Most of us use JavaScript multiple times per day, unbeknownst to others. Nearly every device that we use daily, from mobile phones and desktop computers to smart TVs to modern cars, makes heavy use JavaScript to allow us to browse the internet and live our digital lives.
Despite JavaScript’s widespread popularity, you might still be curious about JavaScript. (Just to clarify, JavaScript does not replace Java. What is Javascript?
JavaScript is a programming language that facilitates interactions between a web browser and the website or service being visited. JavaScript allows you to modify virtually every aspect of your browsing experience, from the visual appearance of a website to the information that represents movie titles displayed on sites such as Netflix.
JavaScript is able to interact and manipulate every object on a web page. This allows it to perform some amazing tasks. JavaScript’s most basic uses are often overlooked by users. Common JavaScript implementations include confirming that the user entered an email address in a form; automatically placing a cursor in a search box when loading pages like Google.com; and loading small sections of a webpage, such as the next series, without having to reload the entire page.
JavaScript code is loaded behind the scenes when a web page loads in almost any modern browser. After the page is loaded and displayed on screen, JavaScript code executes and instructs the browser about any additional actions. If there is no immediate action (such as placing the cursor in a search field), the JavaScript code will wait for the event to occur before firing and performing the necessary action.
JavaScript will wait for the moment the user starts typing characters into a password box when filling out a registration form. JavaScript will alert the user if the user enters a special character in a password that isn’t allowed on this web page.
Although some users may not be aware that the server (the remote computer hosting a website) can verify that the password field contains valid characters, this is an example of the fundamental power JavaScript has as a technology. JavaScript can perform tasks directly on the device the user interacts with without the usual delays required when sending and receiving information from a site.
Why is JavaScript essential?
Apart from the control and power that JavaScript implementation gives to a company behind a site, it is also crucial to understand how important JavaScript is as a technology, both now and in the future. A solid understanding of JavaScript and how to code with it is one of the most important skills any web developer can have.
In recent years, a variety of technologies have emerged that heavily focus on JavaScript.
Node.js is a server-side JavaScript language built using Google’s V8 JavaScript Engine. It is one of the most dominant technologies. Node.js is robust and powerful enough that many big companies have migrated from older technologies to Node.js over the past few years. This includes Netflix, PayPal, and Uber. Node.js is unique because JavaScript can be used as the backbone language to handle all interactions on the server, rather than managing them on the user’s machine.
Not only is JavaScript widely used by massive companies and services, in fact all signs indicate that it is among the most popular programming languages used day-to-day by developers worldwide.StackOverflow — a question and answer forum for developers and one of the most commonly visited sites by professionals in the industry — recently released their annual Developer Survey, which asks developers a series of questions related to their work.
JavaScript is used by over 25% of full-stack developers, those who work on both client and server-side solutions. This makes JavaScript more popular than any other technology. JavaScript is now even more popular due to the rise of server-side technologies such as Node.js.
