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first, JavaScript and Java do not have much in common, except that both are
used in the web enwironment, but not exclusively. Java is a programming
language whose main advantage is that software writtin in Java can run on a
multitude of platforms without having to be recompiled. Java has been
developed by Sun. JavaScript is a scripting language allowing more
interactivity on web pages, and has been developed by Netscape.
As you say that you will have a lot of web/browser based html stuff, you
will run into JavaScript. The question is now, how deep do you have to go
into actual programming, or is it essentially understanding the concepts.
For that infamous belt drive catalog/design forms project, I had to learn
how to use JavaScript in a slightly different environment (Acrobat). I did
not have any classes, but worked mainly with examples and books. It is not
that bad to use JavaScript. However, it is rather picky about the correct
syntax. And there are cases where syntax errors are almost impossible to
find.
Hope, this can help.
Max Wyss
PRODOK Engineering AG
Technical documentation and translations, Electronic Publishing
CH-8906 Bonstetten, Switzerland
Fax: +41 1 700 20 37
e-mail: mailto:prodok -at- prodok -dot- ch or 100012 -dot- 44 -at- compuserve -dot- com
Bridging the Knowledge Gap ...
... with Acrobat Forms ... now for belt drive designers at
> We have a new engineering dept. head who has said he'd like me to
> learn JavaScript because we're going to be doing some Java-based
> stuff, and a lot of Web/browser-based html stuff in general. I said
> "Sounds great!" but I really know NOTHING about it.
>
> Have any of you tech writers learned something about JavaScript? Can
> you tell me what it is, and how it differs from, say, RoboHTML or MS
> FrontPage? Have you taken a class in it? Is it fun to work with? And
> anything else you'd like to throw in.
>
> Thanks,
> Beth Kane
> Lone writer
> bkane -at- artisoft -dot- com, Tucson
