What Is JavaScript Used For? A Guide for Everything You Need to Know

Ever wanted to learn about web development or app development? Then you probably came across JavaScript (JS).

It’s an open-source programming language that can make a developer’s life easy. It lets you develop amazing features and use frameworks for your app, all with just one language.

For web developers, JS offers a one-for-all solution, but one of its most popular uses is adding some liveliness to the website. Simply put, JS makes websites interactive.

But JavaScript is more than that – this powerful language has many uses. This is a popular programming language among both frontend and backend developers. And there are many frameworks available in JS too. So what is JS? And what is it used for?

Let’s explore everything you need to know about JavaScript!

So, What is JS?

Before going into the details, here’s the simplest definition of what JS is:

It’s a text-based programming language that can add interactivity to your website.

Most web transitions and animations use JavaScript and it complements the structural and stylistic elements of languages like CSS and HTML.

What that means is, that JS works with HTML elements to increase the interactivity of the website. Also, by creating any special effects to show feedback JavaScript increases user engagement.

But – JavaScript is not only for the frontend. It’s a client-side as well as a server-side object-oriented programming language.

JavaScript – A Brief History

JavaScript has a unique history. It’s one of the longest-running and growing coding languages in the history of the Internet. In the early 1990s, JS was developed in response to static web pages. These pages lacked interactivity and only showed content without reloading it.

Early browsing pioneer Netscape took it on themselves to create a fun language. They developed JavaScript to add interactive and dynamic elements to web pages. The language continued to grow and spread with the development of modern browsers. These browsers are responsible for showing the data and sites on your screen!

How Can We Use JavaScript?

While JavaScript can make websites interactive, it can do a lot more than that. JavaScript can be used to create software, manage servers, and control embedded hardware. In short, after learning JS, you can experiment with other areas of development too.

Surprised? Let’s dive a little deeper.

Web Interactivity and Front-End

JavaScript is mainly used on the client-side of the website. It’s so popular that almost 98.0% of web applications use JavaScript on the client-side. It works with HTML and CSS to turn static pages into dynamic websites. For example, if you want to add a modal (usually used to show content like a popup in front of all other content), on a button click, JavaScript is the solution. Or if you want smooth navigation for the side menu, use JS.

JavaScript is a great way to add fun elements to your project. You can use JavaScript to add some cool transitions or animations to your website. Another awesome feature of JS is the ability to add content to the website without reloading it.

Mobile Apps

While it’s still used for websites is still popular, mobile apps have stepped up their game too. The good news? You can use JavaScript to develop mobile applications, though OS-specific coding languages like Swift and Java are more common.

JavaScript is a great mobile app development tool! React Native is one amazing JS framework for building mobile apps for both OS and Android.

Games

JavaScript is a great programming language for building 2D or 3D games for web browsers. It has tons of libraries like Pixi.js to ease the process of game development. Phaser.js is another popular game development library. You can get coding in no time with these easy-to-use libraries.

Server-Side Development

JavaScript, while a crucial part of Front-End web development, has made its way to the backend as well. A JavaScript-based framework, Node.js, is a popular tool in backend development. With the help of Node.js, you can create and configure web servers to interact with the Front-End.

Machine Learning

Since technology is evolving, AI is the talk of the town these days. You can use JavaScript to do wonders in this area as well. JavaScript offers machine learning libraries like Tensorflow.js to create models. Developers can use the library for future predictions, analyzing patterns, and much more.

Confused? Let’s Discuss Why You Should Learn JavaScript.

Still wondering if learning JS a good idea?

Well, even if you need more convincing, learning JavaScript has even more advantages that we haven’t covered:

Coding Beyond Borders, Literally.

Once you have mastered JavaScript and have learned what is JS used for, you’ll stand out when seeking jobs. It will give you the leverage of working remotely, and working at your own convenience.

JavaScript-related jobs are more common than ever. With hundreds of JS jobs available, having JS in your skillset makes it relatively easy to get a job.

Also, many modern web businesses and application teams hire remote development teams. They offer positions to JS developers to work from the comfort of their homes. By working with a diverse team, you will learn and explore a lot related to coding. Imagine all this with the opportunity to work from the comfort of your home, office, or even a nice beach.

With Skills, Money Follows

When you have the right set of skills, you unlock tons of opportunities to earn money and JavaScript is an excellent skill to have. JS can lead to a great development career and better-paying jobs. You can even get a successful freelance career!

An Almost Complete Solution for Your Project

JavaScript provides a great opportunity for you to unleash your creativity. With the help of JS, you can build your pet projects and do wonders, even though it’s just one language. Have a clever idea for an interactive web app, mobile app, or game? Or even for your existing business or for your portfolio? JavaScript can help.

JS can help turn your idea into an actual consumer-facing product.

Great As a Programming Language

While there are tons of other benefits that JS developers experience, JS as a language is amazing. You can experiment in different areas of development with JS. If you are still not sold on learning JS, here is more about this language:

It is a high-level language (closer to english) and easy-to-learn programming language
Extensive support available on the internet from the JavaScript community
Tons of JS libraries are available making developers experience true versatility
Lightweight, optimized language with lower overheads
An interoperable language that you can use with other programming languages too

Can You Start Your Development Journey After Learning JavaScript?

In short, yes! For many programmers, JavaScript is the perfect entry-level coding language to start with. It’s the perfect choice to learn more about how programming languages work and use them to build websites and apps.

JavaScript is a great language for beginner developers. The best part is that if continue learning JS you can become an intermediate to the expert developer with it. But for that, you have to master advanced JS and object-oriented programming concepts. With the deadly combination of these two, it will be only a matter of time before you’ll be an expert. And of course, with these skills, you can develop fully functional applications, too.

Let’s not forget that mastering JavaScript comes with extra advantages. JS is the base language of many popular frameworks like React and Angular. So once you are confident with your JS skills, you can learn modern JS frameworks too!

Most Importantly – How Can You Learn JavaScript Today?

Like anything new, the best way to start is by taking an online course to learn the basics of JavaScript. It is the ideal solution to unleash your true coding potential in an organized way. That’s why, if you are looking for a way to jumpstart your career, try out an entirely new career path, or explore remote working potential, learning JavaScript through SoloLearn ’s free introductory course is the best way to start!