What is JavaScript?

JavaScript was created by NetScape employee, Brendan Eich in the year 1995. It was developed as a simple and lightweight scripting language. Its purpose was to include some form of program within the browser, to increase interactivity without the delay of reloading the whole web page from the server.

The popularity of JavaScript actually grew after NetScape was acquired by AOL and they eventually turned over their browser’s code to the Mozilla Foundation. For years, developers have found it challenging to deal with two different languages at client side/browser (JavaScript) and server side (PHP, AP, JSP, .NET, Ruby, Python and many more). Finally with the introduction of Node.js, that had put JavaScript on the server, a common language was made possible both on server and client side. Node.js made the server side programming in JavaScript possible because of its implementation of the non blocking programming paradigm.

Modern JavaScript offers a wide range of frameworks and libraries that help developers create complex applications with low overhead. Programmers can import libraries and frameworks in their code to augment their application’s functionality. Some of the examples of frameworks are Node.js for server side and Angular.js and React.js for client side. Libraries like JQuery provide a vast range of functions to make web applications more reactive to users.

Why JavaScript ?

• JavaScript can be used in both the front-end and back-end of web development.
• JavaScript is standardized, so it’s frequently updated with new versions.
• It can be used to add custom features to Google Spreadsheets, Docs, Sites, Slides and other related G Suite products.
• Create data visualization artifacts like charts using JavaScript libraries.
• Create mobile applications using React Native.