Exploring the coding language behemoth that is JavaScript.
JavaScript, since its creation in the mid-1990s has become the most used language in the development world. According to the Stack Overflow surveys, JavaScript has kept its strong lead in the most used programming languages since the survey began in 2015.
One thing I’m sure we can all agree on is most of us today would have an existential crisis if the internet was to just disappear. Shopping has become easy and roasting strangers on Twitter, even easier!
Globally, engaging with something on the internet has become one our favourite pastimes. JavaScript is the beating heart that keeps this alive. Why has this scripting language become so popular and why is it so essential to web development?
A Brief History Of JavaScript
In September 1995, Netscape and Microsoft were competing to supply the best browser. Netscape programmer Brandon Eich developed a new scripting language called Mocha. This quickly adopted the name of LiveScript and later became JavaScript as we know it today.
This new scripting language was recognised as becoming popular and so ECMAScript was created to keep JavaScript correctly maintained and managed. Take a look at the latest standard.
Why Is JavaScript So Popular?
It did not take long for JavaScript to take off.
It’s easy to see why, first and foremost, it is very simple to use. In most modern schooling, the two main languages used to introduce children to coding are JavaScript and Python.
Why?
Because they are as close to English as programming gets. You don’t necessarily have to understand complex topics like object orientated programming (OOP) or public, private, void, and static functions to get started. You do not even need to declare data types like languages such as Java.
JavaScript is a very beginner friendly language for those seeking to get started in web development.
JavaScript Makes For Engaging Website
Secondly, it’s very powerful. Think of all the times you have gone to a website, clicked on a button that has made a video appear or clicked on an image in a gallery to zoom in. This will be powered by JavaScript. These are just two of the many things JavaScript can achieve. Without it, our websites would be extremely bland, boring and for the most part, non-interactable.
Asynchronous Programming
Let’s also not forget how JavaScript has made it easy to communicate with servers through AJAX. The ability to program asynchronously can speed up web applications significantly.
Asychronous programming refers to the practice of starting a long running task but the application whilst keeping the programming you’re working on responsive. The downside, of course, is that this can sometimes make problems confusing when you don’t understand how AJAX requests can affect your variables and functions.
A Heavyweight Coding Clash
Since 2009 when Node.JS was born, JavaScript was gifted the potential to even overthrow PhP in server-side coding. For developers looking to make a new web application, this became very attractive.
It’s fast for the user and is a powerful framework with thousands of libraries, API integration and plenty of community support. If you are already familiar with JavaScript, you don’t even need to learn a server-side language to build an app with Node!
JavaScript – The King Of Coding Languages
After digging in, it’s easy to conclude why JavaScript has remained the king of languages for so long. It’s a core essential to developing websites and web-based applications and it is easy to learn.
We cannot undermine the importance of HTML, CSS, SQL and PhP on the internet we have today but without the continuing development of JS and its communities, the quality would be incomparable.
Uploading pictures of last night’s lunch to Facebook may not have been so easy.
Here’s to you JavaScript.
