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What Are the Advantages of Learning JavaScript?
Maybe it was because the pandemic locked us into our homes for so long. Or perhaps it’s because of exciting new developments in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. It could simply be that people are coming to the realisation that our world is and will be ever more tech-driven. Whatever the reasons, enrolment in coding classes is surging.
If you’re on that bandwagon, you may have discovered the big stumbling block. Which programming language(s) should you learn? Not to say that there’s a limit on how many you can or should study, only that aspiring programmers are truly spoilt for choice. Should they strive to master a popular language like Python or go for something more versatile, like the C programming language?
How about starting your coding education by learning a language that is both popular and in high demand? One that’s been around long enough to have all the bugs worked out and all the features in place. One without too complicated a syntax; that’s relatively easy to learn. JavaScript hits all of those notes and more.
JavaScript is Easy to Learn
If you’ve ever used a web page’s pull-down menu or interactive map, you’ve accessed a JavaScript function. This brings up an important point for novice coders. Since Javascript is already installed on every web browser, you can get started coding right away, without having to set up a development environment.
In programming languages, syntax represents the rules that define a properly-constructed program. Some programming languages have very elaborate syntax. By contrast, JavaScript is only mildly complex. Spacing, the use of punctuation and curly brackets, capital and lowercase letters all matter in Javascript.
But don’t let all that scare you out of learning this language. JavaScript’s expansive online community is there to support you as you learn. You may also avail yourself of all the resources around the web, notably the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) and JavaScript’s own site.
JavaScript is Everywhere
JavaScript isn’t just a nifty feature that gives websites pizzazz. Android and iOS apps feature JavaScript, as do smart televisions and other ‘smart’ gadgets. In fact, anything connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) is likely coded, at least in part, in JavaScript.
As for JavaScript on the internet, let’s just say that many programmers consider it the web’s default language. You couldn’t design a webpage without any of the features that make it compelling and engaging. Indeed, fully 98% of websites use JavaScript to manage webpage behaviour. It is one of three core languages that underpin the World Wide Web, the other two being Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
JavaScript is Versatile
JavaScript does a lot of heavy lifting. If you’re designing a webpage, you can add animations, scrolling videos and interactive maps. JavaScript underpins any element that keeps users’ eyes on that page. All of this front-end coding used in web design is only half of what this language is capable of.
Front-end is what people see when they look at a displayed page or app. If you’re more interested in back-end coding – the data access layer that ‘talks’ to the server, the open-source Node.js can help you do that.
Node.js and its front-end complement, Angular, are runtime environments that developers use to build and run their programs. You could also use React Native, React and Electron to create web apps, as well as mobile and desktop applications. They all work well with JavaScript. In short, there are no limits to JavaScript’s potential applications. Or to your potential as a programmer well-versed in JavaScript.
JavaScript Can Increase Your Earning Potential
With this admittedly abbreviated view of just how versatile and far-reaching JavaScript is, it only remains to be pointed out how you can boost your chances at a solid, lucrative career by learning this language.
Let’s take the video game industry as an example. To say that games are big business is grossly underselling the industry. Today, gaming represents billions of dollars; those who can create the most stunning visual effects can practically write their own tickets. Thanks to JavaScript’s power and versatility, any developer who knows this language will have that advantage.
But you don’t need to focus exclusively on gaming. Machine learning and other AI applications use JavaScript, too. Indeed, you could even program a robot, thanks to Cylon.js. You would be amazed at all the platforms currently supported, from ARDrone to Sphero.
Whatever your programming interests might be, JavaScript can most likely address them, at least in part. Even if you’re not yet sure where you want your coding career to take you, consider the pandemic’s effects on ordinary businesses. Before that infernal virus changed the world as we knew it, some concerns assigned their digital presence a low priority.
Now, in the post-pandemic world, every entity from commercial ventures to government offices is going digital as quickly as possible. That urgency has provoked a demand for programmers and developers who know all the most adaptable programming languages. Naturally, JavaScript features at the top of that list.
The competition to hire talented individuals is fierce. As it is, the IT Skills Report finds that 75% of companies around the world want to hire JavaScript developers. There is currently a shortage of JavaScript developers available to serve across industries. To keep up with today’s demands and future projections, beginner coders should prioritise JavaScript lessons.
To claim your slice of the JavaScript pie, earning your certification as a JavaScript programmer is key. To pique your interest ahead of signing up for classes, you might browse through online materials. You can start with the JavaScript page, particularly its vast trove of resources. You can even exercise their ‘Try JavaScript’ feature; a short tutorial that will show you JavaScript’s effects in real time.
Learning this high-level, object-oriented programming language could be your access to a productive, satisfying career. As versatile as JavaScript is, who knows how far you’ll go with it?
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