What is HTML?

HTML is the code that almost every website is made in.

It works a lot like a collage on paper,
with lots of little items that can be moved around and placed in different places.

These are called ELEMENTS
and each one has a HTML TAG that you can write to make it appear.
HTML Tags have an opening tag

<  >

and a closing tag

< \ >

and they are read from top to bottom by your Browser.

There are tags to draw boxes,

tags to play sounds

and even tags to display other websites

So Why JavaScript?

JavaScript (JS) was designed to bring true interactivity to websites.

It allows you to make actual computer programmes that run online.

It takes the flat webpage and makes it come alive.

What else?

JavaScript can be written directly into a HTML file by using the Script tag.


If you see this tag in a website's HTML, it was made with JavaScript.

(unless stated otherwise)

However, it can also be run without the internet, and without a browser using node.js


With this you can put JavaScript on a Raspberry Pi, or run it as part of a gallery installation. We'll be covering Node in a future workshop.

JavaScript is super popular and extremely modular - there are thousands of Libraries available to do any task you can think of, and lots of people and forums to ask for help.


Variables are what we use to store information within our JavaScript programme or website.

They are declared with the keyword var


and we choose a unique name for them so we can reuse them later.

This name begins with a lowercase letter, and can be anything at all - just try to make it something that will you tell you what it's holding.

This looks like this:

var myName = "Howard";

var phoneNumber = 0436072424;

All statements in JavaScript must end with a semi-colon.


Types of Variable

A variable can hold lots of different types of information.

Here are the most common types:

variables can also contain sets of other variables:

Objects are a HUGE and important topic in JavaScript and programming as a whole.

They are always contained in { }.

{ }

( although this is not the only use for { } )

we will go into them in more detail in future weeks,
but if you would like to read up on them in advance please do.

More on Object Notation (JSON)

Next Week

Fun Links & Further Reading:
What's been made with JS?

The Boat:
An interactive story that won awards at writing and film festivals.
It is built entirely in JavaScript.

On Broadway:
an interactive installation that takes you down New York's Broadway at different scales.
It uses real-time information with photos from instagram and taxi statistics.

The installation was exhibited at various shows around the world,
but because it's in JavaScript, it's also available online.

Introduction to p5:
this is what we will be looking at next week.

More (mostly) JavaScript websites:
click the big pink "please".