So far JavaScript seems like a powerful tool. I’ve only worked with JavaScript one time while trying to make a website several years ago so it’s still new for me. I like that it is object based like java, but is a scripting language so you don’t need a compiler. ES6 adds a lot more features to JavaScript and also cleans the code up a bit. One example would be by using arrow functions which reduces the amount of code written for some functions.
//takes in 2 numbers.
var sum = function (num1, num2) {
//returns sum of them both.
return num1 + num2;
};
//takes in 2 numbers, and returns sum of them both.
var sum = (num1, num2) => num1 + num2;
As you can see it reduced the code to a smaller amount to be used and understood better. It may not look like much at the moment, but after a few thousand lines of code I’m sure it reduces the code base substantially.
JavaScript is a lot like other object-oriented languages, which makes it easy to start learning. I believe any tool that can be used to complete a task is useful, with that being said, JavaScript has a variety of applications and shows no signs of going away any time soon. Over-all I do believe JavaScript is good for software engineering because it helps people create the projects or tools they need without the extra step of having to compile their code. There are plenty of frameworks and documentation out on the internet to make JavaScript an easy language to pick up.
When it comes to athletic software engineering, not only do I believe this is one of the best ways to learn coding a new language, but also algorithms, and also typing speed. All three of these are very important in Computer Science especially when it comes to tight deadlines. I believe the pressure of having a time limit to complete a coding challenge makes me want to study and practice more because I enjoy coding and I like to push the limits of my abilities. This is an area I want to focus on doing well in to help me in the coding interview phase of looking for a job.
In conclusion, I would have to say I love JavaScript because it’s a new skill to add to my portfolio and it’s not a huge learning curve compared to some of the lower level languages. I have plans to make many different apps and software over the course of my career and knowing JavaScript will be another tool in my belt to make me a better software developer in the long run.