Java vs. Javascript : What's the Difference?

Oscar Sodani is a founder of Help2Go and owner of Help2Go Networks, an IT consulting firm in the Washington D.C. area. Oscar holds the CISSP certification as well as industry certifications from Microsoft, Cisco and Novell.

Java

Java is a programming language that is used throughout the computing world for many different tasks. Java's strength is that Java programs can run on just about any operating system, and Java programs can run in your browser as well.

In the late 90s, many companies started to incorporate Java into their web site interfaces, using "applets". Applets were small Java programs that were downloaded and run in your browser window. Unfortunately, Java applets were slow and clunky, and they have fallen out of favor in the past few years. Most web sites now use Flash instead.

Some banks still use Java applets, and some web sites have held on to their old Java applets. However, Java usage on web sites has become so infrequent that you can safely disable Java in your web browser without having to worry about missing much.

Javascript

Javascript, on the other hand, is an integral part of the Web experience these days. Javascript is a programming language that developers can use to create "scripts" that run on web pages. These scripts automate small actions - for instance, when you shop online, a Javascript program will update your shopping cart total whenever you add or remove an item.

Javascript is a big part of "Web 2.0" - the name for the new types of web pages that act more like desktop programs than like static pages. Google's GMail service is an extremely popular "Web 2.0" site, and it relies heavily on Javascript. Registered members of Help2Go may notice our Shoutbox - this is a Web 2.0 application that also relies on Javascript in order to function.

Unfortunately, web sites can also misuse Javascript - to open pop-up windows, for instance. Newer browsers such as Mozilla Firefox can help you restrict the bad uses of Javascript, while allowing the good uses.

It's been said that about 10% of the people surfing the Internet have their Javascript completely turned off. We no longer recommend this - too many sites have such good implementations of Javascript functionality that turning it off would mean that you are missing out on a lot of the new and cool features of the Web. Instead, use a modern web browser such as Firefox or Opera to restrict what Javascript can and can't do.

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