There are about 1000 programming languages. However, some of them have yet to be discovered by many developers for their low popularity. The same statement doesn’t apply to JavaScript, as it is one of today’s most popular programming languages.
A 2022 Stack Overflow Annual Developer Survey named JavaScript the most commonly used programming language for the 10th year. Besides, it is estimated that out of almost 2 billion websites worldwide, 98% of them use JavaScript as the client-side programming language.
What could be some reasons for the language’s high popularity rating? This article explains why JavaScript is so popular among new and established developers. But before that, we will first look into the basics of JavaScript programming language.
What Is JavaScript and What Does It Do?
JavaScript is a high-level, dynamic, and interpreted programming language primarily used to build interactive front-end and back-end web applications. Its history dates back to 1995, and it’s currently one of the most widely used programming languages in the world.
JavaScript is a versatile language often used for a wide variety of purposes. You will find it valuable for client-side web development, server-side web development, game development, mobile app development, and even desktop app development.
It is often used alongside other web technologies, such as HTML and CSS, to create rich, interactive web applications. JavaScript programming language stands out for its ability to manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM), a tree-like structure representing the HTML elements on a web page. JavaScript can be used to dynamically update the content and styling of a web page based on user interactions or other events.
JavaScript is also object-oriented, meaning it uses objects to represent data and behavior. It has a wide range of built-in objects and methods that you can use to perform common programming tasks and define custom objects and methods.
It is a powerful and flexible programming language that is critical in modern web development. Its ability to create rich, interactive web applications has made it an essential tool for front-end and back-end developers.
Notable Features of JavaScript
- Event-Driven Programming Model – JavaScript is designed to respond to events such as user clicks, mouse movements, and keyboard input, allowing developers to create highly interactive web applications.
- Asynchronous Programming – JavaScript supports asynchronous programming, meaning it can execute multiple tasks simultaneously without blocking the main thread, resulting in faster and more responsive web applications.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility – JavaScript can be run on virtually any device that has a web browser, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Reasons Why JavaScript Is Popular
JavaScript is popular for the following reasons:
1. Easy to Learn and Use
JavaScript‘s the ease of learning and use is one of the primary reasons why it has become so popular. It is considered one of the easiest programming languages to learn, especially for beginners just starting their coding journey.
This feature makes it an attractive option for developers who want to build interactive and dynamic web applications quickly and efficiently. But despite the simplicity, it also has advanced features that intermediate and expert developers will find useful.
Here are a few reasons why JavaScript language is easy to learn and use:
- C-like Syntax – JavaScript’s syntax is similar to that of other popular programming languages like C and Java. This means that developers who have experience with these languages will find it easy to learn and use JavaScript.
- Dynamic Typing – Unlike statically-typed languages, JavaScript doesn’t require developers to declare variable types. This means that developers don’t have to worry about type conversions or other technical details when writing code, making it easier to focus on the task.
- Quick Feedback – JavaScript is an interpreted language, implying changes made to the code are immediately reflected in the browser. This makes it easier for developers to experiment and test their code without waiting for a build process or recompilation.
- Large Community – JavaScript has a large and active community of developers who always share their knowledge and expertise through blogs, forums, and other online resources. This makes it easier for beginners to get started and learn from others who are more experienced.
2. Versatile and Runs Everywhere
JavaScript‘s ability to run on almost any device and platform is another reason it has become such a popular programming language. It stands out as a client-side scripting language that runs in web browsers, making it ideal for creating interactive web applications.
However, JavaScript is also a perfect language for server-side programming, making it versatile enough for use in a variety of contexts. This impressive versatility level makes it an essential language for web developers.
Moreover, its continued growth and evolution suggest that it will continue to be a dominant force in the world of web development for years to come.
The following features contribute to its versatility:
- Cross-Platform Compatibility – JavaScript can be run on any device, whether it’s a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a tablet, or even a smartwatch. This means that you can create web applications that users can access on any device without worrying about compatibility issues.
- Web Browser Support – All major web browsers support JavaScript, meaning developers can create web applications that work seamlessly across all browsers. It works on Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and any other browser that you can imagine.
- Server-Side Capabilities – With the introduction of Node.js, you can now use it on the server side as well. This means that developers can use a single programming language for both client-side and server-side development, reducing the complexity of their development environment.
3. High Performance
JavaScript is undoubtedly a high-performing language. JavaScript has undergone significant performance improvements over the years, thanks to browser technology advancements and the language’s evolution.
Its ability to run quickly and efficiently in the browser makes it an essential language for web developers. Its continued evolution suggests that it will remain a high-performance language for years.
Here are a few reasons why JavaScript is considered a high-performance language:
- Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT) – Modern JavaScript engines use JIT compilation, which allows them to compile JavaScript code on the fly as it runs rather than compiling it all upfront. This can lead to significant performance gains, as the engine can optimize the code for the specific device and environment it is running on.
- Asynchronous Programming – JavaScript is designed to be non-blocking and asynchronous. Thus, it can perform multiple tasks simultaneously without blocking other processes. This is crucial for web applications that need to respond quickly to user inputs and other events.
- WebAssembly – WebAssembly is a new technology that allows developers to run code written in other languages, such as C or C++, in the browser. You can use this to offload performance-intensive tasks from JavaScript to WebAssembly, improving overall performance.
- Libraries and Frameworks – Numerous libraries and frameworks are available for JavaScript users. These often help developers optimize their code for performance. For example, React, and Angular are popular frameworks that use a Virtual DOM to reduce the number of updates to the real DOM, leading to faster rendering times.
4. Create Visual Effects and Other Aesthetics
JavaScript is a versatile language that can help you create visual effects and other eye-catching aesthetic features on web pages. Of course, these features can help you make web pages more engaging, responsive, and user-friendly, essential for creating a positive user experience.
Here are a few ways through which you can use JavaScript to create visual effects and aesthetics:
- Animation and Interaction – JavaScript is ideal for creating animations and interactive features on web pages, such as hover effects, scrolling animations, and sliding panels. These visual effects can enhance the user experience and make a website more engaging.
- Dynamic Updates – JavaScript can be used to dynamically update the content of a web page without the need for a full page refresh. This means that developers can create web pages that feel more responsive and interactive, with content that updates in real-time.
- User Interface Elements – You can use JavaScript to create user interface elements such as drop-down menus, modal windows, and tooltips. These elements can make a website more user-friendly and intuitive to use.
- Customization – JavaScript can be used to customize the appearance of elements on a web page, such as changing the color of text or images, creating custom fonts, or adding visual effects like shadows or gradients. This helps create a unique and memorable visual identity for a website.
5. A Vast Active Community
Just like Python, JavaScript has a vast and active support community, which plays an important role in its rising popularity. The community’s accessibility, collaboration, open-source contributions, continuous improvement, and job opportunities make JavaScript an attractive language for developers of all skill levels – compare JavaScript vs Python.
Here are a few reasons why this community has contributed to the popularity of JavaScript:
- Accessibility – The active support community has created a wealth of resources, including documentation, tutorials, and forums, which make it easy for developers to learn and work with JavaScript. This accessibility helps developers quickly get up to speed with the language and start building applications.
- Collaboration – The active support community encourages collaboration between developers, implying that someone is always available to help with coding problems or share best practices. This collaboration can help developers to learn more quickly and build better applications.
- Open Source – JavaScript has many open-source libraries and frameworks created and maintained by the active support community. You can use these libraries and frameworks to build applications more quickly and efficiently, saving developers time and effort.
- Continuous Improvement – The active support community continually works to improve the language and its ecosystem. This includes developing new tools and features, fixing bugs, and supporting new technologies. This continuous improvement means that JavaScript remains a relevant and powerful language for building web applications.
- Job Opportunities – The active support community has helped create a large and growing demand for developers skilled in JavaScript. This means that many job opportunities are available for developers who are familiar with the language, making it an attractive language to learn and master.
Conclusion
JavaScript‘s popularity is not surprising, given its versatility, high performance, ease of use, ability to create visual effects, and vast active support community.
These reasons have made it a go-to language for web developers of all levels, making it an essential tool for building interactive and dynamic web applications.
As the web continues to evolve, JavaScript’s popularity will likely continue to grow, cementing its position as a cornerstone of web development.
