …and shrinks your codebase!
Closures, monads, currying
Continuations
− via jwacs: http://chumsley.org/jwacs/
Meta Programming
Object.prototype !
# Dynamic cow…
var cow = new Object();
Object.prototype.moo = function() {
alert(‘Moooooo!’);
}
cow.moo(); # Oh Yes!
Aspect-Oriented Programming
No need for ugly byte code hacks!
Easy to roll your own
http://www.jadetower.org/muses/archives/000391.html
Or find library e.g. dojo.event.connect()
And CSS selectors == dependency injection!!!
− http://softwareas.com/css-the-tech-ajax-forgot
Networking
XMLHttpRequest (AJAX)
− When was the last time a network client API
caused this much excitement?
Via flash proxy to anywhere
Otherwise take your pick of networking from;
− Java (via Rhino)
− .NET (via JScript.NET)
− XPCOM
− wxWidgets
Error Handling
Exceptions, just like Java
Including finally!
Multi Tasking
Asynchronous XMLHttpRequest
setTimeout() is so easy!
Co-routines
− Via jwacs: http://chumsley.org/jwacs/
Iframes
Reflection
typeof – it doesn't get any easier!
...except instanceof which is even easier!
...and is (Javascript 2.0)
Garbage Collection
Different implementations: easy to understand
− Most: reference counting
− Spidermonkey: mark and sweep
Great tools
− Leak Monitor
− IE Leak Detector
Security
No files, no problem!
− Browsers keep all Javascript tightly locked down
Tools
They get better every day!
− Selenium : the web app tester
− Firebug
− Visual Studio Debugger
− JSEclipse
Server Side
http://haxe.org/
http://users.skynet.be/saw/wxJS/mod_wxjs/
Javascript Servlets
IIS: JScript + ASP.NET / ASP 3.0
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server-side_JavaScript
Client Side
Your browser! AJAX! Revolution.
Mozilla
− Firefox extensions
− Xulrunner
wxJS!
Final Rave
Steve Yegge (ex-Amazon, now Google)
http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2006/09/bloggers-block-3-dreaming-in-browser.html
“JavaScript is probably the most important
language in the world today.“
Are you still stuck on the server-side?
