What is JavaScript?

What is JavaScript?

The programming language JavaScript is commonly used by developers, particularly in front-end development, due to its accessible learning curve. It was created in the mid-1990s to enhance HTML and make website elements more engaging during user interaction. Even today, it remains one of the most widely used languages for validating forms, handling events, and adding functionality to website navigation.

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JavaScript - a critical programming language

JavaScript is an essential tool for many programmers, primarily because it is the leading client-side language for manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM). This makes it much easier to work on projects. Being a scripting language, JavaScript does not require compilation into machine code, allowing developers to see the effects of their code in real-time within the browser. Additionally, JavaScript helps reduce the server's workload by minimizing the data exchange between the server and the browser. As a result, the server no longer needs to retrieve, validate, and resend user-entered data. This has contributed to the language's widespread popularity and ongoing development, which continually introduces new features and solutions.

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JavaScript frameworks

Learning JavaScript in its original syntax can be challenging. Furthermore, most browsers do not support modern JavaScript code, which means that modern frameworks and syntax need to be converted into the older syntax for compatibility. Tools like Babel are used for this purpose. As a result, when examining the source code of a JavaScript file from any website, you may be surprised to see older syntax.

The most popular JavaScript frameworks include:

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• React
• Vue
• AngularJS

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These frameworks streamline JavaScript development and provide tools for managing application state. They also benefit from a broad ecosystem of libraries available on the npm repository.

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