Learning JavaScript

If you are thinking of learning to code, then learning JavaScript is an excellent place to start. Beginning a secondary language is always going to be a challenge. For many of us, a programming language is precisely that. An unfamiliar vocabulary.

Thankfully in this day and age, so many resources are available to aid the transition into fluency. It is important to acclimatise yourself with the foundation upon which the system is built. This is your alphabet. It’s your vowels and consonants, and with grammatical structure, a language takes shape. In the absence of the basics, fluency will never come. With that said, let us return to first principles and discuss what precisely JavaScript is. To simplify, JavaScript is the language of the browser, though not exclusively so. Your knowledge of JavaScript can often define whether your App or website delivers an excellent user experience.

Scripting Language

JavaScript is a client-side scripting language which is essentially the overarching controller of any action apparent on a website, whether that involves the validation of forms, enhancing and optimising the experience of the user, which advertisements appear, and which toolbars disappear. JavaScript has a fundamental role to play in a great many of these processes.

Of course, fluency takes time, so it is advised by many to start with Mozilla’s: A reintroduction to JavaScript. Think of it as much as a dictionary as a technical manual. It is known as one of the most accessible resources through which an individual can begin their journey of a thousand steps.

One fascinating aspect of Ireland’s lust for further technical literacy is the openness and availability of it. It’s often just a loading page away. However, with so much information available on the web, there’s always a potential for the oversimplification. Or, indeed, improper teaching, of a technology. While JavaScript is an accessible language, it should be noted that there are credible alternatives to traditional university learning. The presence of competitive coding institutes in much of Europe, along the lines of the Code Institute, offers an efficient, competency-oriented alternative to both independent and institutional learning alike.

HTML & Learning JavaScript

A basic understanding of HTML helps hugely in furthering your ability to use JavaScript to your advantage. HTML is known as a very accessible markup language. It can be learned alongside, or even prior to, learning JavaScript. While HTML might be viewed as the skeleton upon which the body is built, JavaScript is the beating heart and pulsing veins which allow the body to function as a whole.

Today, technical illiteracy is tantamount to career suicide. JavaScript is a facilitator. As you can imagine, with endless information at your fingertips, JavaScript has a significant part to play in orchestrating all those vital processes. For further information on learning JavaScript, you might try one of these courses at either Code Academy or Code School.

Free Coding Challenge

If you would like to learn some basic code, then try our free 5 Day Coding Challenge. Here you will learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After five days, you will have built your first web page. Apart from learning the basics, you will also experience what it is like to learn online. Register today through the form below.