JavaScript In 2019

#javascript

This article was originally posted on my blog. Check it here .

2019 is just around the corner and there is not better time than this to become a programmer. So, let's see why you should learn JavaScript in 2019 and its applications.

Some of you may ask, why am I writing about JavaScript now ? After all, JavaScript is not an unknown language and the people who need to learn it will learn it eventually. First of all, I needed a topic to write about as I post an article every week. Secondly, there are many who want to start learning to code in 2019 but are confused about the language they should choose. And finally, may be even if you know programming in general, then also you may take away a thing or two from this article (Or may be add a thing or two by providing your thoughts in the comment section).

How JavaScript Fared In 2018

Before moving to the state of JavaScript analysis in 2019, let us first have an overview of JavaScript's performance in 2018.

Those of you who are even a little bit familiar with JavaScript must have experienced how rapidly it changes. The most significant changes happened in ES6 which was released in 2015 and there was not turning back from there. As of now, the current version is ECMAScript 2018 and I am certain that every developer out there must be speculating about all the changes that will come along in 2019 with ESNext.

Let's have a look at Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018.

The above two images clearly show that JavaScript was the most popular technology among developers in 2018, that too for both All Respondents and Professional Developers. This only means that JavaScript will grow even more in 2019.

Also according to ZipRecruiter the average salary of a JavaScript developer in the United States is $103,480/year, which is not a small amount by any means.

**Average Salary of Javascript Developer Jobs**

You can also see that a JavaScript developer's salary can go as high as $165,500. I think that is a pretty good reason to become a JavaScript developer, although you must have a fair bit of experience to land such a job.

That's enough talk about the run of JavaScript in 2018. Still, if you want to analyze a bit more you can always visit this awesome website, State Of JS . This website will give you a very clear idea about how JavaScript performed in 2018.

Now let us move on to see why you should learn JavaScript in 2019.

Learning JavaScript in 2019

The first question is, who should learn JavaScript in 2019 ? Well, if you are a developer and have never tried JavaScript before, then you should really get your hands dirty with JavaScript. If you are someone who has never coded before and want to start your programming journey, then also you will love JavaScript.

The second question is why you should learn JavaScript ? For a short answer, JavaScript can be used to build almost anything nowadays. Obviously the first thing that comes to our mind is Web Development but it is not the only usage. You may ask, what are the other uses ? Good question. Hmm..., let us see,

Web Development

I know that it is the most common use case of JavaScript, still I felt that without mentioning this point it will be very hard to move forward.

In Web Development, the Front-end and Back-end frameworks that can be used with JavaScript are just immense. Due to this only we are seeing a huge growth in the web industry in the last few years with some of the most amazing web applications being built with JavaScript.

For the frontend part, HTML and CSS are the very basic skills. Apart from that there are a number of frameworks. React, Vue and Angular are the three most popular ones out there. You can choose and start from any one of those but stick to master one at time. If you want to explore, there are many other frontend frameworks as well. Feel free check them out.

If you are more interested in the back-end part of web development which deals mostly with servers then Node.Js is the best option for you. After you dive into Node.Js you will observe that there are frameworks for it as well. Express is the most popular one right now. Feel free to explore all your areas of interest and take your time to choose the right path for yourself.

Mobile Development

JavaScript made it really easy for developers to build high quality native mobile apps without moving to another language. In this case React Native is the best option. React Native can help build really high quality apps for both Android and iOS. If you plan to learn React, then you will be able to transfer much of the knowledge to mobile development with React Native as well.

Desktop Applications

JavaScript has also set foot into the Desktop App Development with frameworks like ElectronJs. There are other good options as well. If you are interested you can read this awesome article to know about some of the major players out there for desktop app development.

Game Development

Yes, Game Development as well. Looks like JavaScript has no stopping point. With frameworks like Phaser and renderers like PixiJs you can create really awesome web based games. Obviously Unity and Unreal are the industry standards for game development, but what is the harm in trying out new things when you start to learn JavaScript. You can read about game development using JavaScript in this Medium article by Vadim Brodsky .

IoT and Robotics

JavaScript also enables you to program robots and build and control IoT devices. Feel free to check out the following, Johnny-Five, Nodebots, Cyclon.js.

Machine Learning

Finally, something to talk about. Right ? Now Machine Learning is also possible with JavaScript. Libraries like TensorFlow.js have made it possible to train models in the browsers as well. I think that it would be best if you explore this part on your own because this requires its own dedicated article. For a start you can read this article and make up your mind as to where you want to start.

Final Words

I think the above are enough reasons to get some motivation for learning JavaScript if someone wants to start programming from this New Year. That's all from my side. Now it is your turn to start learning and build some amazing stuffs.

If you liked this article, then share it with someone you think can get some value out of it. Also comment and share. If you have questions feel free to Contact by clicking Here. And yes, one more thing, Happy New Year and have an Awesome 2019 ahead.