Why learn JavaScript instead of another language?

Put simply, it comes down to educational / career opportunities. Most developers who’ve been coding for more than 5 years will probably agree that beginners should start off by learning one language and master it before learning another. The reasoning is that once you have a core understanding of the fundamentals such as variables, control structure, data structures (objects and arrays), functions/classes, and iteration (loops & recursion) it will be easier to pick up another language.

Being a browser-based language means anyone can learn the language, anywhere, and on practically any device. Moreover, the node.js runtime environment allows the language to go beyond that and run a server, mobile apps, hardware, AI, etc.

JavaScript is easy to learn and you can use it to build just about anything from websites, mobile apps, servers and even hardware projects.

So if there is a single programming language beginners should learn in 2020 and master, it’s gotta be JavaScript.

Everyone has there own opinion on what their favorite language is and I'm not here to tell you about that. JavaScript isn't a perfect language, but it's also not a "weird" one. It's just a dynamic one.

A lot of people will say you should learn HTML, CSS and then JavaScript. It's certainly not a bad approach but keep in mind the two are not programming languages. One is for markup and the other is to style that markup.

Here's my radical pitch.

I'm writing an open-source book and I just released the early access to the first ~3 chapters. I want you to give it a try and provide some feedback.

Unlike a lot of other books, this one isn't intended for you to read and nod along or buy to add to a bookshelf. It's meant to be interactive and collaborative and by the end (which isn't completed) you should know how to build a website, server in JavaScript, HTML and CSS (maybe a mobile app too).

Here is the link:
https://github.com/HansUXdev/JavaScript-First

It uses GitPod now, which means you don't need any programming experience or even an IDE (Integrated Developer Environment). You just a GitHub account and spin up a GitPod and follow along. If you get lost, don't worry. That's why I'm going to stream it on twitch.

GitPod is new to me too and it's going to make me rewrite a lot of the book. But on the plus side it means, you won't need a specific OS or a fancy computer to learn, professional development, just a browser and some spare time during quarantine.