Javascript

JAVASCRIPT

JavaScript is the programming language of HTML and the Web.JavaScript defines the behavior of web pages. Web pages are not the only place where JavaScript is used. Many desktop and server programs use JavaScript. Node.js is the best known. Some databases, like MongoDB and CouchDB, also use JavaScript as their programming language.

What is JavaScript used for?

JavaScript is mainly used for web-based applications and web browsers. Here are some basic things JavaScript is used for:

1.     Adding interactive behavior to web pages

JavaScript allows users to interact with web pages. There are almost no limits to the things you can do with JavaScript on a web page – these are just a few examples:

• Show or hide more information with the click of a button

• Change the color of a button when the mouse hovers over it

• Slide through a carousel of images on the homepage

2.     Creating web and mobile apps

Developers can use various JavaScript frameworks for developing and building web and mobile apps. JavaScript frameworks are collections of JavaScript code libraries that provide developers with pre-written code to use for routine programming features and tasks—literally a framework to build websites or web applications around.

3.     Building web servers and developing server applications

Beyond websites and apps, developers can also use JavaScript to build simple web servers and develop the back-end infrastructure using Node.js.

PROS & CONS of JAVASCRIPT

JavaScript has become a revolutionary technology that everyone seems to talk about. The field of JavaScript is massive and has its fair share of some Pros and Cons.We are going to elaborate Pros and Cons of using JavaScript. It is a wonderful language to learn and implement. We will understand the reason why JavaScript is so popular. Also, we will go through some of the weaknesses that JavaScript possesses.

Advantages of JavaScript

1. Speed

Since JavaScript is an ‘interpreted’ language, it reduces the time required by other programming languages like Java for compilation. JavaScript is also a client-side script, speeding up the execution of the program as it saves the time required to connect to the server.

2. Simplicity

JavaScript is easy to understand and learn. The structure is simple for the users as well as the developers. It is also very feasible to implement, saving developers a lot of money for developing dynamic content for the web.

3. Server Load

As JavaScript operates on the client-side, data validation is possible on the browser itself rather than sending it off to the server. In case of any discrepancy, the whole website needs not to be reloaded. The browser updates only the selected segment of the page.

Disadvantages of JavaScript

1. Client-side Security

Since the JavaScript code is viewable to the user, others may use it for malicious purposes. These practices may include using the source code without authentication. Also, it is very easy to place some code into the site that compromises the security of data over the website.

2. Browser Support

The browser interprets JavaScript differently in different browsers. Thus, the code must be run on various platforms before publishing. The older browsers don’t support some new functions and we need to check them as well.

3. Lack of Debugging Facility

Though some HTML editors support debugging, it is not as efficient as other editors like C/C++ editors. Also, as the browser doesn’t show any error, it is difficult for the developer to detect the problem.

Alternatives

Here are 5 noteworthy alternatives that significantly improved JavaScript:

1. DART

Dart is an object-oriented C-like language Google built in an attempt to replace JavaScript. Dart is statically-typed, meaning that it eliminates some of the most common error sources in JS code. It supports type inference which is a big plus.

2. TYPESCRIPT

Developed by Microsoft, TypeScript is actually more like a superset of JavaScript meaning that it basically adds new methods, improves and modernizes the existing JS features, and removes its certain limitations, and most importantly adds optional static typing. In other words, after being compiled to JS, apps written in TypeScript can be viewed in almost any browser.

3. KAFFEINE

Kaffeine is actually a set of extensions to the JavaScript syntax intended to make certain tasks much easier. For example, it helps front-end devs with JavaScript’s callback functions given that it supports asynchronous operations.

4. ELM

Elm is a statically typed functional language that bears more similarity to Haskell than C, but unlike the former, it doesn’t leave developers scratching their heads over its complexity.It differs from JavaScript mainly because it’s not a general-purpose language, but a solution which will provide advanced front-end web app development experience.

5. COFFEESCRIPT

CoffeeScript is said to improve the readability of the original language as well as simplify code and make it shorter. Its compatibility with Node.js is another advantage.