Gee! We can’t blame the Java versus Javascript name confusion on Microsoft.
These cause more of the "similar name but different program" confusions that occur all too frequently. [See also Messenger and Messenger and Other Confusing Program Names]
Java is the older of the two. Java was developed at Sun Microsystems in 1991, long before the World Wide Web took off.
Java is actually a full-fledged programming system that was designed so that programs could be easily written on one operating system (say, Linux) and then used with few, if any, changes on other operating systems (such as, Windows, Mac and Solaris).
JavaScript, originally called LiveScript, first appeared in the Netscape browser in 1995. It was a creation designed to be integrated into the web browser, in order to give the browser the ability to handle programming embedded in web pages (assuming it is JavaScript programming).
We can’t blame the JavaScript name on Netscape alone, as Netscape and Sun Microsystems worked together on the name!
ActiveScript is Microsoft’s name for its interpretation of JavaScript, as implemented in Internet Explorer.
VBScript is a Microsoft creation based on Visual Basic. It is unique to Internet Explorer — it doesn’t run on anything except IE. Fortunately, we do not see much VBScript any more except in Microsoft Excel.
JScript is Microsoft’s name for its JavaScript-compatible language, which was released in 1996 with IE 3.0. It is not JavaScript, it just performs like it.
What about those "Javascript errors" that we see occasionally? Although they imply that the web site’s programmer made an error in the code, they usually mean that he used a JavaScript or JScript function that is not in your computer’s web browser.
Updating to a later version of IE (everyone should be running IE 8, but I know they’re not) will probably solve the issue.
By the way, I’ve never seen that message with Firefox!
and
This is a great explanation for us non-techies trying to keep our computers working. Thanks! But I am getting JavaScript errors in Firefox and it’s driving me nuts. Here’s one of the most annoying:
[JavaScript Application]
Component Returned failure code:
0×80040111 (NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE)
[nsIDOMJSWindow.setTimeout]
The worst part about this error is that when I click OK or the X to close it, it won’t close! It takes many attempts to close the darn box!
Any help for this! Thanks so much! Nancie
PS: Latest versions of Firefox and Java (I uninstalled and re-downloaded Java and just updated Firefox ) on XP service pack 3.
Does the same thing happen in IE, Opera or Chrome? It could be a programming error in the programmer’s JavaScript application. Unfortunately, those error messages don’t tell you which script is having the problem.
Terry
Hi Terry,
In response to your question re JavaScript errors in other browsers (BTW, I tried to use your “reply” button, but I kept getting a blank page):
I use Firefox, Chrome and Safari. I can’t use IE, as I have version 6.1 and was unable to download any later versions–my PC kept locking up, wouldn’t run. Probably too old. When I last used it, and in my use of Chrome and Safari, I have not gotten any JavaScript errors. It seems to show up only in Firefox.
BTW, I set my JavaScript to uncheck everything in the Advanced menu as you have, and I still got the error. I then unchecked JavaScript totally, and STILL got it! Although I didn’t restart after doing the latter; maybe that would make a difference.
Nancie