What is JavaScript? What is JavaScript Used for?
JavaScript is used in most websites because developers can create dynamically updating content and client-side dynamic web pages in a short time using this programming language. Well, there are many other reasons behind the popularity of JavaScript. You will know what Is JavaScript used for in the blog.
It is lightweight and cross-platform which makes it more capable of building websites quickly and effectively. A JavaScript development company is always full of projects because this is a common and popular language so most businesses want their web applications in this technology.
Moreover, JavaScript programming language has the most efficient and the best JavaScript frameworks. These frameworks help to save time by providing pre-built features, tools, and plugins. Web developers don’t have to write code for every feature from scratch if they use frameworks. They can simply drag and drop the plugins and in-built features to the web pages to make since most websites and applications have some common features, developers don’t have to write code for the same features for every software product if they leverage frameworks. So, JavaScript is a useful programming language with effective frameworks. them.
JavaScript History at a Glance
JavaScript was invented in way back 1995 by Brendan Eich. It was the time when internet explorer and Netscape Navigator were the most popular browsers. It was initially known as LiveScript. Excepting some features, JavaScript is in no way related to Java programming language. Well, the earliest releases of JavaScript faced some security issues.
It has improved a lot that 98% of websites in the world use it. Not only this, according to Statista report, JavaScript is the most used programming language among developers in 2023. Check out the image below.
Features of JavaScript
Before you read about what is JavaScript used for, know the features of JavaScript. The features are helpful to create apps and websites.
- Lightweight
- Case-sensitive
- Enhances HTML and CSS Code
- Scripting Language
- Event Handling
1) Lightweight:
JavaScript is not a compiled language. It is an interpreted programming language which makes it lightweight. It is because the source code never changes to bytecode. Its lightweight feature makes it suitable for low-end devices as well.
2) Case-sensitive:
JavaScript is a case-sensitive programming language. Names, variables, keywords, and functions are case-sensitive in JavaScript. So, when you use JavaScript to create applications follow the rules carefully.
3) Enhances HTML and CSS Code:
JavaScript is used to build rich graphics and this is possible with HTML and CSS. JavaScript extends the code of HTML and CSS on the web page.
4) Scripting Language
learning JavaScript is easy because this is a scripting language and is made for client-side execution. It is not a general-purpose language, but this is the best one for building web applications.
5) Event Handling:
When a user clicks on a button, an event occurs and the system responds to it. JavaScript lets you handle events for many application programming interfaces.
You can also check out this video to better understand
What Are the JavaScript Frameworks?
We all know that JavaScript is a different programming language. Its features and various JavaScript frameworks play a crucial role in making it the most popular programming language. Even JS frameworks are at the top when it comes to the best front-end frameworks. You have read about the features. let’s move ahead and know the list of the most used frameworks of JavaScript.
- NodeJS
- ReactJS
- J.Query
- Express
- Angular
- VueJS
- NextJS
- EmberJS
- BackboneJS
- AlpineJS
What Is JavaScript Used for?
JavaScript is used in two ways-front end development and back-end development. Let’s read about them in the detail below.
Front-End Web Development:
JavaScript is a client-side programming language so a JavaScript developer uses it to build interactive web apps. It enhances the code of CSS and HTML for developing engaging features and designs for web applications. Before JavaScript web pages were static. JavaScript allows dynamic web page development.
Developers can add dynamic animations and interactive elements to mobile apps and websites. Besides it, JavaScript also allows Single-page application development for a smooth navigational experience and improves the customer experience.
Back-End Development:
JavaScript developers can also use this programming language to write server-side code. It is also known as server-side development. A browser makes a call to a remote server. Then the code parses the page’s URL to check what the user is requesting before fetching data from the server. NodeJS is the best example of a back-end JavaScript framework.
Most Prominent Uses of JavaScript
JavaScript is mostly used with web browsers and web-based applications. However, this is also suitable for mobile apps as well. Different types of web development, browser games, web apps, and scalable network applications for mobile devices are built using JavaScript. Let’s read about the popular usage of JavaScript.
- Game Development
- Application Development
- Website Development
- Add Interactive Elements
Scroll down to read about JavaScript usage in detail.
1) Game Development:
JavaScript is the best choice for browser-based games. Many developers use Game development JavaScript. JavaScript has libraries to support app and website development. For example, Tensorflow.js is the JavaScript library. JavaScript libraries allow developers to use Machine learning technology and create AI models. It is used to predict future events based on machine learning models. And most importantly effective to develop games.
There are some JavaScript engines like Melon JS, Babylon JS, Phaser, and others for game development. They offer wide options for tools and in-built features that accelerate the game development process.
2) Application Development:
JavaScript is the only programming language native to the web browser. Google Maps is powered by JavaScript. There are many other popular applications have been built with JavaScript. Some apps are as follows.
- Netflix
- Candy crush
- Uber
3) Website Development:
Before JavaScript web pages used to be static and had only HTML and CSS code. The web pages were not interactive and dynamic. After JavaScript was introduced dynamic website development became possible. Developers now can build more interactive and engaging web pages. Popular JavaScript websites are Google, Facebook, and YouTube.
Developers can use the below-mentioned features when they work with JavaScript
- Add hover effects
- Create drop-down and Hamburger style menus
- Play audio and video on web pages
- Add animations
- Show and hide menus or information
- Create image galleries
- Zooming in and Zooming out
4) Add Interactive Elements:
Adding interactive elements to the website and application is the most important use of JavaScript. It makes a software product impressive and attracts traffic. You can create engaging features for the entire page. A developer who has JavaScript skills can easily excel in a career.
Because it is a different programming language with effective features. Developers can use JavaScript to create and execute code quickly. They can control multimedia on the iOS platforms and Android platforms as well. Likewise, you can use various latest technologies like virtual reality, AI, and AR with it.
People also like to know: What Are the Benefits of Using AngularJS for Front-end Development?
Benefits of Using JavaScript for Software Development
Since JavaScript is the most popular programming language, it must offer some benefits that other languages hardly offer. And because of these advantages, 1.8 billion or around 98% of websites in the world use JavaScript. Scroll down to know these benefits.
1) Ease of Use:
This is one of the crucial reasons most developers love JavaScript. They write once and read anywhere the code of Java. Its code is not tough, even in a single line you can write a complete statement. Likewise, you will not have to learn Java programming language to learn JavaScript because these are different programming languages.
The code of JavaScript is easy to read and short. So, JavaScript is one of the simplest languages for web programming, making the availability of JavaScript software engineers easy.
2) Interactive Web Pages:
JavaScript developers can make web pages interactive by dynamically updating the content of the website. The JavaScript frameworks offer various types of features, tools, and plugins that help developers to build beautiful yet interactive websites. JavaScript developers can give an innovative look to web pages in a short time.
They only have to drag and drop the functionalities from the suitable library. It reduces the time for coding and saves it to make the website more innovative.
3) Speed:
JavaScript offers great speed over other programming languages because it is interpreted. It cuts the time needed for compilation. You can avoid a lazy load of images by using JavaScript code. It lets the user see the page content faster. Since its code executes faster, it reduces the time to complete an overall software. Which is ultimately helpful to reduce time to market.
4) Less Memory Use:
JavaScript executes the browser code that frees up a server’s space. It helps to save some memory or space. So, JavaScript is also an efficient programming language in terms of saving more room for more code. Moreover, the JavaScript engine uses a garbage collector to free up memory that is no more useful. This feature makes JavaScript the best for developers who have to work on large projects using JavaScript.
5) Versatile:
You can integrate JavaScript into your website in many ways. You can integrate the JavaScript framework Nodejs effectively with Mongo DB and MySQL. The possibilities are endless with JavaScript. It allows you to code for client-side and server-side using Node. JS. You can build mobile, desktop, and web apps using React Native.
JavaScript offers many benefits that drive businesses to have software in this technology. If you also have a website or app idea, JavaScript can be the best option. But how to find the best developers? Hiring an offshore software development company can be a wise choice because you can have a quality yet cost-effective product in a short time.
Wrapping Up
JavaScript offers various features, tools, frameworks, and libraries. They all help developers to build interactive sites for different businesses. After reading about the usage, features, and benefits of JavaScript, you can also make the right decision about developing a software product using this amazing programming language. Get a free consultation from the experts at Technource before developing a JavaScript app or website. And hire experienced developers from us to work on your dream project.
Request Free Consultation
Amplify your business and take advantage of our expertise & experience to shape the future of your business.