Introduction to JavaScript Data Types & Operators

Today’s Lecture …

• We will find out about JavaScript data types

• About variables

• We will also discuss various operators supported by JavaScript

JavaScript Data Types

• Unlike in C, C++ and Java, there are no explicit data types in JavaScript

• Nevertheless, it recognizes & distinguishes among the following types of values:

– Numbers, e.g., 23, 4.3, -230, 4.4e-24

– Booleans, e.g., true, false

– Strings, e.g., “hello”, “What’s the time?”

– Undefined

We’ll comeback to these data types, but before that we have to define a few new terms

First, variable:

Variables

• Variables give us the ability to manipulate data through reference instead of actual value

• Variables are names assigned to values

• Variables are containers that hold values (Example: Hotel guest name, Guest room no.)

• Generally, the value of a variable varies during code execution (that is why the term “variable”!)

Example

x = 1;

while (x < 6) {

document.write (x);

x = x + 1;

}

x is a variable

Try Doing the Same Without Using A Variable

document.write (“1”); document.write (“2”); document.write (“3”); document.write (“4”); document.write (“5”);

5 lines of code replacing 5 lines of code!

Why use variables?

Another Situation

x = 1;

while (x < 6000) {

document.write (x);

x = x + 1;

}

Declaring Variables

• Many languages require that a variable be declared (defined) before it is first used

• Although JavaScript allows variable declaration, it does not require it - except in the case when we want to declare a variable being local (more on local variables later in the course!)

• However, it is good programming practice to declare variables before using them

Declaring Variables

var height

var name, address, phoneNumber

JavaScript Variables are Dynamically Typed

• Any variable in JavaScript can hold any type of value, and the type can change midway through the program

• This is unlike the case for C, C++ and Java, where a variable’s type is defined before usage

• The untyped feature makes JavaScript simpler to program in when developing short programs. However, this feature brings in a few problems as well. Can you describe any?

JavaScript Variables are Dynamically Typed

var sum ;

sum = 43 ;

sum = “empty” ;

After the execution of the 2nd statement, the data type becomes “number”

After the execution of the 3rd statement, the data type changes to “string”

After the execution of the 1st statement, the data type of the variable “sum” is “undefined”

Identifiers

• Identifiers are names used by JavaScript to refer to variables ( as well as objects, properties, methods, and functions!)

• An identifier must begin with an alphabetical character (a-z or A-Z) or the underscore “_” character

• Subsequent characters can be an alphabetical (a-z or A-B) or numeric character (0-9) or an underscore

Another Restriction on Identifiers

• JavaScript keywords cannot be used as identifiers

• For example, do not name a variable as “while”. When the browser sees this term in JavaScript code, it will get confused as it already knows this keyword as part of a loop statement. Same is the case for “var” or “if” or any of the other keywords.

JavaScript (Java) Reserved WordsNames that can’t be used for variables, functions, methods, objects

finally byte import throws else

protected goto with default new

abstract static class interface var

float case in transient extends

public if this do null

Boolean super const long void

for catch instanceof true false

return private throw double package

break switch continue native while

function char int try final

synchronized implements ????

Avoid These Special Names As Well (1)Names that should not be used for variables, functions, methods, objects

alert Area assign Boolean Checkbox

escape FileUpload Form frames getClass

status Link location MimeType navigate

onunload opener Packages parseFloat Password

setTimeout String sun Text top

Anchor Array blur Button Submit

eval focus Frame Function Hidden

length Location Math name Navigator

open Option parent parseInt Plugin

JavaPackage taint Textarea toString

Avoid These Special Names As Well (2)Names that should not be used for variables, functions, methods, objects

close confirm assign Window JavaClass

History Image Form java onfocus

navigator Number location onblur Select

prompt Radio Packages Reset Element

unescape valueOf sun window JavaObject

closed Date blur Document onload

history isNaN Frame JavaArray Self

netscape Object Math onerror untaint

prototype ref parent scroll taint

defaultStatus clearTimeout document

Identifiers appear in JavaScript statements

Let us now discuss a few other elements that appear in those statements

Elements of JavaScript Statements

b = 2 ;

sum = sum + 49 ;

name = “Bhola” + “ Continental” ;

x = Math.floor ( x ) ;

Identifiers

Operators

Literals

Punctuation

JavaScript Literals

• A data value that appears directly in a statement

• Literals can be of several types. Some of them are:

1. Number

2. String

3. Boolean

Numeric Literals

24

-230000000000000000

9.80665

1.67e-27

JavaScript stores all numbers, even integers, as floating-point numbers

String Literals

“”

‘’

‘Bhola’

“Where is the Bhola Continental Hotel?”

String literals are always enclosed in a matching pair of single or double quotes

Boolean Literals

true

false

if ( tankFull == false)

addMoreWater = true

JavaScript Operators• Operators operate on operands to achieve the

desired results

• JavaScript has numerous operators, classified in many categories. We will look at only a few of them belonging to the following categories:– Assignment operators -- Arithmetic operators– Comparison operators -- String operators– Logical operators

• We’ll look at a few more during future lectures, but understand that there are many more.

Assignment Operator “=”Changes the value of what is on the LHS, w.r.t. what is on the RHS

total_number_of_students = 984 ;

title = “Understanding Computers” ;

swapFlag = false ;

x = y + 33 ;

Arithmetic Operators

Multiply 2 * 4 → 8

Divide 2 / 4 → 0.5

Modulus 5 % 2 → 1

Add 2 + 4 → 6

Subtract 2 - 4 → -2

Negate -(5) → -5

Comparison Operators

The “equal to (==)” Comparison Operator

if ( today == “Sunday” )document.write(“The shop is closed”);

The string “The shop is closed” will be written to the document only if the variable today has a value equal to “Sunday”

Not the same as the assignment “=” operator

Comparison Operators

a == b True if a and b are the same

a != b True if a and b are not the same

a > b True if a is greater than b

a >= b True if a is greater than or equal to b

a < b True if a is less than b

a <= b True if a is less than or equal to b

Example

if ( x != 0 )

result = y / x;

else

result = “not defined”;

From comparison operators, we move to Logical Operators

Logical OperatorsOperate on Boolean expressions or variables

The “AND (&&)” Logical Operator

if ( (pitch == “hard”) && (bowler == “fast”) )

myStatus = “Pulled muscle”;

The value of the variable myStatus will be set to “Pulled muscle” if both of the conditions are true

Logical Operators

a && b AND True if both are true

a || b OR True of either or both are true

!a NOT True if a is false

Example

if ( x || y )

document.write (“Either or both are true”);

else

document.write (“Both are false”);

So far we have looked at the assignment operator, arithmetic operators, comparison operators and logical operators

The final category that we are going to look at is string operators

In that category, we look at only one, the concatenation operator

The “+” String Operator

The “+” operator can be used to concatenate two strings

title = “bhola” + “continental”

The value of the variable title becomes “bholacontinental”

Semicolon ;

Terminate all JavaScript statements with a semicolon. It is not always necessary, but highly recommended.

a = 23 ;

quotient = floor( a / 2) ;

remainder = a % 2 ;

Elements of JavaScript Statements

b = 2;

sum = sum + 49;

name = “Bhola” + “ Continental”;

x = Math.floor ( x );

Identifiers

Operators

Literals

Punctuation

Two more elements that are found in JavaScript statements are white spaces and line breaks

White Spaces & Line Breaks

• White spaces: The space & the tab characters

• JavaScript ignores any extra white spaces or line breaks that you put in the code

• This gives you the freedom of using them for making your code appear neat and readable

while ( x > 0) {

remaind = x % 2;

y = remaind + y;

}

while ( x > 0) {remaind = x % 2; y = remaind + y;}

while ( x > 0) {

remaind = x % 2;

y = remaind + y;

}

Now let’s talk about a very special type of JavaScript statement that does not really do anything, but is found in most pieces of code!

Comments

• Comments are included on a Web page to explain how and why you wrote the page the way you did

• Comments can help someone other than the author to follow the logic of the page in the author’s absence

• The commented text is neither displayed in the browser nor does it have any effect on the logical performance of the Web page, and is visible only when the actual code is viewed

JavaScript Comments

• Single-line comments (two options)

// Author: Bhola<!-- Creation Date: 24 March 2003

• Multi-line comments

/* Author: Bhola Creation Date: 24 March 2003 */

HTML Comments

<!-- Author: Any

Creation Date: 24 March 2007 -->

x = 75 ; // x is the decimal number

y = “” ; // y is the binary equivalent

while ( x > 0) {

remainder = x % 2 ;

quotient = Math.floor( x / 2 ) ;

y = remainder + y ;

x = quotient ;

}

document.write(“y = ” + y) ;

Decimal to Binary Conversion in JavaScript