Reflections and predictions on JavaScript and the world of front-end development, by Ilya Dobvan, Head of Front End and JavaScript at Godel Technologies.
1. What’s your perspective on the evolution of front-end and JavaScript tech throughout the 2010s?
The 2010s make a good time capsule for JavaScript. At the start of the decade we began to understand that coding in-browser applications is on par, in complexity, with building large-scale desktop apps. We saw Node.js released to bring server- and client-side development together, the emergence of various framework including the early versions of React and Angular, all of which began the shift from spaghetti-code applications to using structured code-bases.
2. What should front-end developers do to stay ahead of the game?
Transforming legacy applications is a huge challenge for many companies right now, and the option to migrate to JavaScript is extremely viable. Developers who started their careers learning JavaScript might not fully understand certain fundamental elements of back-end stacks such as object-oriented programming. If front-end developers can master this (it’s not necessary to adopt the “Full-Stack Developer” title but more knowledge is always more valuable) they can drive migration journeys like this and help bring JavaScript to the forefront of solutions for a wider range of business applications.
I’d recommend developers to check out the “You Don’t Know JavaScript” series of books. The great thing is they aren’t super specific but talk about JavaScript in general and the wider coding principles that really benefit a developer’s approach to coding. They are also kept up to date regularly which is very helpful as JavaScript moves quickly.
3. Your 2020 JavaScript prediction?
It’s been a long journey for JavaScript from its tricky start in ’95, to becoming a viable – even preferable – solution for businesses to deliver applications. It’s topped Github’s list of most popular languages seven years in a row without much competition because it’s accessible, secure and reliable. I think going into 2020 – likely in the next 3 years – it will further secure its position as an excellent option for building sturdy applications.
As new hardware – virtual and augmented reality is an exciting example – rise in popularity, JavaScript will be the language to dominate because it’s built for consumer engagement. Building flexible and interactive user-interfaces with JavaScript can extend to deliver experiences beyond the web into the wider Internet of Things. Simply through the world’s quick adaption to new technology, JavaScript will evolve into a critical language for more than just the web.
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