On: Why Javascript is a Joy

[oddthink]

As a side note, does anyone have any good examples of Javascript being used as a scripting language? I keep meaning to learn Javascript, but I don't do any web programming, and it always seems like I'd have to learn a lot of DOM and other browser-specific callouts to do anything with it.

I keep thinking that Javascript would work okay for things that I'd normally try Lua for (or Guile, if I'm feeling ornery), but I've never seen anyone actually doing it. The existing implementations all seem very heavy-weight.

[karterk → oddthink]

Node.js is increasingly being used for a lot of network level stuff. See this talk by James Haliday:

http://www.nodejs-news.com/NodeConf/browserling-on-Building-...

[oddthink → karterk]

One of these days, I'll try out node.js. Of course, since I can't help but be tragically attracted to crazy duct tape and baling wire solutions, I'd probably try to run either Amber Smalltalk or ClojureScript on it.

[omaranto → oddthink]

I think JavaScript is the language Gnome 3 extensions are written in, so that's a scripting use of it.

[philbo → oddthink]

Not sure whether this counts as a good example, but here is the javascript pre-commit hook I'm using in my current side project:

https://github.com/philbooth/lepr-js/blob/master/precommit.j...