SCRIPT

TYPE: Which scripting language to use SRC: External source for script DEFER: Continue loading page while downloading script

LANGUAGE: Deprecated indicator of language FOR: object for which this script is an event handler EVENT: the event this script handles

<SCRIPT ...> designates a script section of the page. The contents of <SCRIPT ...> are run using the scripting language set by the rquired TYPE attribute. For example, the following <SCRIPT ...> sets a short JavaScript, by far the most common scripting language.

<SCRIPT TYPE="text/javascript">
<!--
document.write("right now: " + new Date());
//-->
</SCRIPT>

which outputs the current date and time: right now: Sat Jul 09 2011 12:18:34 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)

It is a popular but inaccurate belief that the LANGUAGE attribute is required for <SCRIPT ...>. In fact, LANGUAGE has never been a required attribute and has not been the standard way to indicate scripting language for several years.

<SCRIPT ...> elements should always begin with <!-- on the first line. The last line should begin with the line-level comment string for the scripting language (// in JavaScript) followed by -->, as in the example above.