What role does JavaScript play in creating a visible countdown timer on a webpage compared to using PHP?

JavaScript is essential for creating a visible countdown timer on a webpage because it allows for dynamic updating of the timer without refreshing the page. PHP, on the other hand, is a server-side language and does not have the capability to update the timer in real-time on the client-side. By using JavaScript, we can manipulate the DOM elements to update the timer visually as time passes. 

<?php
// This is a PHP code snippet that shows how to create a countdown timer using JavaScript for a webpage

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Countdown Timer</title>
</head>
<body>

<div id="countdown"></div>

<script>
// Set the date we're counting down to
var countDownDate = new Date("Jan 1, 2022 00:00:00").getTime();

// Update the countdown every 1 second
var x = setInterval(function() {

  // Get the current date and time
  var now = new Date().getTime();

  // Calculate the time remaining
  var distance = countDownDate - now;

  // Calculate days, hours, minutes, and seconds
  var days = Math.floor(distance / (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24));
  var hours = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60 * 24)) / (1000 * 60 * 60));
  var minutes = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60 * 60)) / (1000 * 60));
  var seconds = Math.floor((distance % (1000 * 60)) / 1000);

  // Display the countdown timer
  document.getElementById("countdown").innerHTML = days + "d " + hours + "h "
  + minutes + "m " + seconds + "s ";

  // If the countdown is finished, display a message
  if (distance < 0) {
    clearInterval(x);
    document.getElementById("countdown").innerHTML = "EXPIRED";
  }
}, 1000);
</script>

</body>
</html>
?>

Keywords

JavaScript countdown timer webpage PHP visibility

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