javascript, yay or nay?

bentzak

Senior Member
hi,

i have been looking at putting some content in my site which is uses javascript, i just wanted to know if javascript was a good thing to use? is it a similar thing to flash? will it limit the number of people able to view my content? or is it pretty standard nower days? the reason i ask is that im doing the html version of my site, (the other being flash) and i didnt want to have two versions not everyone could see.

Cheers,

Zak
 
I'm no JS guy, I can't write it, but I know the best practices.

Basically you should write markup with no JS in at all, and that is your website—it works and then doesn't use a scrap of JS. Then you add the JS on top of that, leaving the markup clean and untouched. The JS should add to the UX, not make it.
 
ok, but basically im trying to make an image galley, so my site wont be just js, but might have to use it from what i have looked at, i cant find any good free image galleries that dont use js, and i wouldnt have a clue of how to make one!!

Z
 
He isn't saying don't use it. He is saying create a site without it, it doesn't have to be pretty, just usable and well made. Then add a JS "over-lay" so that it shows how you want it to for the majority of viewers, but still works for everyone who doesn't have javascript etc.
 
JavaScript should only be used to make your page interactive; the content on your page should still be viewable without JavaScript.

For example, an image gallery will essentially just be a bunch of images on a page. However, you would use JavaScript to hide the unwanted images at any one time and then animate through them. Your images are still there without JavaScript, so still accessible, and people have the best in both worlds.
 
i see! thank y'all it all makes a bit more sense to me now! so i put a page up with all my thumbnails linked to the full pics, then if i dont have js it opens them in another page, and if i do it opns them in light box! got it, thankyou,

Z
 
Hay fella in a rush so didn't read all the replies, sorry.
But JS in my book is always a yay.

Just build the entire site without it first then look at how you can improve certain sections after, that way your site will all ways work for everyone and that includes the search engine bots as it will all ways degrade nicely.

Best of both worlds then. :)

Sorry if thats all ready been said all ready.
Jaz
 
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