What Is Script?

[PublicHax]

In modern web programming, scripts (scripts) are separate sequences of actions created to automatically complete a task. If there is no ready script, the user performs these steps manually, with the corresponding investment of time and the possibility of errors. To write scripts, special programming languages are used, which are called scripts. Accordingly, a scripting programming language is a set of lexical, semantic and syntactic rules for creating and editing scripts. The synonymous name "scripting language" is also correct.

The history of the development of scripts
Consider, for example, the history of the development of the most common scripting language JavaScript. It is with its help that many solutions for the interaction of users with sites are implemented, the wide capabilities of interactive pages are programmed.

In 1995, Netscape introduced a special language called LiveScript for its then popular Netscape Navigator 2.0 browser. At that time, the capabilities of the language were very scarce, and many simply did not understand what a script is in a browser. Then he could check and process the data that the user left on the site page through the form. Such a check made it possible to control the correctness of the entered data and avoid submitting a form without the necessary information. Soon the name of this language was changed to JavaScript.

After some time, the well-known competitor of Netscape - Microsoft Corporation - created its own version of JavaScript. Despite the fact that such a scripting programming language had slightly different functions, it successfully caught on and got its own name JScript. It has been used in Internet Explorer since version 3.0. After a while, other browsers began to support JavaScript.

Over time, the language has developed and improved, now it can be used to successfully solve much more complex problems. The JavaScript interpreter is a built-in feature of all modern browsers.

Despite fierce competition, Microsoft and Netscape worked alongside some of the most respected Internet software developers to work for the W3C. As a result, uniform standards and recommendations were prepared. Still, JavaScript and JScript languages have certain differences that must be taken into account in the work.

Basic Scripting Principles
The JavaScript language interpreter is built into all popular browsers. That is why any browser understands what a script in this language is. These codes are successfully executed at the moment when the user accesses the pages of the site. But the same scripts can work successfully on the server if the JavaScript interpreter is installed on it. Scripts can be executed both on the client side, in the browser, or directly on the server.

Scripts have the following goals:

SEO scripts (templates) for website promotion. Usually specialized programs for automating this process run under their control. The most famous are ZennoPoster, Human Emulator;
systems for collecting statistics of visits (attendance counters). These scripts are most often written using JavaScript;
scripts for accessing databases. PHP is the leader here;
scripts for guest books and creating comments to entries. The most commonly used combination of PHP and JavaScript;
scripts for dynamic display of sites. In this case, the scripting language is determined by the CMS writing language;
scripts for changing part of a site page without reloading it. The implementation uses Ajax technologies. In this case, asynchronous JavaScript and XML come to the fore. Web applications exchange data with the server in the background, changes on the site pages occur without their complete reloading. Users usually do not notice such changes, and they do not need to understand what a scripting programming language is in order to interact perfectly with the site.
Benefits of scripts
Their use makes it possible to make software changes without fear of destroying the entire system. If the script is written with an error, then when it is executed, they will be issued as a result. In this case, the site will remain functional.
The use of scripts makes it possible to obtain a problem-oriented set of commands. In this case, one line of script allows you to perform the same amount of actions as a program of many tens of lines in a compiled language. This example clearly shows what a script is in programming and how much its application speeds up solving problems.
Using scripts, the cross-platform task execution is successfully implemented. JavaScript is a great example - the same scripts in this language are executed without problems by browsers on different operating systems.
Disadvantages of scripts
Significantly longer execution time. In almost all cases, interpreted scripts require much more time and computer resources to execute.

Until now, a high-quality IDE-level development environment has not been created for such languages.
Insufficient funds are invested in the promotion and advertising of these languages. Paradoxically, the relative availability and conditional free-of-charge of script languages lead to the fact that developers simply do not have enough funds for marketing and advertising. Therefore, for many large money projects, Java or C # is chosen.
Types of scripts
In terms of performance, they are categorized into parsing languages (sh, COMMAND.COM) and precompiled languages such as Perl. Also, scripting languages are divided into several large groups for use.

Allocate:

command-script (JCL, sh, bash, csh, ksh, AppleScript, COMMAND.COM and cmd.exe, VBScript);
applied (AutoLISP, JScript, JavaScript, ActionScript, Game Maker Language, VBA, etc.);
universal scripting (Tcl, Lua, Perl, PHP, Python, REBOL, Ruby).
Examples of scripting languages
The most famous: PHP, Perl, Python, AngelScript, JavaScript, JScript and others. They are all high level. By their mechanism of action, scripting languages are usually interpreted, not compiled.

The role of scripts in promotion
The use of sliders, dynamic navigation menus, active animation elements in the process of programming pages allows you to expand the usability of sites, increase their traffic. Successful solutions on this basis will significantly increase sales. As an example, we can consider special technologies for creating video selling pages. JavaScript-based techniques are used here.

And there are many such solutions.

Separately, it is worth noting the technologies for creating scripts that simulate user actions in various directions with the help of special programs. Such scripts and templates are generated based on ZennoPoster, Human Emulator and their analogs.

The uniqueness of such solutions is based on the fact that any sequence of actions of a real user can be programmed in ZennoPoster templates. At the same time, the program can simultaneously emulate an almost unlimited number of users, use both its own and information bases obtained from the Internet.

As an example, we can consider templates that allow you to perform many actions in an automated mode to promote sites and products on the VKontakte social network. Other templates provide posting of ads or other information on the web. Still others can automatically generate many blogs and pages that contain links or commercial information. Users who see the results of such actions usually do not know that this scripted algorithm posts information for them in social media.

In many cases, multiple mail accounts are needed to promote websites. As an example, consider the mail.ru mail service. The automated template for ZennoPoster copes with this task easily. In this case, the script does not just go to the registration page, but also independently performs the work on solving the captcha, determines a possible ban on the IP address and performs many other actions.

Using JavaScript in contextual advertising
Back in 2012, the Google AdWords advertising system introduced into its interface the ability to use scripts to automate the management of an advertising campaign. This control method is much faster than using the API. Moreover, it does not require the use of complex programming languages. Script-based tasks run on a schedule. They provide regular account checking, make it possible to analyze ad statistics and make any specified changes. At the same time, you can automatically monitor the quality of advertisements, disable ineffective advertising channels and connect effective ones.