Understanding Scripting Languages
A scripting language is a type of programming language designed for a runtime system where compilation is not required to execute a series of commands.
In scripting languages, an interpreter translates and interprets commands directly from the source code.
In contrast, non-scripting languages need a compiler to translate commands into machine code for execution.
Examples of popular scripting languages include Node.js, Python, and Ruby.
Scripting languages are created to facilitate integration and communication with other programming languages.
Benefits of Scripting Languages
- Straightforward Functionality: Scripting languages are known for their simplicity and ease of use.
- High Efficiency: Scripting languages typically have limited variables and data structures, allowing users to edit code more quickly.
- High Accessibility: Scripting languages are often open source, enabling users worldwide to utilize them.
- Low Storage Requirements: Since scripting languages do not require compilation, they utilize less memory, eliminating the need for executable file storage.
Types of Scripting Languages
There are two main types of scripting languages: server-side scripting and client-side scripting.
- Server-side Scripting: Server-side scripting languages run on a web server and provide specialized libraries for creating HTML pages.
- Client-side Scripting: Client-side scripting languages run on the user’s browser. The code received from the server is processed on the client side to generate dynamic content.