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HTML5 <script> Tag

Example

Write "Hello world" with JavaScript:

<script type="text/javascript">
document.write("Hello World!")
</script>

Try it yourself »

Browser Support

Internet Explorer Firefox Opera Google Chrome Safari

The <script> tag is supported in all major browsers.

Definition and Usage

The <script> tag is used to define a client-side script, such as a JavaScript.

The <script> element either contains scripting statements or it points to an external script file through the "src" attribute.

Common uses for JavaScript are image manipulation, form validation, and dynamic changes of content.

Differences Between HTML 4.01 and HTML5

The "type" attribute is required in HTML 4, but optional in HTML5.

The "async" attribute is new in HTML5.

Some HTML 4.01 attributes are not supported in HTML5.

Tips and Notes

Note: If the "src" attribute is present, the <script> element must be empty.

Note: There are several ways an external script can be executed:

  • If async="async": The script is executed asynchronously with the rest of the page (the script will be executed while the page continues the parsing)
  • If async is not present and defer="defer": The script is executed when the page has finished parsing
  • If neither async or defer is present: The script is fetched and executed immediately, before the browser continues parsing the page

Attributes

New : New in HTML5.

Attribute Value Description
asyncNew async Specifies that the script is executed asynchronously (only for external scripts)
defer defer Specifies that the script is executed when the page has finished parsing (only for external scripts)
type MIME_type Specifies the MIME type of the script
charset character_set Specifies the character encoding used in an external script file
src URL Specifies the URL of an external script file
xml:space preserve Not supported in HTML5

Global Attributes and Events

The <script> tag also supports the Global Attributes in HTML5.

Event Attributes

NONE

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