What are client side and server side scripting?

Client side scripting is a script, (ex. Javascript, VB script), that is executed by the browser (i.e. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, etc.) that resides at the user computer.

Server side scripting, (ex. ASP.Net, ASP, JSP, PHP, Ruby, or others), is executed by the server (Web Server), and the page that is sent to the browser is produced by the serve-side scripting.

So when a server sends out a page, it executes server-side scripts, but does not execute client-side scripts. Once the browser receives the page, it executes the client-side scripts.

Server side scripting can connect to databases that reside on the web server or another server reachable from web server. Client side scripting cannot do that.

Server side scripting can access the file system that reside at the web server, client side cannot.

Server side scripting can access settings belong to Web server while client side cannot.

Client side scripting can access files and settings that are local at the user computer.

Client side scripting consumes cycles from user's computer not web server one, while server side scripting consumes cycles form web server one.