PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES SERIES
Javascript? Why!
Understand why it is worthwhile to master Javascript.
This article will start with a brief overview of my opinion regarding programming languages and more specifically Javascript, the growth it has experienced this past decade, and the main tech stacks that are composed purely of Javascript.
So why are there any programming languages? It is a tool that gets used in the creation of software, it is taking over the world while hardware gets developed further, more dispositive available to an ever-increasing market that requires it in ever more creative ways in many more sectors of the economy and society, which creates whole new ways of interacting within an organization, within a community, within a family, and with the world.
So then, why Javascript? In the end, it just comes to something very simple, it is everywhere, Javascript took over the web with JQuery and since then programmer have used it to satisfy more and more needs, with Angular an influx point within web development happened, making Javascript one of the most relevant languages for front end, and then another creative use came with NodeJS making Javascript a viable option to make the backend of your product. But with new dispositive available, different hardware having its own qualities and characteristics, the programmer's creative uses for Javascript kept on evolving, there comes ReactJS which is the current leader in the Javascript UI framework field with which you can make reusable components and if mixed with React Native you can even use the same source code for iPhone apps, Android apps, and web apps.
In the end, it all boils down to how the tool feels like for whoever is using it and what it is you want to create with it, whether there is already a great framework that satisfies that need, allowing for your product to be born right away and most likely there is something for that particular use in Javascript already made, out of which you can take advantage of.
To understand how relevant Javascript is as a programming language I will ask very important questions which will be answered with some statistics.
Is there a job opening for Javascript developers?
Since it is the second language with the most job openings, yes it is a viable option to program in this language. Nonetheless, it's good to think of this in terms of frameworks and tech stacks, it is important to be aware of that, I will delve deeper into this in the next part of the article.
Is this trend going to keep on happening?
From what the PluralSight Technology Index is saying, it seems that its popularity keeps on increasing, keeping a compound monthly growth rate on positive and it is highly popular already, being the most popular programming language on this chart.
Is this programming language accessible and is there a community that could help me grow when I’m stuck?
Stackoverflow is a webpage in which you can post coding questions and people can answer them, it is important to remember to check if anyone else has already posted that question before, most likely someone already has, you can take the answer free of charge but it is a good pattern to also pay back if you see any question that you can answer, take your time and help someone else out.
Main Tech Stacks to be aware of if you are thinking of mastering Javascript, this means the set of technologies that would allow you to be a good prospect for the position of a software engineer.
First the name of the stack and then what it composes.
MEAN
- MongoDB (NoSQL Data Base)
- Express.js (backend web framework)
- Angular.js (frontend framework)
- NodeJS (open-source, cross platform server)
MERN
- MongoDB (NoSQL Data Base)
- Express.js (backend web framework)
- React.js (frontend framework)
- NodeJS (open-source, cross platform server)
MEVN
- MongoDB (NoSQL Data Base)
- Express.js (backend web framework)
- Vue.js (frontend framework)
- NodeJS (open-source, cross platform server)
All these very popular tech stacks are done on Javascript, which proves the multiple creative uses that Javascript has, and MongoDB while it doesn’t use Javascript since it's a server, uses JSON (Javascript Object Notation) which all components speak for data transmission.
I hope that you have picked on how amazing Javascript is, it is a tool that has revolutionized front-end development and even found a niche on back-end development, all the frameworks that have been made with it, out of which each one has its own flavor, give yourself the opportunity to try and see what feels best or what provides the most for your particular need.
