When should I use Inline vs. External Javascript?

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At the time this answer was originally posted (2008), the rule was simple: All script should be external. Both for maintenance and performance.

(Why performance? Because if the code is separate, it can easier be cached by browsers.)

JavaScript doesn’t belong in the HTML code and if it contains special characters (such as <, >) it even creates problems.

Nowadays, web scalability has changed. Reducing the number of requests has become a valid consideration due to the latency of making multiple HTTP requests. This makes the answer more complex: in most cases, having JavaScript external is still recommended. But for certain cases, especially very small pieces of code, inlining them into the site’s HTML makes sense.

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