Introduction
In this article I will talk about why I started learning JavaScript and the benefits of learning JavaScript. First off, what is JavaScript? JavaScript is simply a programming language mostly used to add interactivity to websites, that is, it enables you to add functionality to your websites. It is the only programming language that can be understood by the browser. Now let's get to the benefits!
Why I Started Learning JavaScript
When I decided to pursue a career in tech, I decided to go into web development and most of the free resources available contained JavaScript in their curriculum. So basically I didn't choose JavaScript, JavaScript chose me 😂.
Having started learning and using JavaScript, I have come to discover why it is a great programming language to learn and I will be pointing out a few reasons why JavaScript stands out and why you learn it.
- Easy to Get Started with (Beginner Friendly) Most modern browsers today come with installed, what this means is that someone who wants to learn JavaScript is spared the task of having to get and set up a software (development environment) that will enable them run their code on the web browser. With JavaScript, you can just get started coding by typing your script in a code editor and running it right on your browser, how cool is that?
- Popularity According to Stack Overflow's Developer Survey 2020, JavaScript is the most commonly used programming language for the eighth time in a row! JavaScript is popular for a good reason, it is such a useful programming language and can be applied in several ways, most services we use today are running on JavaScript.
- Versatility JavaScript has evolved over the years and can be applied in almost any platform you can think of. JavaScript is used on the front-end of web applications, it is used on the back-end or server side of web applications, it is used in building mobile applications, desktop applications, IoT and more. Being able to apply JavaScript on multiple platforms makes it one of the most powerful programming language.
- Great Career opportunities With JavaScript being the most commonly used programming language and having a wide range of usage, there's a huge possibility for career growth. Once you are comfortable with JavaScript, your career opportunities are endless as you can work on the front-end or back-end of web applications, you can develop mobile as well as desktop apps and you can do all this without learning a new programming language.
- Vast Community Due to its popularity, JavaScript has a huge community of developers. This means that as a beginner, you get a lot of support on platforms such as Stack Overflow as there is a huge possibility that someone has encountered a problem you are trying to solve. With its popularity comes access to lots of learning resources.
Conclusion
I have highlighted some reasons why JavaScript stands out and you can see that JavaScript is powerful. If the reasons I mentioned in this article convince you to decide to want to learn JavaScript then by all means do it, but note that the programming language you decide to learn is mostly based on what you are trying to accomplish and how it will be beneficial to you.