JavaScript

Make your web pages interactive

JavaScript (sometimes shortened to JS) is a programming language that is very popular for web development, and probably the first language you’ll encounter.

JavaScript is most often used with HTML and CSS to make your web pages more interactive, helping you respond to what people do on your pages, get data from other websites, and do any range of calculation to make your pages more interesting.

JavaScript has also become popular as a back end language used with other technologies like Node and Express.

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Overview

Chances are, JavaScript is going to be the first programming language you learn. It is responsible for most of the interactions you are used to on websites, and is the primary language that powers the modern web.

Who curated this track

Jon Chan
  • Founder of Bento
  • Developer at Stack Overflow
  • Self-taught developer
Background Concepts
 
What is Programming?

(www.lynda.com)

You may be interested in how to code, but it's most helpful to know what programming really means. Watch this video to find out.

6M

Foundations
 
What is JavaScript?

(www.youtube.com)

Understanding what JavaScript actually is will be important as a web developer. It is probably one of the most talked about technologies in web development and understanding exactly how it works with HTML and CSS is a key skill.

2M

 
Learn JavaScript

(www.codecademy.com)

This interactive course will give you an overview of programming with JavaScript. It's a rather long and comprehensive course, but it will be absolutely key to your toolkit as a web developer. Finish the whole course.

8H

 
Learn X in Y Minutes - JavaScript

(learnxinyminutes.com)

Go through this one page summary of JavaScript, a language you should already be familiar with. This is just review, but pay close attention to the features of the language.

10M

Practical JavaScript
 
JavaScript Debugging for Beginners

(juliepagano.com)

Learning how to find errors in your JavaScript is a fundamental skill to being productive in the language. Learn the tools you'll need and how to manage your workflow when coding in JavaScript for your website.

45M

 
Idiomatic JavaScript

(github.com)

Writing JavaScript that is easy to read and understand is going to be absolutely essential. This guide will give you best practices when it comes to organization, spacing, and other conventions used in JavaScript.

1H

 
What's a JavaScript Library?

(www.khanacademy.org)

Using other people's code is a core part of being a web developer. Some of the most widely used libraries are written in JavaScript. Learn what JavaScript libraries are, how they are used, and practice using them in this interactive tutorial.

45M

Deep Dive into JavaScript
 
JavaScript: The Right Way

(jstherightway.org)

An excellent directory of resources on in-depth concepts related to the JavaScript programming language. It's not required that you learn absolutely everything referenced here, but it's good for a deeper dive.

1H

 
JavaScript: The Good Parts

(github.com)

JavaScript is notorious for its quirks and it oftentimes leads to surprising and sometimes unsightly code. This is the canonical book to read on JavaScript. If you want true mastery of the language, read this thoroughly and take its lessons to heart as best you can.

12H

Start this track

What you should learn next

jQuery

Using plain JavaScript to manipulate the elements and styles of your website can be cumbersome. jQuery was created to make common uses of JavaScript much easier, including animations, selecting, and even communicating with the server.