run javascript file

Running a JavaScript file may seem like a daunting task, especially if it’s your first time at it. However, with the correct steps and guidelines, you’ll find it’s quite a manageable feat to accomplish.

Code snippet: Running a JavaScript file

To get started, you will need to have Node.js installed on your machine. Node.js is a runtime environment built on Chrome’s JavaScript engine, and it allows you to run JavaScript on your computer outside the browser. To check if you have Node installed, simply open your terminal and type

node -v

The version of Node you’re running should display. If it’s not installed, you can download from here.

Once it’s installed, create a new JavaScript file. For this tutorial, let’s call our script ‘app.js’.

In your terminal, change directory (cd) into the folder containing ‘app.js’ and type:

node app.js

And that’s it! You’ve run your first JavaScript file.

Code Explanation for Running a JavaScript file

In this tutorial, we are using Node.js to run our Javascript file outside the browser. Node.js is built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine which makes it perfectly suited to this task.

When you first type node -v into your terminal, you’re checking to see if you have Node.js installed and which version you’re currently running. If it’s not installed, you would have to download it from the official website.

You then create a new JavaScript file. It doesn’t matter what name you give it but ensure it ends with the extension .js to signify it’s a JavaScript file. For this tutorial, our file is named app.js.

You then change the directory in your terminal into the folder that contains app.js using the cd command.

Lastly, you run node app.js in your terminal. What you’re actually doing at this point is instructing Node.js (represented by node) to run the Javascript file app.js. After executing this command, Node.js would process all the JavaScript code in the app.js file.

This marks the conclusion of this straightforward tutorial. It isn’t all there is to running a JavaScript file but it represents a crucial step in beginning your JavaScript development journey.