JavaScript enables pages to be dynamic. It is a client side scripting language supported by most Web browsers, although not exactly in quite the same way. It was developed by Netscape for Navigator, but shortly thereafter a slightly different version of it appeared in Internet Explorer. JavaScript is not related to Java.
Nevertheless, a subset of JavaScript can be succesfully used to provide more interesting pages on a variety of platforms. It is rather easily abused however. I recommend it be used sparingly, and not to rely upon it to get your message to your audience. The effect used in this page quickly shifts from cute to annoying, as you may discover.
Some JavaScript examples illustrating a few of the more fundamental JavaScript tricks will be available soon on this page. For now, take a look at this simple but interesting example of combining HTML Frames, JavaScript, and a Java applet provided by a third party, in this case the U.S. government.
Stylesheets separate presentation from structure. In traditional HTML, elements like center and attributes like align were used to advise the browser how you would like your content layed out. With a stylesheet language like CSS (Cascading Stylesheets) one can associate presentation style information with markup elements.
Whether you use CSS, XSL, or HTML styles, do not depend on them to convey meaning. They only affect the presentation of the content for a particular medium. Ideally, your message should still be conveyed when printed on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper, or by a speech synthesis device. Keep your style information simple. Make it qualitative, not quantitative. For example, use generic font names, like sans-serif, and relative font sizes. Envision how your document will look in grayscale.
For an excellent tutorial and introduction to CSS, visit Dave Raggett's intro to CSS .
For more information on styles, CSS, and XSL (the XML Stylesheet Language), visit the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Style Sheets home page.
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Last Updated: February 3, 2003