Can I use a language other than JavaScript in client-side scripting?

Question

I know that IE could run VBScript and JScript, but I want cross-browser things that use another language than JavaScript, so that I wrote this:

 <script src='bla.rb' type='text/ruby'></script>
 <script src='bla.coffee' type='text/coffescript'></script>
 <script src='bla.ics' type='text/icedcoffescript'></script>

It would run normally. How to make these tags works?

I wouldn't be surprised if there were browsers that you could install new languages in, but if you're looking for a cross-browser solution, then no, you're stuck with Javascript. — Mr Lister
– Mr Lister, Commented Jan 12, 2013 at 7:20
@MrLister you could install a language interpreter through Javascript. Javascript is perfectly capable of parsing Ruby. — John Dvorak
– John Dvorak, Commented Jan 12, 2013 at 7:24
@MrLister I thought coffeescript was compiled server-side to javascript? — John Dvorak
– John Dvorak, Commented Jan 12, 2013 at 7:31

ColinE · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-12 07:25:28Z

3

No, you cannot rely on the presence of any of these other languages in the majority of browsers. You can potentially ask a user to instal a new language or plugin, but JavaScript is the only 'universal' client-side scripting language.

answered Jan 12, 2013 at 7:25

ColinE

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score 3 · Accepted Answer · 2013-01-12 16:34:48Z

3

Python can be used if you compile CPython to JavaScript using Emscripten. Maybe you can do the same with Ruby.

Besides Emscripten, there are languages that compile to JavaScript, such as CoffeeScript and Fay. You could also write your own VM in JavaScript and write a compiler for your favourite language that targets that VM, of course.

In the end, the browser itself can only interpret JavaScript.

edited Jan 12, 2013 at 16:34

answered Jan 12, 2013 at 16:29

user142019

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Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 10:26:37Z

2

Ruby: Maybe? Not sure how far along this project is, but it does exist.

(Iced)CoffeeScript: Yes. But you have to load one additional JavaScript file as the CoffeeScript compiler.

edited May 23, 2017 at 10:26

CommunityBot

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answered Jan 12, 2013 at 7:38

user149341

1 Comment

user149341 Over a year ago

I am amused, surprised, and horrified. Revised appropriately.

Anderson Green · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-13 20:53:09Z

1

There are many languages that can be compiled into JavaScript, including C, C++, Python, PHP, and several others.

There are also several implementations of virtual machines for other languages in JavaScript, including DoppioJVM for JVM languages and JSIL for .NET programming languages.

answered Mar 13, 2018 at 20:53

Anderson Green

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