For the tenth year in a row, the Stack Overflow survey has named JavaScript the most popular programming language in the world. The report by Stack Overflow, which surveyed more than 73,000 developers worldwide, says JavaScript is used by 65% of all respondents, followed by HTML/CSS (55.08%) and database language SQL (49.43%). Stack Overflow interviewed more than 80,000 developers in 180 countries, the largest volume of respondents being from the United States and India.

Invented in 1995, as of 2022, around 98% of websites use JavaScript on the client side for web page behavior and all major web browsers have a JavaScript engine to execute the code on users’ devices, says a report on W3Techs. Google Chrome, for instance, has its own JavaScript engine called V8.

So, what makes JavaScript so popular? Let’s find out…

1. It runs on the browser directly

To start work in other programming languages, you need a compiler or interpreter. But JavaScript runs in the browser directly. That means it is more efficient, easier to code, and simple to run and debug. In JavaScript, the source code has no compilation step. An interpreter in the browser reads over the JavaScript code and runs it. It’s really as simple as going to a browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, pressing “F12” to see the console and start working.

Another point to note is that since global giants such as Google have their finger in the JavaScript pie it means it is quite likely to stay among the more attractive programming languages in years to come.

2. It runs both frontend and backend 

While most languages need separate languages for frontend and backend, JavaScript works in two stacks — MEAN (MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, and Node) stack and MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node) stack — and both frontend and backend run in it. It also allows you to write simple scripts as well as build advanced web applications. 

JavaScript also allows developers to deploy web applications immediately on a server and avoids having to deploy them on a standalone server first. Another advantage of the stack-based system is that it allows developers to build maintainable and sustained solutions faster.

3. It is universal

JavaScript is a universal language. JavaScript can be found on all devices — mobiles, laptops, tablets, client-side, server-side, and all operating systems. It can run on systems that support systems like windows, Macintosh, etc as well as allows it to be included in other programming scripts such as HTML.

4. It offers huge community support

Since it is a universal language, it means it has an extensive support community. The internet is replete with guides and instructions related to JavaScript. It has a huge public knowledge base that developers can use, which is bound to come in handy in case of any problems.

5. It reduces server load

Finally, JavaScript is not completely dependent on the server and therefore reduces the load on the server, cuts the traffic by providing some additional functions to the browsers, and invariably provides more control over the browser.

CloudNow has expertise in different javascript frameworks including Angular, ReactJs, ReactNative, and VueJs. We’ll be happy to assist you with your new or ongoing assignments – do drop us a line.