Either you are looking to start a career as a developer or just want to be able to create dynamic and visually appealing websites, JavaScript is the place to start.
If you have ever browsed the internet, you have been in touch with JavaScript.
JavaScript is present on this page and every single web page you visit. It is everywhere, making it the most in-demand programming language out there. It's a language that runs in all web browsers.
Not to be confused with Java, JavaScript was created at Netscape by Brenden Eich in the mid-90s. JavaScript makes web pages more dynamic and user-friendly; it is what makes web pages interactive.
With so many different programming languages available it can be confusing for anyone looking to dive into de world of coding.
Here are 5 good reasons why JavaScript should be your choice.
1. It will make you more employable!
If you are to invest time and money to improve your skills and knowledge it is important to know that it will be worth it. Learning JavaScript is a safe bet.
JavaScript is one of the most sought-after skills in the developer jobs market. Employers are hungry for JavaScript-talent and people who are familiar with JavaScript-based technologies.
JavaScript is a versatile language and there are many career paths you can choose to go down by specializing in a certain framework or by mastering pure JavaScript.
It is also a perfect language to act as a springboard into learning other languages as you’ll already be familiar with the core fundamentals, which is the most important thing employers look for when hiring developers.
According to the Devskiller IT Skills and Hiring Report 2020, 72 percent of companies are looking to hire JavaScript experts.
HackerRanks´ most recent report for 2020 also states that JavaScript is the most popular language that hiring managers look for in a web developer candidate.
A quick search for “JavaScript” on LinkedIn shows more than 400.000 available jobs worldwide. A lot of them can be done remotely, meaning you can do the job wherever you and your computer are!
Even if you do not want to do program websites or apps for a career, being able to create your own website with JavaScript to host your portfolio or present your product/services can be useful.
2. It is the most popular programming language in the world.
According to Stackoverflow.com, JavaScript is the most popular programming language used by professional developers today. For eight years straight professional developers worldwide have named JavaScript as the most commonly used programming language.
12,4 million developers worldwide use JavaScript, according to analyst SlashData's latest survey of developers.
The obvious reason for its popularity is that JavaScript is the default language of the internet, but also because of its great versatility.
Any application that can be written in JavaScript, will eventually be written in JavaScript.Jeff Atwood
3. It is central to all websites.
If you want to build modern, dynamic websites you will need JavaScript. Together with HTML and CSS, it is the cornerstone of modern web development. HTML provides the basic structure of sites, CSS control the presentation, formatting, and layout of the site, and JavaScript makes the site “come alive”, allowing you to add interactive features like audio and video, games, scrolling abilities, and page animations.
4. It is perfect for beginners
JavaScript is installed in all modern web browsers, meaning you don’t have to install anything on your computer and spend time setting up a development environment. You can just jump in and start coding.
JavaScript is also easy to pick up. JavaScript turns intricate details into abstracts, making things easier for beginners. Unlike some other higher-level languages, JavaScript has more of a natural language feel to it.
There’s also a huge JavaScript community on sites like Stack Overflow, so you’ll find plenty of support as you learn.
It is also a great first language for programmers who want to expand their skillset into other languages later. JavaScript supports valuable skills such as object-oriented, functional, and imperative styles of programming. After mastering JavaScript, you can apply these skills to any new language you want to learn, like Python, Java, or C++.
5. It is very versatile.
There is a lot of JavaScript libraries and frameworks that contain sets of prewritten, ready-to-use JavaScript code, making it a lot easier for you to develop complete applications. Some popular JavaScript frameworks include Angular, React, Vue, and Node.js, while jQuery, Lodash, and Underscore are examples of popular libraries.
Because of this JavaScript gives you the power to handle any aspect of app design. You can do user-side (front-end) coding with frameworks like Angular, or you can work on the server-side (backend) by using Node.js.
You can create both desktop, mobile, and web apps, and if you are into machine learning, then JavaScript will help you there as well.
Game development is a big business today, and developers who know JavaScript have an extra advantage. The language’s versatility and ability to create visual effects make it a perfect fit for game developers.
In other words, JavaScript is a great language that can help you accomplish a lot both in your personal life and in your professional life
Is there any reason not to learn JavaScript?
We asked Accelerate-lecturer Dewald Els, an experienced JavaScript developer.
- Unless you are a dedicated backend developer, you should know about JavaScript if you are working in the web development space. Ever since Node.js gained tremendous popularity, you can use it to write powerful server-side applications that handle many concurrent connections reliably. The combination of JavaScript on the server and front-end, has given rise to the JavaScript full-stack developer, said Els.
- JavaScript is so deeply integrated into the web; it is not going away any time soon. It is a safe language to learn if you are just getting into programming. To quote Jeff Atwood, or commonly referred to as Atwood´s law: “Any application that can be written in JavaScript will eventually be written in JavaScript.”
