Learn JavaScript?

If you’re reading this, you’re most likely interested in things like video games, intriguing apps, animation, interactive webpages and maybe even robotics. That’s because programming languages like JavaScript are behind all of these things.

Why you need to learn a programming language

A programming language is basically a collection of instructions for a computer. Most of these languages are user-friendly, meaning that the instructions are written in terms understandable by humans (using English words), and are then translated into computer-speak (0’s and 1’s) for the computer to understand. At least one of them is essential to know if you want to be a web developer.

A programming language goes hand-in-hand with HTML and CSS, literally bringing webpages to life. Ok, well maybe not literally. But you see, in the old days of the Web, all pages were ‘static’, meaning that they were perfectly still and unchanging. If a user made a request for more information to pop up on the page, the whole page would have to be reloaded for the change to take place. Ugh. But today, thanks to the development of programming languages, information can be fetched from the server and updated on a webpage without that page having to be reloaded. These kinds of developments have changed the way we experience the Web; it has now become a place that humans can interact with. Programming languages make this possible by enabling animation, video, audio, news feeds, surveys, log-in, live chats, search bar navigation and mouse-rollover effects (to name a few features). And they’re not just useful for Web development, but for developing apps and games too.

Video on CA programming

Why JavaScript?

In the computing world, there are many of these languages to choose from: Python, Java, C, Ruby, PHP, and Perl are among the number. JavaScript is one of the most widely used programming languages out there, for good reasons. To help you realize why you should learn JavaScript, here are four:

Universal compatibility

First of all, it’s built into every common web browser, which basically means that anything you create using JavaScript can be used by virtually everyone on the web. No incompatibility there!

It’s easy to use

Secondly, it’s easy to use. There are no programs to install on your computer, and you don’t need to buy anything to edit it. Since JavaScript is all text based, all you need to write it is a plain text editor like Notepad or TextEdit (both of which come free with any Windows or Mac OS operating system). There are some alternative plain text editors out there that you can use too – ones which highlight certain code to make it easier to read, like Notepad++.

JavaScript libraries – jQuery

Thirdly, there are many libraries available for JavaScipt. These libraries are collections of pre-written JavaScript code which act kind of like shortcuts; they take complex functions that would normally take many lines of code and shorten them to a few lines. It makes writing JavaScript a whole lot easier. By far the most popular library is jQuery, used in millions upon millions of the most visited websites.

Employability

Finally, given its huge presence on the Internet, it’s no wonder JavaScript programming skills are among the most sought-after by employers in the I.T industry. For web developers, alongside HTML and CSS, JavaScript is a core computer language to know. In fact, it is projected for the U.S that by 2020, jobs in the I.T industry will grow by 22% – faster than average.*

*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.computerworld.com

We can show you how — Learn JavaScript with Code Avengers

Don’t go to a textbook to learn JavaScript! Code Avengers has a better way to do it. Learn hands-on as you create real working products on our online learning platform. We make code easy to type up and read with our specially developed code editor, and you can instantly view your programs as you write them. Give it a try today and tell us if Code Avengers isn’t the best way to learn to code.

JavaScript Intro Course

Want to program your own apps? Start here! By the time you finish our intro course, you’ll have created an interactive quiz.

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JavaScript Game Dev Intro Course

Are you interested in making video games? Learn how while making your own game at the same time. Use JavaScript to build a simple 2 player 2D top-down game, where players race to collect coins while avoiding obstacles and enemies!

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JavaScript Level 1

Jump straight into building apps and games. Learn about variables, Booleans, if statements and loops while completing various projects, code challenges, bug-hunts and robot missions.

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JavaScript Level 2

Whether you're a hobbyist or a budding web developer, expand your skills in JavaScript with Code Avengers. Become more acquainted with the technical side of the web with ASCII code, before diving head first into making more advanced apps and games than before with the Math object and arrays.

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JavaScript Level 3

Want to make a graphical tank battle game? How about apps like an interactive whiteboard? We’ll show you how by introducing you to the PaperJS graphics library and teaching code that reacts to mouse clicks and keystrokes. Also awaiting you are 5 lessons on animation!

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