If you have only been doing web development in the past few years, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with at least one JavaScript framework or library like jQuery, React, Angular, or Vue.
If you’re reading this, we can assume that you already have an idea of what vanilla JavaScript is, but just in case—in simple terms, it’s the core language itself, meaning it’s not part of any library or framework, and it doesn’t include extra features like DOM manipulations or data binding.
While more and more of the web runs on frameworks and libraries, many developers have started wondering if vanilla JavaScript is still worth learning. After all, so much of the language has changed over the years, and some of those changes have made it harder to learn the basics of the language.
In this article, we will list such reasons which might assist you to understand why learning vanilla javascript is worth your time. Also, we will provide you with brief information on vanilla javascript.
What is Vanilla JavaScript?
Vanilla JavaScript is a term for the most basic, pure form of code that you'll find in any browser. It's the foundation on which web browsers are built and it's what developers turn to when they want to create something new.
Vanilla JavaScript includes all of the following:
- Basic programming language constructs such as if-statements and loops
- DOM manipulation with jQuery, MooTools, Prototype, or pure CSS
- AJAX calls using XMLHttpRequest or JSONP
- Form submissions using HTML forms (GET/POST) or Ajax (XMLHttpRequest)
- Applying stylesheets
- Reading files (HTML, JS, CSS)
Vanilla JavaScript is best used for quick and dirty projects where you don't need a ton of functionality and can live with simple coding practices. If this sounds like you, then take some time to learn it! There are plenty of resources out there that make understanding these basics easy for beginners.
Here are just five of them:
- The Mozilla Developer Network has an introductory tutorial on JavaScript fundamentals.
- W3Schools' intro course has novices up and running with basic concepts in no time flat.
- Code Academy offers free lessons from JavaScript Basics to Advanced Algorithms at its site.
- MIT has put together a complete set of lectures for learning about how browsers work at the e-learning platform OpenCourseWare.
- Udacity offers JavaScript Programming Foundations through their nano degree program.
Top 5 Reasons Why Vanilla Javascript Is Worth It
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To help you decide whether you should go with a framework or library to do your front-end development, here are five reasons why learning vanilla JavaScript is still worth your time.
1) Security
JavaScript has a lot of security benefits. It's not as widely used as other languages in the world, so it's less likely to have code that has been compromised by hackers. And because JavaScript is interpreted rather than compiled, it's harder for those same hackers to do anything with the code they find on a site.
Plus, unlike most other programming languages, one can't create executable files in pure JavaScript. In other words, you can't make changes to an existing script and then execute the result as you could with Java or C++.
So if someone breaks into a site that uses JavaScript, it may be more difficult for them to do anything malicious. Portability: The ubiquity of browsers makes JavaScript almost universally available. That means that pretty much every device out there supports JavaScript at some level, even if it doesn't support more advanced features such as Ajax or WebGL.
2) Speed
JavaScript has evolved a lot over the past few years. Just 10 years ago, it was just a web scripting language used to add interactivity to websites. Now, it's being used in applications and frameworks like Node.js and React Native.
That said, in order to understand these new technologies and use them effectively, you need to know vanilla JS first. First of all, if you're working with libraries like Angular or Vue.js, knowing vanilla JavaScript will allow you to write less code by taking advantage of browser APIs that were only made possible with the help of JavaScript.
Second, there are some features available exclusively for modern browsers because they depend on newer features supported by the most recent releases of Firefox and Chrome (e.g., ES2015 syntax). Knowing how to work with this syntax will allow you to take advantage of those features without having to wait for other browsers vendors (e.g., Safari) to release their versions that support it too - they'll simply be available now! Third, as mentioned before: speed! If you have an application written in one framework but need to port it to another framework - let's say from React to Angular - then knowing vanilla JavaScript will make your life so much easier.
You won't have to rewrite everything from scratch because you can reuse a lot of the code from your original application by using what we call bridge libraries that let us talk between different frameworks/technologies.
3) Simplicity
Learning vanilla JS will help you understand the basics of computer programming. It will provide a foundation on which to build more complicated languages and frameworks on. JavaScript has been around for decades, so it's constantly being updated to be more efficient and reliable.
Plus, it's supported by all major web browsers so it can be used on any device! Finally, JS is easy to learn and use! There are tons of resources out there that teach you the basics in just a few hours, so there's no need to spend years mastering another language before getting started with coding.
4) Developers are also users
Just because you are a developer, does not mean that you do not use the web. We all use the web as both users and developers. Understanding how things work from a user perspective will help you understand how to build better products for all users.
You will know what features to prioritize and what features should be reserved for an upgrade. One of my favorite examples of this is with forms on websites. Forms can look really different in their design, but they mostly function the same way - they send information over a form post-action.
It’s up to us developers to decide if we want our form post action to make a page refresh or redirect the user immediately back to the page they were on before submitting their form.
Knowing these basics about forms will allow you to quickly answer some questions about implementing them yourself or troubleshooting issues when you come across them in other people's code!
5) Flexibility
JavaScript's flexibility has made it the most popular programming language in the world. Learning vanilla JavaScript will allow you to be able to code for any device, from websites and desktop applications to games on mobile devices.
In addition, many large companies like Google and Facebook have developed their own programming languages that are based on JavaScript. If you want to work with these major corporations or startups that are developing innovative technology, then it would be beneficial for you to learn how to code in this universal language. If you're looking for an edge against other job applicants, adding JavaScript to your resume could give you a competitive advantage.
Conclusion
From this article we conclude that although it’s true there are a lot of other options out there, it’s still worthwhile to learn and use vanilla JavaScript. Learning the basics will not only make you better at what you do but also give you more job opportunities in the future.
It's easy to see how different JS frameworks have replaced many of the tasks that would otherwise be done with vanilla JavaScript. There's no reason to stop using them just because they're now mainstream - but knowing how things work on the lower level will make you an even stronger developer!