Values have names now, so let's calculate. Addition is +, subtraction -, multiplication *, and division /.
const price = 800;
const taxRate = 0.1;
const total = price + price * taxRate;
console.log(total);The answer is 880. Does the multiplication happen first?
Yes — same as ordinary arithmetic: multiplication and division go first. When you want the order to be explicit, use parentheses.
const total = price * (1 + taxRate);+ also joins strings together.
const firstName = 'Type';
const lastName = 'Script';
const fullName = firstName + lastName;
console.log(fullName);The same symbol does different things depending on the values.
Exactly. For now: numbers add, strings join. We will look at what kinds of values there are once you have written a bit more code.
One catch — mixing values into a sentence with + alone gets hard to read.
console.log('Total: ' + total + ' yen');With quotes and symbols alternating, it is hard to see where the sentence is.
So there is another way, using backticks. Anything inside ${ } — a value or a calculation — is evaluated and dropped into the text.
console.log(`Total: ${total} yen`);
console.log(`Before tax ${price}, after tax ${price * (1 + taxRate)}`);You can see the finished sentence as you write it.
This is called a template literal. For text you intend to display, it is usually the easier one to read.
A program is largely this: take values, produce new ones. Next, let's compare values and choose what runs.
