I don’t think there are many people in the online world who would argue that JavaScript is not an important language.
With the demise of Flash and Silverlight in the browser, and the hype still surrounding HTML5, let alone Node, JavaScript has undoubtedly amassed popularity.
JavaScript: The Basics
JavaScript (not to be confused with Java) is a scripting language that is used to add dynamic and interactive content to a web page.
In the not so distant past, JavaScript was only really used on the front end. It ran in your browser and allowed developers to create interactive elements on websites. Due to its ubiquity and ease to learn, it was often viewed as a substandard tool for professionals. This all changed, however, with the introduction of AJAX.
What is AJAX?
AJAX facilitated the use of JavaScript in a completely different way, enabling the web to be far more interactive than ever before. JavaScript could be used in conjunction with data, and made it possible to do an array of cool things- such as loading new material onto a website without having to refresh the page.
Think about how Google autocompletes a search, or how Twitter and Facebook can load new tweets/updates seamlessly onto your feed – that is AJAX!
JavaScript’s Rise to Prominence
Whilst websites became more intricate, and JQuery’s arrival made building customised user interfaces a lot simpler, JavaScript apps were still lacking in their ability to organise and manipulate data. The last few years have seen the JavaScript language taken to a whole new level once again.
Libraries vs. Frameworks: Building in JavaScript
Libraries such as Handlebars.js and Mustache.js have made it possible to create amazing JavaScript templates, and frameworks like Backbone.js, Angular.js and Ember.js have made truly complex front end applications a reality.
This, coupled with JSON taking over as one of the most popular ways to transfer data, and the Node.js release enabling the build of servers in JavaScript, make it safe to say JavaScript has become a dominant force. That is without even touching on its uses for the mobile web.
How JavaScript impacts the IT industry
The world’s biggest online jobs listing aggregator, Indeed, has a useful tool that explores thousands of job postings, tracking trends in all job keywords. We can see that the tech industry is one of the most talked about globally, with the top 10 fastest growing keywords all being tech related, but let’s focus on JavaScript:
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JavaScript is present in 1% of all jobs, in all industries posted on Indeed
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Over the last year, jobs advertising for expertise in Angular.js have grown by 9,000%
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Over the last 3 years, jobs advertising for expertise in Node.js have grown by 80,000%
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Jobs advertising for expertise in Native JavaScript start from £30,000 and go up to £80,000
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At present, there are currently 55,000+ jobs advertising for JavaScript knowledge
In simple terms, JavaScript is what’s HOT!
Hopefully this has helped you to understand what JavaScript is, and how you might be able to use it in your own development work.