Diving into Javascript

03 Sep 2020

---

From learning Javascript recently, I have noticed some things that I find really similar to other coding languages I know and some other things which can be seen as a quality of life improvement. So far, I really enjoy Javascript because coming from working with Java, Javascript just makes sense, but has little tid bits which are just different. For example, a difference which is really simple is the process of initializing variables. In Java you must tell the program what type of variable it is, while in Javascript you do not give variables types. We are able to say “let input = 134;” and then work with this variable as if it’s an integer or a string. To me, this small difference makes initialization easier since we do not need to worry so much about variable types, and instead focus on other things.

As writing this, I have only been learning and practicing in Javascript for about a week, and yet still have much to learn. But from what I have learned and seen so far, this language seems like a very efficient and adaptable language to use for software development. For example, it is very easy to create generic functions and store data. There seems to be a lot of customization and accessibility to be able to create projects easier and faster than in Java.

Currently in my ICS 314 class we have been and will be doing WODs which are going to help us practice and expand our horizons in Javascript. WODs are short coding assignments which last around 15 minutes. I personally have been enjoying them and learning from them because they are like little coding games where we see how fast and well we can complete a given task. Since they are graded in our class, they give a sense of pressure and stress because we are timed and given a task we might not know how to do it. But, I feel like this is a good representation of what will happen once we start working in a real working environment. It’s going to help us get used to working in stressful environments and under a time frame. Compared to other previous ICS classes, for assignments we were timed and are given access to resources, so we were able to leisurely work at our own pace and get help. But, these WODs are helping us see exactly what we are weak in and what we need to learn.