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1.5 JS Syntax

JavaScript syntax is the set of rules, how JavaScript programs are constructed:

var x, y, z;       // Declare Variables
x = 5; y = 6;      // Assign Values
z = x + y;         // Compute Values

JavaScript Values

The JavaScript syntax defines two types of values:

Fixed values
Variable values

Fixed values are called Literals.
Variable values are called Variables.

JavaScript Literals

The two most important syntax rules for fixed values are:

Numbers are written with or without decimals:

10.50

1001

Strings are text, written within double or single quotes:

"John Doe"

'John Doe'

JavaScript Variables

In a programming language, variables are used to store data values.
JavaScript uses the var keyword to declare variables.
An equal sign is used to assign values to variables.
In this example, x is defined as a variable. Then, x is assigned (given) the value 6:

Example 1: JavaScript Variables

var x;

x = 6;

JavaScript Operators

JavaScript uses arithmetic operators ( + - * / ) to compute values:

Example 2: JavaScript Operators

(5 + 6) * 10

JavaScript uses an assignment operator ( = ) to assign values to variables:

Example 3: Assigning JavaScript Values

var x, y;
x = 5;
y = 6;

JavaScript Expressions

An expression is a combination of values, variables, and operators, which computes to a value.
The computation is called an evaluation.
For example, 5 * 10 evaluates to 50:

Example 4: JavaScript Expressions part 1

5 * 10

Expressions can also contain variable values:

Example 5: JavaScript Expressions part 2

x * 10

The values can be of various types, such as numbers and strings.
For example, "John" + " " + "Doe", evaluates to "John Doe":

Example 6: JavaScript Expressions part 3

"John" + " " + "Doe"

JavaScript Keywords

JavaScript keywords are used to identify actions to be performed.
The var keyword tells the browser to create variables:

Example 7: The var Keyword Creates Variables

var x, y;
x = 5 + 6;
y = x * 10;

JavaScript Comments

Not all JavaScript statements are "executed".
Code after double slashes // or between /* and */ is treated as a comment.
Comments are ignored, and will not be executed:

Example 8: JavaScript Comments are NOT Executed

var x = 5;   // I will be executed

// var x = 6;   I will NOT be executed

You will learn more about comments in a later chapter.

JavaScript Identifiers

Identifiers are names. In JavaScript, identifiers are used to name variables (and keywords, and functions, and labels).
The rules for legal names are much the same in most programming languages.
In JavaScript, the first character must be a letter, or an underscore (_), or a dollar sign ($).
Subsequent characters may be letters, digits, underscores, or dollar signs.

Numbers are not allowed as the first character. This way JavaScript can easily distinguish identifiers from numbers.

JavaScript is Case Sensitive

All JavaScript identifiers are case sensitive.
The variables lastName and lastname, are two different variables:

Example 9: JavaScript is Case Sensitive

var lastname, lastName;
lastName = "Doe";
lastname = "Peterson";

JavaScript does not interpret VAR or Var as the keyword var.

JavaScript and Camel Case

Historically, programmers have used different ways of joining multiple words into one variable name:

Hyphens:

first-name, last-name, master-card, inter-city.

Hyphens are not allowed in JavaScript. They are reserved for subtractions.

Underscore:

first_name, last_name, master_card, inter_city.

Upper Camel Case (Pascal Case):

FirstName, LastName, MasterCard, InterCity.

Lower Camel Case:

JavaScript programmers tend to use camel case that starts with a lowercase letter:

firstName, lastName, masterCard, interCity.

JavaScript Character Set

JavaScript uses the Unicode character set.
Unicode covers (almost) all the characters, punctuations, and symbols in the world.
For a closer look, study the Complete Unicode Reference.

JavaScript Fundamentals course home
Module 1. Introduction to JavaScript

Navigate this module

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Example files created in this module:
What Can JavaScript Do? part 1 What Can JavaScript Do? part 2 What Can JavaScript Do? part 3 What Can JavaScript Do? part 4 What Can JavaScript Do? part 5 What Can JavaScript Do? part 6 JavaScript in Body Demo JavaScript in Head Demo JavaScript in Body Demo External JavaScript External JavaScript part 1 External JavaScript part 2 External JavaScript part 3 My First Web Page part 1 My First Web Page part 2 My First Web Page part 3 My First Web Page part 4 My First Web Page part 5 Activate Debugging The window.print() Method JavaScript Statements part 1 JavaScript Statements part 2 JavaScript Statements part 3 JavaScript Statements part 4 JavaScript Statements part 5 JavaScript Statements part 6 JavaScript Numbers JavaScript Strings JavaScript Variables JavaScript Operators Assigning JavaScript Values JavaScript Expressions part 1 JavaScript Expressions part 2 JavaScript Expressions part 3 The var Keyword Creates Variables JavaScript Comments are NOT Executed JavaScript is Case Sensitive More JavaScript Comments JavaScript Comments part 2 JavaScript Comments part 3 JavaScript Comments part 4 JavaScript Comments part 5