JavaScript is an object oriented scripting programming language. Its syntax belongs to the
C/C++/Java famiy. However there is no connection with the
Java language (except for the similar syntax).
This scripting language is used in the PROMOTIC system in the following components:
-
Design of Web panels, that are to be functional in different browsers than the
MS Internet Explorer (i.e. in
Firefox,
Chrome ..). In fact, you can write
JavaScript scripts in the graphic item events (e.g. in the
PmiButton.onButtonUp event). Before that, you have to set the "
Scripting language settings" configurator in the corresponding
PmPanel to
"javascript".
-
In the PmiCanvas graphic item, in the drawing event onDraw, the drawing algorithms are always written in
JavaScript language regardless if the corresponding
PmPanel object in the "
Scripting language settings" configurator is set to
"vbscript (obsolete)" or
"javascript".
JavaScript is a high level language that supports many constructions valued by programmers (a set of own functions and methods, dynamic objects, first-class functions, prototyping, regular expressions, inheritance etc.). Although the PROMOTIC application designer is
not forced to use these higher functions (it is even not recommended to use them) because only the basic knowledge of the language syntax is needed for application design (see
JavaScript statements,
The JavaScript operators,
Data types JavaScript). This way the language becomes
very simple to use, even simpler than the
VBScript language - see
Comparison of the VBScript and JavaScript languages.
The PROMOTIC system
does not even use the embedded objects of the JavaScript language and replaces them by its own objects. The
JavaScript objects are listed below:
-
String: This
JavaScript object has many methods for working with text strings. But the PROMOTIC uses the
String data type, which is a primary data type, not an object. For working with this type the
Pm string methods can, for example, be used.
- Number: This JavaScript object represents all numeric values (Byte, Integer, Long, Single, Double). But the PROMOTIC system uses the basic data types instead.
- Boolean: This JavaScript object represents Boolean value and the PROMOTIC system uses the basic data type instead.
-
Date: This
JavaScript object has many methods for working with date and time. The PROMOTIC system stores date and time as basic
Date type (it is a
VBScript language data type).
The method Pm.CreatePmDateObject can be used to transform the values of the Date type into a PmDateObject object. This object has its own methods for working with date and time (read and write hour, day, month, etc.).
See also: Pm date and time methods.
-
Array: This
JavaScript object represents 1-dimensional array. The PROMOTIC system uses the
Array data type instead, that corresponds to the
JavaScript language
PmArray object. In contrast to the JavaScript object, the
PmArray object can be 1-dimensional or 2-dimensional and all the features of this object are adapted to the needs of the PROMOTIC system. See
How to use array of values in the PROMOTIC system.
- Object: This JavaScript object represents the basic object. The PROMOTIC system does not need such object.