What is JavaScript used for? Using JavaScript, developers are able to make interactive and dynamic web pages. JavaScript applications have been powering the internet since 1995.
Today, JavaScript is used for a variety of purposes, in several sectors of the web and also beyond the web. Keep reading to find out exactly what JavaScript is used for and how the language can help you.
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What Is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a just-in-time (JIT) compiled, multi-paradigm programming language with dynamic typing. Combined with HTML and CSS, JavaScript is one of the leading technologies used in the World Wide Web.
Before the development of JavaScript, the web was purely static. JavaScript enables web pages to have complex content that may react, so to speak, to user manipulation or animate all by itself.
Initially, JavaScript could only be used on the client-side – that is, web browsers. But with Node.js, a cross-platform runtime environment for JavaScript, code can be written and executed server-side.
Nearly every browser has an exclusive JavaScript engine to execute code. And most websites depend on JavaScript for their client-side behavior.
JavaScript’s JIT compiler is especially noteworthy. Interpreted languages are known for being slower than compiled languages. But the JIT compiler is a feature of the run-time interpreter.
With it, you can have the advantages of an interpreted language like dynamic typing alongside the advantages of compiled code like stricter error prevention.
Dynamic typing is another feature of JavaScript. This feature signifies looser restrictions around variable declarations.
Similarly, object-oriented programming, one of the multiple programming paradigms that JavaScript supports, gives developers the flexibility to think more intuitively.
What Is JavaScript Used For?
The primary use of JavaScript is to build web-based applications. Some of what JavaScript can do for the web includes:
- adding interactive behavior to web pages like zooming in and out or playing audio/video
- creating web and mobile apps, the most popular examples consist of the likes of Netflix and Uber
- building web servers and server-side applications using Node.js
- create games that operate inside the browser
5 Examples of JavaScript Applications
To gain a better understanding of what JavaScript is used for and how to implement it into your business here are some more details on just what JavaScript can do.
1. Web & Mobile Apps
JavaScript has several different frameworks for developing web and mobile apps including React Native, Ionic, and Angular. All these frameworks extend tooling to simplify development depending on what JavaScript is used for in each specific framework.
Facebook is one popular company that uses JavaScript to power its online community. React and the corresponding React Native are two JavaScript frameworks built by Facebook.
2. Game Development
JavaScript can be utilized to develop games for web browsers. GitHub features a collection of game engines, many of them employing HTML5 as well.
JavaScript is even being used in the virtual reality industry, with the help of the WebXR Device API.
3. Server Applications
Server-side scripting carries the imminent advantage of allowing content to load without the concern for browser capacity. Decreased load times can lead to such things as improved SEO and more customer satisfaction.
This is yet another example of what JavaScript is used for. Using JavaScript’s runtime environment, Node.js, developers can create server-side applications.
4. Interactive UX
The most common example describing what JavaScript is used for involves delivering an interactive user experience (UX). JavaScript is a paramount technology for front-end development.
You can thank JavaScript for the way you navigate the web by using a drop-down arrow to scroll to the bottom of a page.
5. AI & Machine Learning Projects
JavaScript has the libraries to support development for AI-related projects as well. Tensorflow.js, for instance, is a JavaScript library for machine learning. You can build and train machine learning models using the library.
Conclusion
Knowing what JavaScript is used for can help you adjust your business plan accordingly for your project’s needs. Web development is more than just building websites and spans a number of industries.
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