At the beginning of learning how to code, I was confused about what to do first, the programming language to choose and how to approach learning. However, I started with HTML, CSS, then I moved to Javascript and then PHP, learning the basics. However, as time went on, I had a mentor who told me this:
Learn how to solve a problem without thinking of which programming language to use.
This point was very valid, and this was exactly the approach I followed. I improved significantly at solving problems. The next was what programming language I was going to choose. I based this choice on what I was interested in. PHP was interesting to me, and I wanted to settle with it. However, I realised I had difficulties understanding some concepts in Javascript. I dove deeper into Javascript, and this was where I found out I enjoyed coding with Javascript and decided to stick to it.
Why I chose Javascript?
1. JavaScript is beginner-friendly.
Compared to many other programming languages I have encountered, JavaScript offers one of the more beginner-friendly entry points into the world of coding. The noble thing about JavaScript is that it comes installed on every modern web browser. There’s no need to set up any kind of development environment, this means you can start coding with JavaScript right away.
2. Fast and Scalable applications.
Javascript has an event driven framework which consumes lesser amount of resources. This makes it lightweight and efficient, and with the non-blocking I/O, Javascript has made it possible for developers to build fast and scalable applications.
3. Javascript, the language of many, many things.
With Javascript, I can build both frontend, backend and mobile applications. I can use also JavaScript for API integrations, this was really interesting to me, and I wanted to leverage on this. This also made me see how flexible Javascript is.
4. Javascript is rapidly growing.
The JavaScript's ecosystem continues to grow day after day. There are constant developments, this means an endless opportunity for growth.
Summary
JavaScript is a dynamic programming language. It is lightweight, fast, efficient and does not require expensive development tools. You can start with a simple text editor such as Notepad.