Before we start, let's get it straight that JAVA and JavaScript are NOT the same and the names are not interchangeable.

• JAVA is a full-blown computer language (like C++) whose claim to fame is that it can be read by many different computer platforms so that programmers do not need to recode the program for each platform. As a matter of fact the last few releases of the Corel suite were programmed entirely in JAVA.

• JavaScript, on the other hand, is just a little bitty scripting language that is used ONLY on the Web. You can't do anything else with it but jazz up Web pages.

True, both are used on the Web, but JAVA code (applets) reside on the host server, while JavaScript code is embedded in the HTML code. This means that Web surfers looking at the source code can't see the JAVA code, while the JavaScript code is right there, and anyone who wants to can copy it.

• Small Java programs (called "Applets"), allow Web pages to include functions such as animations, calculators, fancy pull-down and slide-out menus and other fancy tricks.

• JavaScript can be used to provide interactivity, dynamically alter objects displayed on a Web page, and act very much as a CGI script. The most popular JavaScript trick is to create "rollover" effects, swapping one graphic for another as you pass your mouse over it.

Another difference: JAVA applets are much more likely to cause computer crashes than JavaScript and usually load rather slowly. So, I'm not going to talk about JAVA. I am going to talk about JavaScript, which is one of the safest ways to enhance your Web site.

Learn by studying JavaScript examples

If you want to explore JavaScript, take a look at some examples that illustrate what can be done with JavaScript. If you understand the fundamentals of JavaScript, you can copy code from one of these sites and adapt it to your needs.

Tutorials

JavaScript is easy to learn - if you're clever at that sort of thing. Check out these free tutorials can give it a try.

	Webmonkey's JavaScript tutorials - WebMonkey's crash course "Master JavaScript in Five Days."
	Sharkey's JavaScript Answers - Info about everything from how to make cookies to generating forms.
	JavaScript Kit - Beginning and advanced tutorials
	Webmonkey JavaScript tutorial - Javascript window manipulation
	JavaScript Learning Center

If you're only interested in JavaScript to create rollovers for your Web site, you'll be glad to know that HTML editors such as Dreamweaver and GoLive and some graphic programs such as Fireworks and ImageReady will create the rollover JavaScript for you.

Free code

There is an abundance of free JavaScript code available on the Web. Caution: Before you adopt any of these scripts for your own use, please read all the developers' comments. You'll want to avoid scripts that work only in certain browsers. Visit these sites for free JavaScript code:

Webmonkey's JavaScript code library
Earthweb JavaScripts
The JavaScript Source
The JavaScript Planet
JavaScript Kit