Do you guys use JS or any sort of scripting language to build your site?

[Guest]

I write Javascript apps for a living (Angular, so technically Typescript which is Microsoft's beefier type-strict language that transpiles into Javascript). For a web application it's great because the aim is to be dynamic and highly interactive. But for personal sites like a blog, or anything where you're serving up static content, I still prefer PHP.

I used a fair amount of Javascript in my last personal website, but as others have said I made sure there was nothing you couldn't do with it disabled.

I also built a prototype game engine and level editor in Javascript but never bothered to finish them.

[fLaMEd]

Yes. 11ty which uses NodeJS. Everything is built locally so everything that is pushed to my host is HTML & CSS...

[debleb]

i use a few little snippets of js from the internet (wouldn’t even know where to start doing it myself!) but i generally prefer to avoid it for a whole pile of reasons i’m sure you’ve all heard before haha.

[Skykristal]

I don't even understand JS no matter how much I read about it so it's whatever.. I have some JavaScript on my site which is part of bootstrap. I use modals here and there. My Gallery is JavaScript too. As well as Zonelets (blog) and my character profiles which uses tabs. But I can't write own code anyway, not even simple stuff so there won't be more than that ever probably. I prefer to use regular html and CSS anyway because I understand them. But I love what you could archive with the power of JS, saw some pretty awesome stuff before.

[Mcbuzzerr]

I love javascript!

Making dynamic webpages that can actually do things is so cool!

Javascript isn't all that difficult once you start to get the basics of programming.

There's so much you can do with just vanilla html/css/javascript together!

That being said, people who jump straight into frameworks and stuff like node and react might be diving into the deep end a little too soon.
On that topic, does neocities let you use frameworks?
I don't know how limited what you can do on neocities is yet

[Skykristal]

On that topic, does neocities let you use frameworks?

Yes you can implement frameworks easily. I don't know if every framework out there works, as I only really mess with css and html. Neocities does have limitations but allows a ton of stuff. The limitations are pretty much only stuff you wouldn't mess with on a normal site anyway. so it's pretty much all the freedom you can imagine.

[shevek]

I have some JS on my site for optional side-functions and stuff to play around with, but it is mostly without and usable without.
I recently came across a site called You Dont Need JS which has some proof-of-concepts with CSS. As the site says, in some cases there might be other concerns why JS is better to use in that case, but overall, it showcases what can be done. Maybe that is interesting to some of you.

edit: Actually, I think my poem page might be broken without JS. I'll find an alternative some time.

[lime360]

i only use js for random experiments (like the random video embed i made today)

[TYOMA !!]

I've been fighting to the death to understand Javascript but so far I've only been able to mildly tweak existing scripts! That said, I do have a few simple things like a theme switcher for my Infirmary page and a font switcher/slightly broken Isotope gallery on my fansite. I really need to get aroud to fixing it/replacing it entirely though. I try to do everything else I can in CSS, although there's definitely some limits I'm realizing I need to finally learn Javascript for. I just wish I knew a guide that was up-to-date AND easy to follow!

[brisray]

CSS is getting cleverer all the time. A couple of years ago it learned to count! - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/CSS_Counter_Styles/Using_CSS_counters Eventually though you may find you want to do something and the only way to do it is in JavaScript.

It can be frustrating, a single mistype and it can refuse to run at all. I learn by doing, like most I started adapting other people's code, then thought of my own projects and wrote those - that's a good way to learn, so long as you are able to visualize what needs to be done to get to an endpoint, you can always look up individual commands and what they do.

If it helps with how you feel, I just spent all night writing 50 lines of JavaScript helping someone get a hook into one of Google's APIs (Application Programming Interface). World-class programmers, but some of their documentation sucks.

[jessica]

so much of what we used to rely on JS for can be accomplished with CSS these days, i rarely see the need for my purposes. that said, in my work life JS frameworks are extremely common & people seem allergic to CSS.

[Spots]

I like JavaScript quite a lot and I use it in pretty much every web development-related project I make. I often make prototypes of stuff with JS and HTML5 canvas because I'm really familiar with the API and I can use it to test out ideas quickly. JavaScript used to be extremely confusing to me and my scripts would behave in weird ways that I couldn't make any sense of, but once I got used to all the asynchronous and event-driven stuff and figured out which types of data were reference types and which were value types, most of the mystery went away and I was able to use it much more effectively.

[j]

> CSS is getting cleverer all the time.

it definitely is! i remember seeing something about a lock puzzle written in CSS in one of my old Tom Scott newsletters, but i've given up trying to find it after 15 minutes of fruitless searching - oh well!

i personally avoid using both CSS and JS on my site. whilst there's definitely an issue with that mindset regarding accessibility: i personally work on the premise that both JS and styling is bloat for a static site like mine; where the words i use and things i link are more important than the way my page looks. ironically enough, im working on a pseudo-guide at the moment for folks that land on my page about how to write simple styles using extensions to make my page accessible for them (though i can appreciate that not everyone is techy or interested enough to go along with this!)

[Lyonid]

As much as it irked me, I did use JS to manipulate a canvas for my avatar maker. I also generate the asset list with it because I'd go absolutely mad if I didn't. I also use it to make a custom element for my navigation so I don't have to rely on iframes to make it update across the site. I am still thinking about an alternative way to make it work, though!

I do use frameworks for more difficult projects. VueJS saved my butt, so I don't want to talk smack about those frameworks all the time, haha. Also seeing people use PHP always makes my heart race because it brings back so many fond memories. I know people who are just not able to oversee a static page, and I wouldn't urge them to change their coding practices.

I wouldn't want to use JS for anything static that doesn't have to be generated dynamically. But if your project, like a game or a quirky maker-type page, really needs it, don't limit yourself. However, I find avoiding JS for these kind of things to be a great riddle that can mostly be solved with experience and a couple of walks.

[Necrosia]

As much as it irked me, I did use JS to manipulate a canvas for my avatar maker.

How dare you not show this to me!?    Just kidding, just kidding! It looks so good!!

I would give a serious word of caution to people who use JavaScript. I know from personal experience that it can be a very powerful- and dangerous- tool. Learned and tried it first hand in my software security class to hack into fake websites for demonstration purposes; if you're not careful, and don't take proper precautions to make your site secure, you could be open to some gnarly vulnerabilities.

Dito! Couldn't have said it better myself.

Javascript is today what PHP was back in the 90's, its pervasive and cheap, can be edited on a simple text editor, require little to no extra infrastructure setup. Which is good! It gives people a tool to learn and explore but since it's widely adopted by newbies it can lead to a bunch of faulty or even dangerous scripts being created.

I am a developer, writing javascript code pays my bills but I absolutely hate when it becomes a must for a site to run properly. Do you want to use it/explore it for games/small widgets/complimentary things for your site? Go for it! It's a powerful tool and its worth your time! Just make sure to not overbloat your site and create the need to load 435345 scripts for people simply to look at your front page and texts. Use it with responsibility~

I personally use javascript for my dollmakers and other dressup games but people can freely navigate the site without it.

I generate some of my javascript using Blazor but I honestly wouldn't recommend it for people who are not familiar with .net technologies,  go and learn node.js if you really want to get into scripting. I only use Blazor because I have some years of .net experience under my belt, not the most reasonable choice but saves me a bunch of time.