An introduction to the programming language that affects almost every action you take on the Internet
JavaScript is required for almost every action you take on the web, whether it’s entering your credit card information, searching for a YouTube video, listening to music, or chatting on social media. It’s a programming language used to make web pages interactive – and that’s probably why it’s the most widely used language.
Developers use JavaScript to create many features for both user interface (UI) and complex visual effects, including:
- Interfaces and image sliders
- News feeds that load new information as you scroll
- Online payments, sharing information via Google Docs, filling out forms
Such functions are part of the site’s front-end code, which is responsible for what users see on the screen and interact with. Front-end JavaScript code is an integral part of the user’s browser, where it begins to interact with the HTML code that makes up the structure of the page, as well as with the CSS code that determines how and where each element is located on the page.
But javascript is used not only for the frontend. Developers can also use it for the back end of the site, which is located on servers or special computers that manage the site out of the user’s view.
JavaScript allows developers to perform many basic tasks common to programming languages. For example, a developer may specify that a piece of code should only be executed if a certain condition is met. Imagine that you have created a web page that displays weather information for the user’s current location with an icon representing current temperatures. You can use a conditional statement to specify that if the temperature is below zero, an icicle image should be displayed on the screen.
JavaScript developers can write their code in several ways. One approach, known as functional programming, organizes code into functions, which are sets of JavaScript statements that take values as input and then return results. Another technique, known as object-oriented programming, groups values, and code into objects.
A basic familiarity with JavaScript gives you a solid foundation for building apps in React, Angular, and Vue, using libraries like jQuery. Frameworks and libraries are pre-written collections of JavaScript code that make it easy to create your own applications. Using a framework or library can allow you to code without having to write everything yourself. JavaScript coding without frameworks or libraries, known as vanilla JavaScript, can be a great resource for tweaking your applications if things don’t work quite the way you expect.
What makes JavaScript unique?
- Full integration with HTML/CSS
- Clear and simple design
- Default support for all available browsers
JavaScript is the only technology that combines all three components. That’s why it is so popular all over the world when it comes to developing an interface for any browser.
