What is server-side scripting in JS?

Hey readers, in this article, we will be covering all about server-side scripting and how it differs from the client-side. Before jumping directly to server-side scripting, we will learn about JavaScript and the basics of what exactly server-side scripting is in JavaScript. So if you are new to all these concepts, don’t worry, we will be covering it right from the fundamentals and will then move to differences. So keep reading.

Introduction

JavaScript is one of the most used languages when it comes to building web applications as it allows developers to wrap HTML and CSS code in it to make web apps interactive. It enables the interaction of users with the web application. It is also used for making animations on websites and has a large community on GitHub. JavaScript has tons of libraries, one of which is React which we will be covering in this article later. 

Use cases: 

• Building web server and its interactive functions
• Animations and graphics, adding special effects to web components
• Validating forms and exception errors
• Adding behavior and functionalities to web pages

In JavaScript, promises are used to handle asynchronous operations. When dealing with several asynchronous activities, where callbacks might cause callback hell and unmanageable code, they are simple to manage.

Introduction to server-side scripting

Server-side scripting is a type of scripting that is run on a web server. Basically, they’re utilized to make dynamic pages. It can also gain access to the web server’s file system. A web server is a server-side environment that runs on a programming language.

Scripts can be developed in any of the existing server-side scripting languages. It is used to retrieve and generate dynamic page content. It was once necessary to download plugins. In this case, server-side scripting is often faster than client-side scripting. When you need to store and retrieve information, you’ll need to use a database. It has the ability to consume a lot of the server’s resources. It decreases the amount of calculation done on the client side. The server responds to the user’s/request client by sending pages.

Features

• Because the result of the server-side is an HTML page, the source code is not visible to the user.
• Its major responsibility is to manipulate and offer access to the requested database.
• Any server-side technology can be utilized in this case, and it is not dependent on the client.
• It is hosted on a web server.
• The ability to highly tailor response requirements and access rights based on user is the key benefit.
• Data is more secure as a result.
• It’s a web server scripting technique that generates a response that’s tailored to each client’s request.
• The programming languages PHP, Python, Java, and Ruby are used.
• It all comes down to how you communicate with the servers.
• It increased the server’s processing load.

Advantages of Server Side Scripting with JavaScript

Client-side scripting requires plugins and scripting technologies such as JavaScript to compile all of the data. This puts more strain on the user’s computer, which can result in issues like slow loading, high CPU consumption, and even freezing, especially if it’s an older machine. This is avoided by using server-side scripting.

Because some browsers don’t support Javascript completely, server-side scripting is required to run dynamic pages in these browsers.

PHP and other server-side scripting languages can be used to run CMS systems such as WordPress and Joomla. This enables CMS users to simply generate and update web content without having to know how to code.

Server-side scripting minimizes the time it takes for web pages to load, which can help your site’s Google rating and keep users from abandoning it due to slow loading times.

Because the scripting is done on the server, it is not communicated to the browser, thus it cannot be duplicated, cloned, or examined for hacking flaws.

Server-side scripting is the recommended solution for e-commerce, membership, and social media sites since it protect user privacy better.

Disadvantages of Server Side Scripting with JavaScript

Scripting places additional strain on a website’s server. To cope with demand, websites that use huge programs and receive a lot of traffic may need to use more powerful hosting options like dedicated servers or cloud hosting.

Server-side scripting necessitates page refreshes in order to display dynamic content. This is most commonly seen when using server-side scripting to log in to a site. Developers are now using Ajax, a modern technique of communicating data with a server that allows web pages to be changed without reloading the entire content.

A database is required for server-side scripting to store dynamic data. This isn’t a problem in and of itself, but the database will need to be backed up on a regular basis and maintained safely.

Conclusion

This was all about server-side scripting in JavaScript. If you have any query related to React or JavaScript, do drop it down in the comment section also do check out codedamn courses if you want to learn more about JavaScript and React with its use cases and amazing projects. They also have an in-built playground for different programming languages and environment sets so do check that out and join codedamn’s community! 

Hope you like it.