JavaScript
JavaScript
JavaScript was developed due to a need for dynamic web pages. In 1995, Netscape collaborated with Sun Microsystems and hired Brendan Eich to create JavaScript, and it was officially released in December 1995. JavaScript then became an European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA) standard. Mozilla foundation then continued to develop it for their Firefox browser. Since its inception, JavaScript has consistently been one of the most popular programming languages, especially in web development.
JavaScript is a high level, object-oriented programming (OOP) script. It is used mostly as a scripting language for web pages, and its syntax is similar to Java and C++. While the name contains Java, and there exist some similarities between the two languages, it is not related to Java. See About Java section for more information on Java. JavaScript is best used alongside HTML and CSS.
If you want to dive into the world of web development headfirst, then JavaScript is the programming language for you. Paired together with HTML and CSS, JavaScript dominates the web development landscape, and with good reason, as it was created for this space. What makes JavaScript special in this space is creating dynamic web pages – i.e. web pages that can change and interact with the user. So if your main interest is making engaging and interactive websites, JavaScript is the best choice. While JavaScript can be used for other purposes outside of web development, if you are thinking of learning programming mainly for another purpose outside of WebDev, then starting out with another programming language may serve you better. However, since learning JavaScript will teach you object oriented programming, learning JavaScript will put you in a good position to pick up other object oriented programming languages with similar syntax that have different use cases, such as C/C++ and Java. Lastly, JavaScript is often used alongside HTML and CSS, and it is recommended that programmers interested in JavaScript should learn these languages as well. HTML and CSS are easy to pick up, and worth looking into so JavaScript can be used to its fullest potential.