JavaScript Statements

In HTML, JavaScript statements are “instructions” to be “executed” by the web browser. In a programming language, these programming instructions are called statements.

A JavaScript program is a list of programming statements. In HTML, JavaScript programs are executed by the web browser.

JavaScript statements are composed of:

Values, Operators, Expressions, Keywords, and Comments.

Example:

This statement tells the browser to write “How are you?” inside an HTML element with id=”js-2″:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
<h4>Text</h4>
<p id="js-2">Hello!</p>

<script>
document.getElementById("js-2").innerHTML = "How are you?";
</script>

</body>
</html>

Output:

Text

Hello!

The statements are executed, one by one, in the same order as they are written. JavaScript programs (and JavaScript statements) are often called JavaScript code.

Semicolons separate JavaScript statements. Add a semicolon at the end of each executable statement:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<p id="js-3"></p>

<script>
var a, b, c;
a = 7;
b = 7;
c = a + b;
document.getElementById("js-3").innerHTML = c;
</script>

</body>
</html>

Output:

When separated by semicolons, multiple statements on one line are allowed:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<p id="js-4"></p>

<script>
var a, b, c;
a = 7; b = 7; c = a + b;
document.getElementById("js-4").innerHTML = c;
</script>

</body>
</html>

Output:

JavaScript ignores multiple spaces. You can add white space to your script to make it more readable:

var person = "Adam";
var person="Adam";

A good practice is to put spaces around operators ( = + – * / ):

var x = y + z;

For best readability, programmers often like to avoid code lines longer than 80 characters.

If a JavaScript statement does not fit on one line, the best place to break it is after an operator:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<p id="js-5"></p>

<script>
document.getElementById("js-5").innerHTML =
"How are you?";
</script>

</body>
</html>

Output:

How are you?

JavaScript statements can be grouped together in code blocks, inside curly brackets {…}.

The purpose of code blocks is to define statements to be executed together.

One place you will find statements grouped together in blocks is in JavaScript functions:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<p>JavaScript code blocks are written between { and }</p>

<button type="button" onclick="myFunction()">Click Me!</button>

<p id="js-6"></p>
<p id="js-7"></p>

<script>
function myFunction() {
  document.getElementById("js-6").innerHTML = "Hello!";
  document.getElementById("js-7").innerHTML = "How are you?";
}
</script>

</body>
</html>

Output:

JavaScript code blocks are written between { and }

JavaScript statements often start with a keyword to identify the JavaScript action to be performed.

Keywords List
break	Terminates a switch or a loop
continue	Jumps out of a loop and starts at the top
debugger	Stops the execution of JavaScript, and calls (if available) the debugging function
do … while	Executes a block of statements, and repeats the block, while a condition is true
for	Marks a block of statements to be executed, as long as a condition is true
function	Declares a function
if … else	Marks a block of statements to be executed, depending on a condition
return	Exits a function
switch	Marks a block of statements to be executed, depending on different cases
try … catch	Implements error handling to a block of statements
var	Declares a variable

Enjoy coding!

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