What is Javascript good for on SEO'd pages?

On a useable, SEO'd fast loading site?

[stlouislouis]

Hi,

Lots of talk about Javascript -- pro and con.

Lets say one has a combinantion information/ecommerce site.
Lets say one wants it to be useable, SEO'd and fast loading.

What are the most beneficial, if any, uses of Javascript on
such a site? Some folks here don't use any Javascript; some
folks here do use Javascript.

What's your thoughts?

Thanks,

Louis

[rewboss]

A simple rollover script is all I regularly use, mainly because it makes using the site slightly slicker and a bit easier (especially when the buttons are small) and people have come to expect it. But even a rollover script can be replaced by transparent GIFs and a nifty CSS a:hover{background-color: ....}

Simple form pre-processing and validation is also useful. It can't actually replace a server-side script, but it's probably a nice user-friendly touch to catch certain errors before the form is submitted. This also reduces load on the server.

Basically, though, I think you should arrange to make sure your site is functional without JavaScript; so nothing critical to navigation should be JS.

[TallTroll]

Browser/plug in detection scripts can be useful, particularly where your server-side access is limited