4 ms·

If only one could rely on JavaScript actually running on a client machine.

kkowalczyk 15y ago
If you're looking at things pragmatically (and not, say, dogmatically) then you can rely on JavaScript running on a client machine. Does it run on every machine? No. Can you ignore the part of the market that doesn't have working JavaScript in the browser? Sure you can. If someone doesn't have JavaScript, he's either extremely paranoid (and belongs to a really minor minority) or using hopelessly outdated browser (a minority that most likely wouldn't be a good customer anyway). I don't think any of the major websites (like gmail, google maps, facebook, hotmail, twitter) would work if JavaScript didn't run on the client. If Google Maps can afford to not care about such clients, so can you.
- nefarioustim 15y ago
  Your point about pragmatism is valid, but in the way that spjwebster speaks about above. JavaScript is just too fragile to depend on for a truly robust application or website. Lack of JavaScript isn't just about the minor percentage of users that disable, but also about those whose JS resources are blocked or fail to load. What's more, the fact that a single JS error in page can block all other JS from running introduces even more nightmares.
- Isofarro 15y ago
  "If someone doesn't have JavaScript, he's either extremely paranoid (and belongs to a really minor minority) or using hopelessly outdated browser (a minority that most likely wouldn't be a good customer anyway)." With the trend towards mobile devices (as in not chained to a desk) this introduces far more complexity to whether client-side rendering is viable than whether "javascript is turned on in the browser". (Here's some notes I made about that a few months ago: http://isolani.co.uk/blog/javascript/DisablingJavaScriptAskingTheWrongQuestion#javascript-obstacles http://isolani.co.uk/blog/javascript/DisablingJavaScriptAski... ) The mobile trend also blows a big hole in the article itself: The CPU power of mobile devices is quite well behind that of a laptop or desktop. Probably about 2 or three generations behind. So the perceived performance will still lags behind.
- rwmj 15y ago
  Google Maps works (in a reduced but usable mode) without Javascript.

If you're looking at things pragmatically (and not, say, dogmatically) then you can rely on JavaScript running on a client machine. Does it run on every machine? No. Can you ignore the part of the market that doesn't have working JavaScript in the browser? Sure you can. If someone doesn't have JavaScript, he's either extremely paranoid (and belongs to a really minor minority) or using hopelessly outdated browser (a minority that most likely wouldn't be a good customer anyway). I don't think any of the major websites (like gmail, google maps, facebook, hotmail, twitter) would work if JavaScript didn't run on the client. If Google Maps can afford to not care about such clients, so can you.

nefarioustim 15y ago
Your point about pragmatism is valid, but in the way that spjwebster speaks about above. JavaScript is just too fragile to depend on for a truly robust application or website. Lack of JavaScript isn't just about the minor percentage of users that disable, but also about those whose JS resources are blocked or fail to load. What's more, the fact that a single JS error in page can block all other JS from running introduces even more nightmares.
Isofarro 15y ago
"If someone doesn't have JavaScript, he's either extremely paranoid (and belongs to a really minor minority) or using hopelessly outdated browser (a minority that most likely wouldn't be a good customer anyway)." With the trend towards mobile devices (as in not chained to a desk) this introduces far more complexity to whether client-side rendering is viable than whether "javascript is turned on in the browser". (Here's some notes I made about that a few months ago: http://isolani.co.uk/blog/javascript/DisablingJavaScriptAskingTheWrongQuestion#javascript-obstacles http://isolani.co.uk/blog/javascript/DisablingJavaScriptAski... ) The mobile trend also blows a big hole in the article itself: The CPU power of mobile devices is quite well behind that of a laptop or desktop. Probably about 2 or three generations behind. So the perceived performance will still lags behind.
rwmj 15y ago
Google Maps works (in a reduced but usable mode) without Javascript.