Choosing a programming language to learn first might be difficult with so many reasonable options available, especially if you’re just learning to code. Please believe us; we’ve all been there. It can be scary to think about choosing only one language to focus on, but we can promise you that with the right information—which most professional programmers never really had access to as you do now—you get to make the right choice. This post will go a long way toward analyzing why you should begin a career in JavaScript development as soon as feasible, even though its objective is not to force you to begin studying JavaScript.
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Early JavaScript Development
Knowing early on what you want to do with coding in the future is a great idea since, in the long run, it helps to keep your head on when distractions begin to surface. You might wish to think about a variety of programming-related professions, such as game development, data science, website development, application development, machine learning, etc. in which to involve yourself. Regardless, each of these disciplines has a proper language that best suits it. For instance, C++ is inarguably the finest language for developing video games. In the same vein, Python looks to fill the gap when it comes to data science. But even though the majority of other programming languages are also applied in web development, JavaScript is simply essential.
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What Is JavaScript And What Is It For?
Understanding what a programming language is and what it does in its entirety is crucial before you begin learning it.
In its simplest, JavaScript is an “interactive website-making” programming language. If you think about the fundamental components of a website, HTML describes and defines the essential elements of the website’s structure and content, whereas CSS instructs the browser how to present this HTML material by specifying elements like color and font. You can create a website with only HTML and CSS, but it is limited in what it can achieve. This is where JS —an acronym for Javascript-– comes in. JavaScript and its functionalities give life to the website. Drop-down menus, modal windows, and contact forms are just a few examples of the user-interactive features that it provides. Including animations, video players, and interactive maps.
However, the modern version of JavaScript is an all-purpose programming language that can be used with any software. Since Node.js, a cross-platform and open-source back-end Javascript runtime server environment that runs on Windows, Linux, Unix, and macOS, entered the market, many people now use JavaScript on the “server-side“, also known as the backend although the “client-side“, also known as the frontend, is where it is most widely used. JavaScript code used on the client side is read, interpreted, and executed in the user’s web browser whereas it is operated on a distant computer when employed on the server side.
JavaScript is not restricted to making web pages. It may also be used to create web-based games and also, with the aid of specific frameworks, mobile applications for various operating systems. Backend programs, including web apps and server apps, may now be developed using the language thanks to the development of new libraries and frameworks.
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A Brief History of JavaScript – Building a Programming Language in 10 Days
From the name, the first thing you might wonder is whether or not JavaScript was named after the famous Java programming language. Well, although this isn’t always the case as you have it in C, C++, and C#, JavaScript was indeed made for Java.
In May 1995, an expert programmer known as Brendan Eich while working for a communications company named Netscape was tasked with building a new programming language from scratch. The reason was simple. The company needed a scripting language for use with its flagship web browser known as Navigator (The best Web browser of the 1990s). It will surprise you that Eich was given to complete the project in just 10 days so, obviously, he wasn’t expected to hit the nail on the head entirely.
Initially, after its launch, the scripting language was included straight in Navigator under the name “LiveScript.”. However, to portray JavaScript as a companion for the Java language, which was a product of their partner – Sun Microsystems, Netscape changed it to JavaScript. Though there seem to be some apparent grammatical similarities between the two languages, JavaScript and Java are quite unrelated.
Netscape and Sun Microsystems sought an interpreted language to complement Java since they were aware that Java was a sophisticated, complex, compiled language designed for skilled programmers. Similar to Microsoft’s Visual Basic, this language would need to be approachable by non-professional programmers and easily interpretable for web page embedding.
Instead of needing to create new HTML tags, Netscape wished to create a compact programming language that would run directly in the browser. And since Java was the most popular programming language at the time, but challenging to learn, Netscape desired a language that was simple to learn for use with its web browser. To instruct the computer on how to interact with the user after obtaining input from the user, Eich was able to develop JavaScript.
JavaScript’s Successes – The Indispensable Truth
The new programming language’s initial objective was to turn the web into a fully-fledged application platform, which required JavaScript to function on both the client and server sides. But, it wasn’t entirely successful because it was a long time before it became recognized as a backend language. However, it quickly took off on the front end, evolving into the web’s default programming language.
Following its release, more and more browsers began to support JavaScript. Even after Navigator’s demise, all subsequent web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome, eventually adopted it. While its early versions had significant speed and security problems, there were no other options available to developers. They just had to use the language if they wanted to run programs in the browser.
The development of Google’s open-source Chrome V8, a powerful JavaScript engine, in 2008 soon marked a significant turning point for JavaScript. Developers could now create complex browser-based applications with performance on par with desktop and mobile applications thanks to the subsequent growth of quick JavaScript engines.
Soon after, a cross-platform, open-source environment named Node.js was launched by Ryan Dahl on 27 May 2009. This gave users a mechanism to run JavaScript scripts from applications other than browsers. It facilitated JavaScript’s present popularity by releasing it from browser restrictions. JavaScript is now a widely used programming language that can be used to create a wide range of applications for desktops, mobile, servers, and browsers. Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, and Google are just a few of the current generation’s top online corporations that use JavaScript in their products.
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The Future of JavaScript
Currently, the programming community with the most activity is the JavaScript community with new tools, frameworks, and libraries appearing to be released every week. There are many different preprocessors and transpilers available, from tools that transform contemporary JavaScript scripts (so that older JavaScript engines can run them) to tools that compile completely new languages with JavaScript. The JavaScript standard itself is a living document that is always undergoing improvement. Engines for JavaScript incorporate the updates just as quickly. The creation of native JavaScript applications is becoming more supported by upcoming operating systems (like Google’s Fuchsia).
The future of JavaScript seems bright considering all of these. Learning JavaScript is something you should do at any moment. Only; procrastination can be expensive, yet there is never a bad time to start a career in JavaScript development. Beginning now is better than delaying. Even so, starting sooner rather than later may be preferable in the same vein. The fact remains, however, that investing in early JavaScript development is always worth your while.
Are you already starting to become passionate about development in JavaScript? Then you should get to know its benefits.
Benefits of Early JavaScript Development
Have you ever visited a website that blew you away? Some websites are like works of art because they have stunning layouts, animations, or responsive elements. The odds are that they were created with JavaScript.
With animations, interactions, and little automation, the web needed to find a way to become more dynamic and JavaScript was the best option. The language has since become the most popular programming language. And there are a ton of benefits if you choose to become a JS expert.
JavaScript is the Most Widely Used Programming Language
According to W3Techs, JavaScript is used by 97.5% of all websites as a client-side programming language. According to Statista’s 2022 global study, JavaScript is unquestionably the most used programming language worldwide. In addition, it is a commonly used phrase that appears in the majority of job postings. It may not be the most favored language, however, but it is unquestionably the most popular.
Moreover, it is becoming more and more relevant in a variety of contexts. The Google search results that appear as you type on the platform are produced by the powers of JavaScript. Microsoft created Edge (Microsoft’s default web browser for Windows and Xbox one) with it. Facebook also developed its method of sending JavaScript to speed up its website (each section of your Facebook page is a collection of independent JavaScript applications).
There is no way to avoid using JavaScript since it is used to build the internet and you most certainly shouldn’t.
JavaScript is an In-Demand Skill in The Job Market
As the most widely used programming language in the world, JavaScript is not surprising to be one of the most in-demand skills in the current web development market. 72% of firms are eager to hire JavaScript professionals, according to the Devskiller IT Skills and Hiring Report 2020. Over 81,000 positions requiring this expertise may be found by searching “JavaScript” on Indeed.com (an employment website in the US). More than 110,000 items are returned when the same search is done on LinkedIn. Therefore, mastering it might help you stand out in the job market and future-proof your technical skills.
The demand for JavaScript appears to be greater than the market’s supply of experts globally at the same moment. According to HackerRank’s study for 2023, JavaScript is four times more popular than Bash, its closest rival, as a language that businesses look for in a web developer.
Experts in JavaScript are not only in demand, but they are also well-paid. JavaScript developers in the US get a base pay of, on average, $103,590 annually. As you can see, learning this language can significantly increase your earning potential as a developer.
JavaScript Has a Long-Range Vision
The internet used to only display texts and had no interactive features. These days, JavaScript gives websites interactivity, responsiveness, and personality. JavaScript is supported by all modern browsers and enables the stunning presentation of videos, animations, and other types of media. HTML and CSS make up the majority of the web. They summarize the information of webpages, but JavaScript is required to bring them to life.
User interface interactivity has been a part of the web ever since JavaScript was introduced. It now performs the same function for applications of all stripes, assisting in the creation of the most captivating UX — user experiences. The advancement of transitions and animations is being made possible by frameworks like Vue.js today.
Faster user experiences result from the logic being executed on the client side. There is a reduction in loading times because no server calls are necessary when the code is running directly in the browser. The fact that JS is asynchronous enables it to connect with the server in the background even when a server is present without interfering with the front-end user interaction.
This will continue to be the norm of the internet so why don’t you put JavaScript on your “must-learn” list right now pending when you’ll be asked to create stunning, responsive websites with fantastic user experience?
JavaScript Offers Versatility to Its Developers
JavaScript is a requirement to become a frontend developer but as a JS professional, you have other options as well. By mastering this important programming language, you could pursue careers in artificial intelligence, games development, machine learning, full-stack development, information security, software engineering, and many more.
Languages don’t come more flexible than JavaScript. Once you’ve learned it, the options are virtually limitless: you can use Angular for client-side (frontend) coding and Node.js for server-side (backend) coding. Utilizing React.js, React Native, and Electron, you can create web, mobile, and desktop applications and even dive into machine learning.
Since JavaScript is a scripting language that can be used for more than just frontend or backend development, its scripts must be executed in a browser or interpreter like Node.js. In essence, you can use JavaScript for things other just webpage interactivity. You can:
Develop Web And Mobile Applications
The top apps from well-known brands like Netflix, LinkedIn, Paypal, and Uber were all developed with the help of the Node.js interpreter, a JavaScript runtime environment. Instead of only creating web pages. Developers may now create web and mobile apps using interpreters and different frameworks.
Develop Simple Web Servers
You can create back-end infrastructure in addition to websites and mobile apps using server-side applications with Node.js.
Develop Games
Javascript enables you to design games in either 2D or 3D if you have a brilliant concept for a new one. A good video game can be made using gaming engines, such as Pixi.js and Physics.js.
Create Artificial Intelligence
R and Python are now used in the majority of AI applications. However, JavaScript has a bright future in this field. Several JavaScript AI frameworks enable browser-based AI task execution. For machine learning tasks, the Tensorflow Javascript library is now also available.
In the end, knowing JavaScript is a requirement you’d want to have to work in development or engineering in tech.
JavaScript is Simple to Learn.
Because JavaScript is a multi-paradigm scripting language, it also supports imperative, functional, and object-oriented programming. We’d argue that as a beginner, learning this programming language is not too difficult. Additionally, you won’t regret making the effort because you will be able to use it for a wide range of activities.
It’s beneficial to include it in your first language because you can accomplish a lot with it quickly. Python’s straightforward language may make learning it a little easier but you won’t be able to develop both the front-end and the backend of applications using Python—JavaScript allows you to achieve more amazing things much earlier.
Making your JavaScript code work doesn’t require a lot of technical knowledge. You may just use a browser to run it. There will be more difficult concepts for you to understand if you want to delve deeper, though. Nevertheless, a well-organized study schedule and some coaching would be very helpful.
JavaScript provides one of the most approachable entrance points into the world of coding when compared to many other programming languages. The best part about it is that every current web browser already has it installed, so you don’t even need to set up a development environment to get started using JavaScript!
A benefit of choosing JavaScript as your first programming language is that you get rapid feedback and can see results from your work with very little code. Additionally, there is a sizable JS community on websites like Stack Overflow, so you’ll have no trouble finding help as you learn.
It is not only user-friendly for beginners, but it will also provide you with some incredibly useful transferable skills. The object-oriented, functional, and imperative paradigms of programming are supported by JavaScript. As such, these skills can be applied to any future language you could learn, including Python, Java, or C++. JavaScript serves as an essential introduction to important concepts and techniques that you’ll use throughout your development career.
JavaScript has a Large Community
JS is simple to learn and quick to start using in active development for developers. For beginners, its syntax is simple and adaptable. In addition to that, by enabling developers to streamline the app’s construction, it also makes the process of creating complicated applications simpler. The numerous frameworks and packages available help developers’ lives in several ways.
If you don’t already know, JavaScript is incredibly popular. Even if popularity doesn’t always correlate with the quality of life in general, it does indicate one crucial thing: you’ll be able to solve any issues within the community. That is not a minor aspect of web building. It’s also a great bonus if you need to hire developers because there are so many available.
Watch Out!
It shouldn’t go without saying that there is never a pro without a con. Most JavaScript developers, after a sermon like this, tend to turn a blind eye to the very downside of using the scripting language. In the end, they either feel a dislike toward the language or go ahead to weigh down the pros. For you, these are three things you should watch out for.
- It’s unclear to what degree search engines can crawl JavaScript. (Crawling is the process of visiting files or websites to index them for searching.) Despite Google’s claim that it generally does, you shouldn’t take any chances if you don’t want to run into crawlability/SEO concerns. However, there are effective methods of handling JavaScript in a way that crawlers can understand, therefore this issue is not without a remedy.
- It’s possible to have too much JavaScript in your program. In the long run, adding too much JS to your projects will be detrimental because it will eventually result in performance problems. JavaScript should only be inserted when necessary, not all over the place.
- The JavaScript ecosystem’s tens of thousands of packages enable programmers to complete tasks rapidly without having to start from scratch on every new project. These contribute to what some now call the “dependence hell.” It’s therefore important to learn how to manage these frequently required dependencies so that both you and the users of your projects aren’t inconvenienced.
Conclusion
This article has provided a thorough justification for why JavaScript is so important to the development community today—and why you should certainly brush up early on your JS skills. I’ll end the article by reflecting on what we can anticipate for JavaScript in the foreseeable future because, believe me, whether you like it or not, it won’t go away.
Both JavaScript and its ecosystem are constantly changing. In our opinion, the future will start with fewer new tools being developed and with the top players becoming more established and obtaining wide acceptance. This can already be seen in the competitive JS framework market, where React and Vue.js are dominating.
What lies ahead will undoubtedly also heavily rely on TypeScript. Because it makes JavaScript more scalable, this superset of JS is being widely adopted by the community.
Frontend development will undoubtedly be impacted by several technological advancements in the future, such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT).
One thing is certain: you should never stop learning new things if you want to stay current in the JavaScript development area!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Should I Learn in Javascript First?
You should be considering learning “vanilla” JavaScript while deciding whether or not to study this language. Vanilla JavaScript simply refers to the core of the Javascript language alone, devoid of any libraries or frameworks. Now, let’s take a closer look at what this entails. It may be confusing to research the term “vanilla JavaScript,” but all you need to know is that it refers to the native, standard-based, non-extended version of the language.
Not like there is a distinction between pure JavaScript and JavaScript. The term vanilla is only used to stress the usage of pure JavaScript without the use of libraries and frameworks.
If you want to become a developer who can innovate, and not just execute, you need to understand the underlying principles of the web—and not just the shortcuts. This connotes learning vanilla JavaScript before you move on to frameworks. Understanding plain JavaScript will help you later on when it comes to deciding whether to use a framework for a certain project and if so, which to use.
Ultimately, if you want to work as a web developer, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter this web development language at almost every turn. Learning vanilla JavaScript first will make you a versatile engineer who can work on both the front end and the back end, and it’ll equip you to solve complex problems independently—a key skill in the industry.
Does JavaScript Help with Java?
This question does not have a direct answer. Naturally, knowing one language will make learning any other one easier. Java and JavaScript have a syntax extremely close to that of C and both languages use imperative syntax. As a result, switching from JavaScript to Java will be simpler than switching from, say, Lisp or Haskel to Java.
However, there are so many variations insomuch that JavaScript experience for Java is meaningless.
- The Java platform does not include the programming language called JavaScript.
- Java is an OOP programming language while JavaScript is an OOP scripting language. This is one of the main distinctions between the two languages.
- Java is compiled into bytecode while JavaScript is interpreted.
- JavaScript uses prototyping to implement OOP, whereas Java uses the “traditional” OOP framework.
- Applets and standalone programs cannot be made with JavaScript.
- Java offers extensive concurrency support, whereas JavaScript only supports a single thread, and so on.
- JavaScript code can only be run on a browser, while Java applications can run on a virtual machine or browser.
- Both languages use different plug-ins.
In conclusion, you will benefit from learning fundamental programming concepts and techniques that apply to almost any programming language. However, Java is a completely separate language and ecosystem, so you must start learning it from scratch.
How Best Can I Learn Javascript?
So, if you want to work as any kind of web developer and must learn JavaScript, you should start by learning JavaScript in its most basic form.
Gaining experience is the greatest approach to begin learning JavaScript. Try it out in your browser after reading more about the language’s definition and operation. On Google Chrome, click “View” and choose “Developer” from the drop-down menu. Choose “JavaScript Console” and there you are!
There are many excellent online resources available for learning JavaScript, as there are for most topics. But if you prefer a more organized method, think about enrolling in a supervised web development course.
Whatever path you choose, be sure to allow adequate time to master the fundamentals. When you master JavaScript inside out, you’ll be ready to take on the web’s more difficult coding languages and even convince another person to study JavaScript over other languages when they wonder why they should.
Should I Learn Python or JavaScript?
In choosing between learning Python or Javascript for web development, there are several factors to consider but two key factors are listed below.
First, JavaScript comes out on top since Python-based software will take longer to reply, which will keep users waiting. Because of this, JavaScript should be used to build websites that function effectively.
Second, scalability is a crucial factor to consider when comparing Python with JavaScript. It refers to a language’s ability to manage massive volumes of data and handle big numbers of users while using a small number of server resources.
Node.js was created for scalability and supports asynchronous programming, which is one of its goals. As a result, Node.js is considerably more suited for the creation of programs whose effectiveness depends on execution speed.
In 2023, will it still be Worthwhile to Learn JavaScript?
The field of web development is evolving rapidly. Knowing where to concentrate your efforts can be very challenging with so many new tools always being developed.
You should confirm that what you are learning is still applicable in the market today if you want to become a developer.
Don’t worry if this language gives you any pause. JavaScript has essentially been used everywhere on the web since its inception in 1995, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. It has been ranked as the most popular programming language for ten years in a row by the 2022 StackOverflow developer survey.
94.5% of websites use JavaScript today, and despite being created as a client-side language, it has now found its way to the server side of websites (thanks to Node.js), mobile devices (thanks to React Native and Ionic), and desktop computers (courtesy of Electron). It is even more potent thanks to package managers like npm.
JS is a language that is valuable to learn as long as people are using the internet.