The synergy between HTML and JavaScript: A beginner's guide to frontend coding

I have primarily focused on server-side development of enterprise applications (Java EE, Spring framework).

However, I am now exploring client-side technologies for better understanding (not necessarily to become an expert). I have studied HTML and CSS through books and online resources. The next technology I plan to delve into is JavaScript.

I find it challenging to grasp how these different technologies can be combined to create a cohesive "page". For instance, if I were to create a file named somepage.html, it could include HTML, CSS, JavaScript (and yet still have the .html extension). It seems like blending various technologies together – how is this achievable?

Could it be that since the page is eventually rendered by the browser, such integration becomes feasible?

Would someone be able to help me understand these concepts in simpler terms?

Answer №1

An Explanation

Consider the HTML page on your browser as being composed of three key components:

  1. DOM (Actual HTML elements)
  2. CSS (Rules used by browsers to determine styling for #1)
  3. JavaScript (Language understood by browsers for manipulation of #1 and #2, as well as other dynamic tasks)

In regards to your question #1 about mixing these components, it is possible because all three are eventually integrated in the browser to form what you refer to as a 'page.'

It's helpful to view the progression from #1 > #2 > #3 as an enhancement of the page.

HTML and CSS should not be considered programming languages, so they are not merged together.

  • HTML functions as specifications to define page elements.

  • CSS serves as rules dictating element display.

  • JavaScript is the sole programming language within this trio, used for modifying behavior, display, and interactions.

All three work in conjunction to achieve desired user experience on a webpage.

Browser Utilization

Upon entering/clicking a URL, the browser requests content from the server, which responds with an initial HTML page containing DOM, CSS (via link tags), and JavaScript (via script tags).

  1. The browser reads the HTML to construct a content tree.

  2. Next, it applies CSS to the content tree to create a render tree with style information added.

  3. A layout process assigns physical window coordinates to HTML elements.

  4. Finally, everything is rendered visually on the page.

  5. JavaScript is parsed separately via <script> tags, allowing it to modify the DOM, alter CSS application, and initiate network calls.

Refer to this diagram illustrating the process for WebKit browsers (source)

https://i.stack.imgur.com/B3R8w.png

For further details on this process, check out this informative Article.

About File Extensions

Regarding your question #2 regarding the use of .html extension, technically it merely stems from operating system file systems, something browsers themselves do not concern themselves with! Browsers primarily focus on mime-types sent by web servers, such as text/html or image/png, which dictate how browsers behave towards different types of content.

Answer №2

HTML utilizes <script> tags to link to external JavaScript resources and <link rel="stylesheet"> tags for CSS resources. These file extensions are specifically designed to enhance the appearance of an HTML page within the browser.

JavaScript is responsible for handling the functionalities and behaviors typically associated with the code of a webpage. By interacting with the HTML markup through DOM queries (commonly achieved using methods like document.getElementById() or external libraries such as jQuery), you can manipulate elements on the page. The DOM acts as a representation of the HTML content in the browser environment.

CSS, on the other hand, allows for the styling of HTML elements using selectors to target specific components and apply visual modifications accordingly.

When combined, these three technologies work harmoniously to create a dynamic and visually appealing web experience.

Example:

HTML

<script src="myscript.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="mystyles.css">
<div id="bar">
   Welcome!
</div>

JavaScript (myscript.js)

document.getElementById("bar").addEventListener('click', function () {
    alert('You have clicked the div!');
});

CSS (mystyles.css)

#bar {
   color: blue;
}

Answer №3

When a browser loads a webpage, it goes through a series of steps to display the content on the screen.

The HTML parser reads the HTML text and creates a DOM tree structure.

In addition, the browser has a CSS parser that processes styles found in <style> tags or external CSS files. It combines these styles with the HTML DOM tree to form a render tree containing both CSS and HTML information.

The browser then performs the screen layout and renders pixels on the screen based on the render tree.

Furthermore, the browser includes a JavaScript engine that executes any JavaScript code present in script tags or separate JS files after the page has fully loaded.

It is recommended to keep your HTML, CSS, and JS files separate for CSP compliance purposes.

If you need more details on this topic, feel free to ask!

Update

Introduction: The Process of Rendering Pixels to Screen

Each frame, the browser follows specific steps to render the webpage visually on the screen.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/snoQr.jpg

  • JavaScript. JavaScript is commonly used for tasks that result in visual changes, such as animations, sorting data, or manipulating DOM elements on the page.

  • Style calculations. This step involves determining which CSS rules apply to each element based on selectors and calculating the final styles for each element.

  • Layout. The browser calculates the space occupied by each element on the screen and their positions based on the web's layout model.

  • Paint. Painting fills in pixels by drawing textual content, colors, images, borders, shadows, and other visual elements onto multiple layers.

  • Compositing. Elements drawn into different layers are composed to display correctly on the screen, especially when overlapping occurs.

For more information and sources, visit: https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/performance/rendering/?hl=en

Answer №4

When you open a web page in your browser, what you see is a blend of structure (HTML), style (CSS) and interactivity (JavaScript). These tasks are handled by three distinct technologies - HTML, CSS, and JavaScript - which are all understood by your browser.

HTML defines the different types of content structures such as paragraphs, blocks, lists, images, tables, forms, and comments. CSS determines how each type of element should be visually displayed, taking into consideration different media types like screen, print, or handheld devices. JavaScript dictates how the web page should respond to user events, like clicks or changes in form inputs.

Different browsers utilize various rendering engines The default rendering engine can show HTML and XML documents along with images. Additional data formats can be displayed through plug-ins; for instance, displaying PDF files using a PDF viewer plug-in. The rendering engine begins by parsing the HTML document and converting elements into DOM nodes within a tree known as the "content tree". It then processes style information from external CSS files and style elements to create another tree called the render tree, which combines styling and visual instructions provided in the HTML.

To learn more, visit http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/internals/howbrowserswork/

Answer №5

Let me break it down for you in a simple and concise manner:

HTML is used to include elements like buttons, forms, paragraphs, and divs that hold content, but it doesn't offer many styling options on its own.

CSS is solely dedicated to styling these elements and positioning them on the HTML page. For instance, if you need to adjust the width, height, or color of an element, CSS comes into play.

Javascript is utilized to create interactive features with elements. For example, clicking on a delete button should trigger a confirmation modal for deleting data. Javascript enables interaction with DOM (Document Object Model) elements — essentially the HTML elements on the page — and allows for dynamic changes to their properties.

While HTML is directly written within

There are different ways to apply styles using CSS:

  • Inline: This method involves adding the style directly within the HTML tag, like so:

<div style = "width: 100px; height: 100px; background-color: teal">I am a div</div>

  • Using an external file

/*This is the css file*/

.customDiv{
    width: 100px;
    height: 100px;
    background-color: teal;
}
<link type = "text/css" rel = "stylesheet" href = "myStyles.css"/>

<div class = "customDiv"> This is a div </div>

Javascript can be included between <script></script> tags in the HTML or by referencing an external JS file using the src attribute

<script type="text/javascript" src="myCustonJS.js"></script>

For instance,

document.getElementById("myDiv").onclick = function (){alert("JS DID THIS!!")};
#myDiv{
    width: 100px;
    height: 100px;
    background-color: teal;
}
<div id = "myDiv">This is a div</div>

Answer №6

The main component of a website is the HTML page. This is what the browser will interpret and display.

Within the HTML, you can include a <script></script> block for JavaScript and/or a <style></style> block for CSS. These blocks inform the browser that everything inside them is either JavaScript or CSS.

While it is common practice to keep JavaScript and CSS files separate by linking to external .js and .css files, it is not strictly necessary. However, this is considered best practice. Even when linking externally, you still use HTML to reference these files using

<script src="someJsFile.js"></script>
or
<link rel="stylesheet" href="someCssFile.css">

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