10 Reasons to Choose JavaScript when you Learn to Code

When delving into the world of learning to code, many people wonder which programming language they should learn first. As you’ll see upon a quick Google search, there is no straightforward answer to the question, and passionate defenders of each language can be found in all corners of the internet. There are many languages to choose from and which one you eventually opt for will depend on a variety of factors.

At SPICED, our Web Development course is focused predominantly on JavaScript. Other coding bootcamps opt instead for Ruby on Rails, citing its elegance and simplicity, as well as its growing popularity among startups, as reasons to go that way. But while JavaScript can certainly be messy at times, it’s growing at an immense rate and shows no sign of stopping. Here are our top 10 reasons we think you should pick JavaScript as you start your coding journey, and why we believe it’s the best language for our students.

All major web browsers run JavaScript

JavaScript is often called the language of the web since it runs on all major web browsers. That makes it the only programming language to do so. If you want your products or website to reach the widest possible audience with the maximum functionality, it’s the way to go.

It’s the best language to build rich, interactive web applications

Much of the functionality that users have come to expect from websites today depends heavily on JavaScript. So much so that for web developers, knowledge of at least some JavaScript will be essential during their career.

It can be used for server-side programming

JavaScript is one of the few languages that can be used for server-side programming as well as front-end, with Node.js. This means there’s no need to switch to another language for backend development (such as PHP or Java).

Open source frameworks and libraries

There are many open source JavaScript web frameworks or libraries such as Angular.js and ReactJS, that allow for more efficient web app development.

It’s easy to get started

JavaScript needs no extra software. That means, unlike other languages, you don’t need to install any special software, your computer doesn’t need to meet any special requirements and you don’t have to compile any code. You just need 5 minutes and you’re on your way!

There’s a large JavaScript community out there

While community support might not be the first thing you think of when deciding what programming language to learn first, it’s important. The developer community is all about giving and receiving support. It’s one of the reasons coding is such a rewarding career. It stands to reason, then, that the larger the community around a programming language, the easier your life will be since there will be plenty of support for you.

Great career prospects

JavaScript is one of the most in-demand languages of the moment (and will be for the foreseeable future). According to Gooroo.io, the average salary range in the US for JavaScript developers is $91,288 and this goes up even more when you use Node.js for the backend (which we also teach!). According to Coding Dojo, JavaScript was the 3rd most popular language mentioned in job postings in 2016, behind only SQL (no surprises there) and Java.

Longevity

JavaScript is going nowhere fast. Thanks to its ubiquity, adoption rates for JavaScript aren’t slowing down, even as other languages grow in popularity. This year, Stack Overflow found it to be the most popular language with developers, with a staggering 62.5% of respondents using it. It would take a monumental shift for things to change and for JavaScript to stop being the number 1 language of the web – it would take a language that’s as effective, as easy to install, and for this language to be rapidly adopted by the majority of organisations that are currently using JavaScript.

It’s efficient for your customers

JavaScript is great for the user. You know when you fill out an entire form only to find there was an error and you have to go back and find out what it was? With JavaScript you can make it so that each field is validated as it is entered by the user. Stuff like this makes for a smoother, simpler experience that users love.

Industry leaders use JavaScript

Google? JavaScript. Wikipedia? JavaScript. Amazon? JavaScript. Twitter? Yup. Yahoo? Them too. Facebook? You get the idea. Some of the world’s most successful, forward-thinking companies are using JavaScript, and this only encourages even more companies and more developers to adopt the language.

Overall, we at SPICED think JavaScript is the most practical (and fun!) option for people just starting out, and that’s why we focus so heavily on it in ourWeb Development bootcamp. If you want to learn more, just click the link.