How does a "js" file load from the Internet

[xbuddy]

I am building a menu bar with a progarm called Menu Maker from Xara.com. Basically, it creates a menu bar as a animated gif file and then puts the coding for the menu in a "js" file. As a result, the gif file is about 6k. Although the gif file is small, the "js" file is 33k (this is because my menu is very comprehensive).

Here's my question. When a person FIRST visits my website, how is the "js" file loaded? Obviously, the 6k gif files is loaded from the server down to the person's computer. However, is the 33k "js" file also downloaded to the person's computer or does the "js" file stay on the server and is executed there? Obviously, if the "js" file is downloaded, that will really slow down the initial visit to my website.

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

[liorean]

It is downloaded and executed on the client, if you're talking clientside JavaScript (as differentiated from Netscape's serverside JavaScript or Microsoft's ASP using JScript).