Rob Schlüter HTML tag list: SCRIPT

Description

This element adds the possibility of programming inside a HTML document by using a scripting language. The functions are programmed inside the SCRIPT container.

This element can be used in the HEAD and BODY section of the document.

To keep older browsers, that do not support scripting, from displaying the source of the scripts it is a common use to comment the contents of the SCRIPT element, like this:

<SCRIPT language="JavaScript">
<!-- Hide contents from older browsers
function ShowMessage(Msg) {
  alert(Msg)
}
// End hiding the contents -->
</SCRIPT>

DTD

<!ELEMENT SCRIPT - - %Script;          -- script statements -->
<!ATTLIST SCRIPT
  charset     %Charset;      #IMPLIED  -- char encoding of linked resource --
  type        %ContentType;  #REQUIRED -- content type of script language --
  language    CDATA          #IMPLIED  -- predefined script language name --
  src         %URI;          #IMPLIED  -- URI for an external script --
  defer       (defer)        #IMPLIED  -- UA may defer execution of script --
  >

from the HTML 4.0 DTD, "Copyright © World Wide Web Consortium, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique, Keio University). All Rights Reserved."

Attributes

3.2
4.0 3.0
4.0 3.0
4.0 1.2
2.1
CHARSET
This attribute specifies the character encoding used to write the script.

DEFER
With this attribute you can signal to the browser that this script doesn't generate content that must be included dynamically in the document. In JavaScript this is done with the document.write() function. That way the browser knows that the script doesn't influence the initial rendering of the page, and this may speed up viewing the document.

LANGUAGE
Determines the programming language that is used. Possible values are JavaScript, developed by Netscape out=>

. This language is also supported by Internet Explorer, but there are certain differences between the support and interpretation of a script. So test thoroughly...

With every new version of Netscape Navigator additions are made to the JavaScript language. This means that not every version has the same scripting capabilities. To be sure the browser can handle a script there is a way to specify which version of JavaScript is needed. This is done by a different value for this attribute. language="JavaScript" is supported by Navigator 2.0, and Internet Explorer 3.0, language="JavaScript1.1" is available in Navigator 3.0 and language="JavaScript1.2" is available in Navigator 4.0.

If you write a script that uses features of a higher version you can anticipate to browsers that don't support that version. If you include a function with the same name, but in another SCRIPT element, using a different language each browser version will pick the script version it can execute. But you must put the highest version first in the page, followed by older versions. For example:

<HEAD>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript1.2">
function yourFunction() {
// The version which uses 1.2 features.
}
</SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript1.1">
function yourFunction() {
// The version which uses 1.1 features.
}
</SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript">
function yourFunction() {
// The basic version.
}
</SCRIPT>
</HEAD>

Microsoft out=> developed VBScript, a scripting language based on Visual Basic. This language is only available in Internet Explorer.

SRC
This attribute lets you specify a file as the script source (rather than embedding the script in the HTML). Script statements in a SCRIPT element with a SRC attribute are ignored. Note, however, that the closing </SCRIPT> element is required.

TYPE
Defines the language being used for this script. You must supply a MIME-type for this attribute. Some known values are text/javascript and text/vbscript.

This attribute replaces the deprecated language attribute.

Examples

<SCRIPT language="JavaScript"> function RunExample() { alert('You pushed the button!'); } </SCRIPT> <FORM> Push the button to show an alert box with a message.<BR> <INPUT type="button" value="Run example" onclick="RunExample()"> </FORM>

Push the button to show an alert box with a message.