html - question regarding the use of alert -

i came upon code while studying settimeout. settimeout executes alert 5 seconds after button clicked.

    <input type="button" name="clickme" value="click me , wait!"  onclick="settimeout('alert(\'surprise!\')', 1000)"> 

however, saw alert string inside has format ive never seen before. \ occurs before ' surprise! \'. use?

this indented command: alert('surprise!'). contains 2 quotes.
in case command passed as string settimeout.
string delimited quotes: 'string'.
'alert('surprise!')', invalid syntax, because it's parsed this:

'alert('    // string surprise!   // nonsense ')'         // string 

so quotes inside string escaped signify "this not end of string".

this worst possible way though. better way alternate 2 available quote types:

'alert("surprise!")' 

this mess in case though because confuse html parser.

an better way pass anonymous function instead of string:

settimeout(function () { alert('surprise!'); }, 1000) 

an betterer way unobtrusive javascript, in you're not using html onclick attributes, attach javascript dom element programmatically:

<input type="button" name="clickme" value="click me , wait!" id="clicker">  <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">     document.getelementbyid('clicker').onclick = function () {          settimeout(function () { alert('surprise!'); }, 1000);     }; </script>