We are in an era where technology has taken a front seat in reshaping the global business eco system. Technology is also changing at breakneck speed and in order to stay relevant in the job market we too have to continuously upgrade ourselves. One technology stack that has remained popular for a few years now and will continue to dominate the popularity charts is Frontend.
In order to become a Frontend developer, we need to have knowledge on HTML, CSS and JavaScript with which we can build interactive web pages. JavaScript is one of the core technologies of the world wide web and helps in building interactive web pages. According to Northeastern University, JavaScript is among the most popular programming languages to learn in 2021.
JavaScript is used for website and mobile application development. There are several popular frameworks that have been built using JavaScript as the foundation. JavaScript was initially introduced as a client-side scripting language which can be incorporated along with HTML and used for client-side validation of inputs. Then AJAX, which helps us in building interactive web pages was introduced. This requires us to update only the required part of the web page without loading the entire web page from the server.
With the introduction of jQuery, a library developed as part JavaScript, client-side web development has become really easy. Invented by John Resign and released on January 2006 at BarCamp NYC, jQuery is the most popular JavaScript library and it is a free, open-source library, licensed under the MIT License. This has a powerful feature of cross-browser compatibility. It can easily handle cross-browser issues that we usually face with JavaScript, which is why many developers use jQuery to avoid cross-browser compatibility issues.
The final evolution of JavaScript came in the form of many other technologies that are built on top of JavaScript, such as Node.js, ReactJS, Vue.js, Backbone.js, Ember.js, MeteorJS, Angular, polymer.js and Ext.js. Let’s have a look at some of these:
- Node.js, using Node.js we can develop a web application end-to-end using just JavaScript.
- ReactJS It allows you to build powerful, fast, user-friendly and reactive web apps, which let us render on the server using Node and power mobile apps using React Native.
- Vue.js is another open-source progressive JavaScript framework for building user interfaces, similar to React.
- Backbone.js is another JavaScript library with a RESTful JSON interface and is based on the Model, View, and Presenter design paradigm. Backbone.js provides structure to heavy web applications.
- Ember.js is another popular, open-source JavaScript web framework which is based on the Model and View pattern.
- Meteor or MeteorJS is a full-stack JavaScript platform for developing modern web and mobile applications.
- Angular, previously known as Angular JS, is a single web development framework developed by Google for both desktop and mobile web applications.
- Polymer JS is another open-source JavaScript library that helps you create custom reusable HTML elements, which can be used to build performant, maintainable web applications.
- Ext.JS is a commercial JavaScript product and not free or open-source like the other platforms we have been discussing so far.
Is it hard to learn JavaScript?
JavaScript was initially developed to be used for client-side scripting. But, slowly it has evolved into being the main language in building dynamic and interactive web pages. It is also the foundation using which many frameworks and libraries have been developed, which in turn are used to develop entire applications. Many beginners get discouraged from learning JavaScript since they think it is hard to master. But if you have been working on HTML and CSS and have an idea about DOM and object-oriented programming then JavaScript will be easier to learn as it is also based on object-oriented scripting language.
There are plenty of resources available that will help beginners learn JavaScript with minimal effort. Books such as Eloquent JavaScript and the You Don’t Know JS series are available for free on some websites. There are also plenty of applications and sites where you can practice coding like Grasshopper, SoloLearn, Mimo, and Codecademy. They provide JavaScript tutorials and exercises to prepare you on programming basics. In addition, a lot of these applications and sites make learning fun, helping you easily retain the information.
Whenever you’re ready to take a step further you can move towards sites such as freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, and Team Treehouse to get full self-paced courses. These courses will give you a better conceptual understanding of JavaScript and will help you learn through practice as well. These sites often contain projects associated with the lessons. Once you become acquainted with these, you can take it a step further by building your own projects.
Are Java and JavaScript the same?
There is always some confusion between Java and JavaScript. While they may sound similar, their similarity ends with the word Java, which is common in both. JavaScript is not a subset or any variant of Java. Java is basically an object-oriented programming language and all the programs/applications written in it will execute in the Java virtual machine (JVM), which will be internally compiled into bytecode. We can simply use this bytecode and install the JVM in any platform and by using the bytecode we can run the same application/program in any operating system. Java is a platform independent language, which means that once it is written it can run on any platform.
Let’s take a closer look at each language.
Java is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language which uses OOP approach to data and methods. Java being a programming language implies that code is first compiled before it can be executed. Java is a statically typed language meaning variables are known when code is compiled, which helps in catching the errors early in development. Since it’s a compiled language, Java code is compiled into bytecode before execution. The compiled code is not human-readable but needs to be compiled by installing Java virtual machine (JVM) where the code is executed. Because the JVM helps abstract away the underlying operating system, Java code is often very portable.
JavaScript is an object-oriented scripting language which also uses OOP approach, but it is a scripting language. This means there is no explicit compilation required before JavaScript code can be executed. Unlike Java, JavaScript is a dynamically typed language, which means that variables are checked at execution time. This allows for faster coding but errors will often be caught later in the development process. JavaScript code is stored in plain text, is interpreted in real-time with no compilation required and it runs in a web browser. Initially, JavaScript was executed almost exclusively in web browsers. In recent years, JavaScript runtime environments, of which Node.js is the most popular, offer another way to execute JavaScript code outside the browser.
Why should I learn JavaScript in 2020?
JavaScript is the only language which runs on the browser. Also, JavaScript is widely used across the world for developing applications in front-end and backend using Node.js, which allows JavaScript to run outside the web browser. We can develop entire applications using JavaScript. Unlike other programming languages, JavaScript is a bit easier to learn as it offers simple syntax which is like common English. JavaScript is a beginner-friendly programming language and the fact that it is very popular anis constantly growing means that everybody utilizes it. This gives you authority over your web pages. Also, JavaScript developers are in high demand and there are several renowned companies around the world using it including Facebook, Google, Uber etc.
- JavaScript provides functionality to websites; it allows us to create dynamic and interactive web pages.
- It’s a client-side language, which means your CPU does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to worry about server load or bandwidth.
- We can learn JavaScript without any prior programming experience.
- JavaScript is mostly widely used in developing web pages.
- JavaScript is not platform dependent.
JavaScript is a versatile language. Once you’ve mastered it, the possibilities are endless. You can code on the client-side (frontend) using Angular and on the server-side (backend) using Node.js. You can also develop web, mobile, and desktop apps using React, React Native, and Electron, and you can even get involved in machine learning.
Prerequisites to learn JavaScript: - There are no Prerequisites for learning JavaScript. If you have an understanding / familiarity of HTML, CSS then you are good to kick start your career in JavaScript. HTML, the essential language for building any web application, is used to put content onto a page. It allows the inclusion of things like text, images, links, and even videos and CSS is used to style the content that has been inserted using HTML.
After learning JavaScript, you will be able to do the following things:- Once you have mastered JavaScript, you can:
- Start developing dynamic and interactive web pages. We can develop on the client-side (frontend) using Angular and on the server-side (backend) using Node.js.
- Do animations in our websites.
- Develop games with the help of JavaScript library pixi.js.
- Using JavaScript you can do things like animated graphics, scrolling video, interactive maps etc.
- Streamline the way your entire site operates by using JavaScript on the back-end.
Where I can learn JavaScript?
As JavaScript is one of the most happing programming languages, mastering it is a must for those seeking to make a career in web development. There are tons of ways you can learn JavaScript.
Careers in JavaScript:
There is a lot of scope for front-end developers as every company needs developers for their projects / clients who are experienced in front end technologies like JavaScript and its related technologies / libraries. More and more apps and websites are being created day by day. Presently there are around 400 billion active websites all over the internet. Much of this growth can be attributed to the increase in internet consumption by both mobile and desktop devices.
Frontend web technologies have seen an immense rise in terms of load time, functioning, UI etc. JavaScript helps to create dynamic and interactive websites. Companies are eager to roll out updates and features to their existing apps as well as to build new apps, hence give rise to newer web applications, websites, and apps.
- JavaScript developers are in high demand due to the increasing apps and boom in start-ups.
- Improving / enhancing the existing product which requires frequent updates to be rolled out.
Salary with stats:
As an entry-level JavaScript developer, you can earn around Rs. 350,000 per annum. If you have around 5-6 years of experience your salary will be around Rs. 1,000,000 per annum in India. Remember, this salary is dependent on your skill levels. The more experience you gain, the higher is the salary you can expect as you jump to the role of a senior-level JavaScript developer.
Salary by location
JavaScript Developer Salary in India: Based on Company
According to Payscale, below are the popular companies interested in hiring web developers, and listed below are the annual salaries:
- Accenture: Rs. 473,000
- Amazon: Rs. 2,000,000
- Tata Consultancy Service(TCS): Rs. 441,000
- Cognizant: Rs. 367,000
- Infosys: Rs. 492,000
The best JavaScript books for beginners:-
- Head First JavaScript Programming book
- JavaScript The Definitive Guide by O’reilly
- A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript
- JavaScript: The Good Parts
- Learn JavaScript VISUALLY with Interactive Exercises
- JavaScript: The Definitive Guide: Activate Your Web Pages (Definitive Guides)
- Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd Edition: A Modern Introduction to Programming
- The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript 1st Edition
- Professional JavaScript for Web Developers
- Effective JavaScript: 68 Specific Ways to Harness the Power of JavaScript
Conclusion:
JavaScript is the language of web functionality. It is the most important language for web development, and one of the fastest evolving languages, in terms of practices, tooling, and ecosystem. It’s an incredibly exciting language to be using right now and it’s also a relatively easy language to learn and start building apps in.
Everything you need to get started is already on your computer. Your browser is your run-time environment, and you can see your initial coding right away. There is no shortage of tutorials and online courses to help you learn, and a severe shortage of skilled developers who know the language well since JavaScript is constantly evolving.
JavaScript is being used to build highly responsive user interfaces, prevent frustrating page reloads, and even fix support issues for CSS. Using the right browser add-ons (such as Google Gears or Yahoo Browser Plus) you can even use JavaScript to make online systems available offline and sync automatically once the computer goes online. JavaScript is also not restricted to browsers. The future is wide open.
