Why does function statement and anything contained within get ignored by browsers?

[Shane OBrien]

If I insert the following into my webpage the javascript code works fine:

  <script type="text/javascript">
 
    alert("message");
 
  </script>
 

But if I insert this code, nothing happens:

  <script type="text/javascript">
 
     function greetUser()
     {
        alert("message");
     }
 
  </script>
 

[Dormilich]

why should something happen? you have defined a function (greetUser()), nothing more, nothing less. if you want the alert to pop up, you need to call the function:

greetUser();

[Shane OBrien]

Well that was stupid of me. Thank you for replying to such a stupid mistake just the same :)