WHY SHOULD YOU LEARN JAVASCRIPT?
Javascript is a high level, just-in-time compiled and multi-paradigm programming language. Every web page includes Javascript, so it is on every computer. Besides HTML and CSS, it is one of the core technologies of web development. If there is a button with a function or something with an animation or anything that requires programming, you know that it is Javascript that gives this functionality to the web page.
It is also used in server and mobile development. According to stackoverflow.com 2020 Developer Survey, Javascript is the most used language among all programming/markup/scripting languages. 67.7% of all respondents use Javascript. Why did they choose Javascript? Why should you learn Javascript? There is the answer:
1. Low Learning Curve: Javascript is easy to learn and no matter what you use for the backend, you should learn Javascript for your frontend. Therefore, learning Javascript and using Node.Js for your backend is much more efficient than using a different language for the backend and using Javascript for the frontend. If you are going to develop web applications and you want to start fast, you should start by learning Javascript and Node.Js.
2. Large Community: While you are learning a new language, or maintaining an old one, the most efficient way to solve a problem is asking the community. Javascript has the largest community in stackoverflow.com, it has the largest meetup community and also Javascript is the most tagged language at Github. You can find all answers to your questions on stackoverflow.com and you can find a similar project on Github mostly.
3. Career Opportunities: All businesses are moving online nowadays, so there is a massive increase on the demand for web developers. According to information from gooroo.io in the US average salary for Node.Js developers is 98,962$.
4. Versatility: Javascript can be used on both client and server. It is also possible to build mobile applications using some frameworks. Learning Javascript allows you to build both frontend and backend for web applications and also build native mobile applications.
5. Strong Support: Node.Js foundation is organized by companies including IBM and Microsoft in 2015. It is an independent community and its aim is to facilitate the development of Node.Js core tools. Many organizations use and contribute Node.Js.
To conclude, there are several reasons for you to learn Javascript. Javascript is the most popular programming language and it keeps growing. It is easy to learn and use. It has the largest community among all programming languages. It can be used on many platforms and it has strong support from some of the biggest companies and organizations. If you want to be a web developer and take the advantage of these opportunities you should learn Javascript.
Doğukan AKAR
Bogazici University Computer Engineering Undergraduate