14th Stack Overflow Developer Survey The survey results on AI usage and remote work are very specific to the tech industry in 2024. But there’s one data point that remains consistent year after year: JavaScript is back on track to become the largest in the industry. The most popular programming languagesThe popularity and endurance of the language comes primarily from its versatility.
Although originally designed for front-end development, JavaScript’s extensive list of associated libraries and frameworks has expanded its usefulness, and it can now be used for just about anything: back-end, mobile, game development, etc. Below we’ll take a closer look at the reasons behind the language’s popularity and many uses.
If you want to quickly get started learning how to code in JavaScript, check out our Learn JavaScript course.
What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a programming language that enables dynamic interactions on websites. Along with HTML and CSS, it is a foundational technology of the web and is essential for creating interactive web applications. Beginners often start with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to master the basics of web development. If you read through the learner profiles on Codecademy, you’ll notice that most learners choose JavaScript as their first language.
Why is JavaScript so popular?
When it was first developed in 1995, JavaScript was intended as a lightweight language to make web pages more dynamic. Simple effects were added, like showing and hiding elements with the click of a button, but it wasn’t long before developers realized they could do much more with JavaScript.
Over time, JavaScript became one of the few languages available in almost all web browsers. Today, most other languages have fallen into disuse, and JavaScript is the only programming language available in all popular browsers.
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The next big advancement for JavaScript came when developers started experimenting with it outside of web browsers. Developers applied JavaScript to the backend of web servers to process data that was used on the frontend. After the popularity of smartphones, JavaScript was used in multiple mobile development tools to create apps that ran on both Android and iOS platforms.
Fun fact: Codecademy learners spent the most time taking JavaScript courses last year, making JavaScript the most popular language. In another article, we’ll explore further why JavaScript is so popular.
What is JavaScript used for?
JavaScript is used across all industries to create all kinds of applications. Let’s take a closer look at how JavaScript is used in web development, mobile development, game development, and more.
Front-End Web Development
Front-end developers use JavaScript (along with HTML and CSS) to create the parts of web pages that users see and interact with in their browser.
Before JavaScript, web pages served only static content. JavaScript allowed developers to add animations and other interactive elements to give users a dynamic web experience. When you click a button on a website, a side panel opens or a modal slowly appears — that’s JavaScript at work.
But there’s much more that JavaScript can do on the web: you can also use JavaScript to create Single-Page Applications (SPAs) that run on a single HTML page, providing a smooth navigation experience for your users.
Backend Web Development
JavaScript is also popular with back-end developers. In back-end web development, also known as server-side development, you write code that runs on a web server. When a browser loads a web page, a call is made to a remote server. The server-side code then parses the page’s URL to determine what the user is requesting, retrieves the necessary data, transforms it, and returns it to the browser.
Node.js is a popular JavaScript framework for backend development, which is why many backend JavaScript developers call themselves Node.js developers.
Want to try it for yourself? Take your first steps into backend development by learning how to build a backend app with JavaScript.
Game Development
JavaScript also enables you to create 2D and 3D video games that run in a web browser. As browsers become more powerful, web-based video games have evolved beyond simple platform games. Now, JavaScript frameworks such as Phaser.js make it quick and easy to create more advanced games from the browser.
Mobile Development
For years, mobile developers had to focus on either Android or iOS, as each platform used a different programming language: Android developers learned Java or Kotlin, while iOS developers preferred Swift or Objective-C.
Now, with the advent of mobile development frameworks like React Native and Ionic, it’s possible to use JavaScript to write apps that run on both platforms.
Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to devices like the Oculus Rift and Valve Index, and now JavaScript can be used to create applications for these two devices.
A-Frame is a popular JavaScript framework used to build virtual reality experiences in web browsers. If you’re interested in building your own VR applications, start by learning A-Frame.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
JavaScript is also used to develop artificial intelligence, and libraries such as TensorFlow bring the power of machine learning to JavaScript developers, allowing developers to create machine learning models that predict future events based on past data and classify data and images.
How long does it take to learn JavaScript?
There’s no clear answer to how long it will take to learn a language, because you never stop learning. Like any language, JavaScript can take anywhere from a few months to a year to master. All Codecademy courses and paths are built for self-learning, allowing you to set the pace and schedule that suits your needs. In general, if you’re looking to make a quick career change, we recommend dedicating 5-15 hours to coding every week. But remember that everyone has different goals, lives, and schedules.
JavaScript Code Example
Below is a simple JavaScript snippet that demonstrates basic syntax such as variable declarations, functions, and loops.
// Declare a variable
let message = "Hello, world!";
// Function to display the message
function showMessage(msg) {
console.log(msg);
}
// Call the function with the variable as an argument
showMessage(message);
// Loop to display numbers from 1 to 5
for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
console.log("Number: " + i);
}
Learn more about JavaScript
JavaScript is no longer just a programming language for creating beautiful effects in web browsers — it’s a powerful and highly respected language that has risen to the top of popularity rankings over the past 30 years.
JavaScript’s versatility and wide range of applications make it a valuable addition to any developer’s tech stack. Ready to get started with JavaScript? Learn the basics with Introduction to JavaScript. Or, if you’re looking for something more advanced, check out our complete list of JavaScript courses and tutorials.
This blog was originally published in May 2021 and has been updated with new data points, courses, and details about JavaScript.
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