Best Javascript Tutorial for Beginners in 2024

Things to Understand Before Learning JavaScript

Before diving into learning JavaScript, there are essential considerations that beginners should be aware of. Understanding these foundational aspects will pave the way for a smoother and more effective learning journey. In this section, we’ll explore the key things to grasp before embarking on your JavaScript tutorial, ensuring you’re well-prepared to make the most of your learning experience. So, let’s begin by unraveling the crucial insights that will set you on the path to mastering JavaScript.

What Is JavaScript?

JavaScript is a programming language for the web that allows you to implement complex things on web pages. JavaScript involves every action that makes web pages “variable” – it adds the interaction and behavior to a statistic web page.

For example, Facebook, Youtube, and Amazon use JavaScript as their client-side language. As you can see, all the animated 2D graphics, menu, dialog boxes, interactive maps, scrolling down button, and much more are the result of programming with JavaScript.

Things to Understand Before Learning JavaScript

JavaScript now has extended its power to both client-side and server-side, from desktop to mobile. Most web browsers include Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE, and Opera… and mobile browsers are supporting JavaScript too. In front-end development, JavaScript can execute some feature that allows you to:

Interact with users: We can write code in response to certain events occurring on a web page.
Declare variables then store and retrieve value inside variables.
Define classes, and functions.

What everyone has already known: JavaScript is a worldwide-used programming language. What you might be not aware of: It is characterized as weakly typed, prototype-based, dynamic, and multi-paradigm. JavaScript is one of the three core technologies of the World Wide Web (www), alongside HTML and CSS. Therefore, JavaScript is not only an essential part of web applications, it can also help enable interactive web pages. In short, it’s like a full-fledged programming language embedded inside your web browser.

And much more knowledge to Learn JavaScript Tutorial…

What Can You Do With Javascript?

The vast majority of websites and mobile browsers have been using JavaScript engines, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc. Besides ordinary functions of a regular programming language such as declaring variables, storing and retrieving values, defining and invoking functions, defining your own classes, loading and using external modules, etc. As a client-side framework (what is client-side and service-side), JavaScript is also primarily used to enhance the responsibility and user interface of web pages to provide users with a better experience. For example, creating menus, dialog boxes, animations, 2D/3D graphics, interactive maps, video players, and much more.

Warning: Since JavaScript is such a powerful language, it is also totally possible to use it to write malware, viruses, browser hijackers, and other nasties that will pose a serious threat to users. These range from stealing browser cookies, passwords, and credit cards to sending viruses to your computer. Everything is a double-edged knife, be a wise learner and use your knowledge well.

How Does It Work?

Now let’s have a look at the main syntaxes of the JavaScript language to give you a clearer understanding of how it works. It is worth noting that these features are common to all programming languages, so if you master these fundamentals, you’re doing well on your way to becoming a real professional coder that is able to write codes for just about anything!

Variables in JavaScript can be defined using either the var, const or let keywords.

A simple recursive function:

An anonymous function (or lambda):

This example shows that, in JavaScript, function closures capture their non-local variables by reference.

In JavaScript, objects are created in the same way as functions, this is known as a function object.

Variadic function demonstration

Immediately-invoked function expressions are often used to create modules, as before ECMAScript 2015 there was no built-in construct in the language. Modules allow gathering properties and methods in a namespace and making some of them private

Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Learn Javascript

Learning JavaScript gives you access to many such opportunities in the tech industry. Start your journey today with the best JavaScript tutorial for beginners and take the first step towards a rewarding career in web development.

1. High Demand in the Job Market

In 2024, the demand for JavaScript developers is soaring. It’s expected that there will be 24% increase in the job market for JavaScript developers from 2016 to 2026. It’s all down to the fact that more people are doing business online and need web development skills.

The vast majority — nearly two-thirds — of developers use JavaScript, meaning it remains one of the most popular programming languages out there. That means there’s a huge demand–in fact, largely/utilization–for skilled JavaScript developers.

Additionally, the average salary for JavaScript developers in the US is between $74,040 for junior developers and $188,650 for senior developers. Being able to earn a good living with it is definitely an incentive for a lot of folks to learn JavaScript.

Furthermore, the web development market for JavaScript web developers, like any other, including countries like the USA, is booming with a 16 percent growth expected from 2022 to 2032. The e-commerce boom and the demand for mobile friendly websites are fuelling this growth.

2. Versatility Across Web Development

JavaScript is a great language that can be used to build front end and backend. There are 62.3% of developers reported to have used JavaScript in the last year according to the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey. This statistic tells us that this thing has pretty much been adopted everywhere in the web development world and has become something very important.

JavaScript’s flexibility is largely due to its flexibility on the web by allowing us to add interactivity to a web page. Developers can use dynamic content which respond to user actions like button clicks, form submissions. For instance, JavaScript allows websites to update and get instant feedback in real time.

JavaScript is also very versatile in the sense that it supports asynchronous programming. This lets the developers execute tasks without blocking the main thread, making for better, smoother web applications. JavaScript’s AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a perfect example of this sort of capability, enabling data fetching from servers without requiring a full page refresh.

Other than built in functions, JavaScript also gives us access to a bunch of Web API’s to help with geolocation, multimedia handling and storage. These APIs make it possible for the creation of features rich web applications that can cover variety of user requirements.

Additionally, JavaScript has a large library ecology with frameworks and libraries like React, Angular, Vue.js that make web development easier. They are structured ways to create efficiently complex user interfaces and build modern web applications.

In short, JavaScript’s ability to achieve anything on the web makes it a required tool for the developer. Its ability to add interactivity, provide asynchronous programming, open Web APIs and integrated frameworks and libraries makes it still widely used in web development projects.

3. Ease of Learning and Abundant Resources

It’s never been easier to learn JavaScript. Its plain syntax makes it very easy for newbies to read and understand. Additionally, there is a large number of online platforms that provide JavaScript tutorials, among them are Codecademy, Udemy, and FreeCodeCamp. However, these platforms are step by step guides, interactive exercises, and real life projects to retain the concepts quickly. The 2024 JetBrains Developer Ecosystem Survey also finds JavaScript is still the most used programming language for a seventh consecutive year.

The amount of resources to look through also allows for learning materials to be found tailored specifically to each learner. You’ll find what you’re looking for: video tutorials, written guides, or interactive coding exercises. Take Node.js and React as examples; Pluralsight has a goldmine of a complete guide covering all the basics right through to the cutting edge frameworks.

Additionally, the JavaScript community is also pretty friendly. Stack Overflow or GitHub are full of experts willing to help the newcomers. This community support is invaluable when you’re stuck on a problem or plain need advice on the best practices.

To sum up, for those who wish to start with programming, JSONObject is an easy choice.

How to learn JavaScript

We will start by looking at some typical requirements (JavaScript Tutorial) from a company when recruiting a Front End Developer:

So as a starter, you must absorb some knowledge about:

CSS and HTML
Solid JavaScript foundation
JavaScript Frameworks, Tools, and Libraries
Understanding of OOP
A plus point with testing knowledge

Let’s figure out in detail how to learn JS:

1. Using JavaScript to create a simple “Hello World” Heading for your site

Firstly, go to your test site and create a new folder named ‘scripts’ (without the quotes). Then, within the new scripts folder, create a new file called main.js and save it into the scripts folder.
Next, in your index.html file, enter the following syntax on a new line before the closing </body> tag:
<script src=”scripts/main.js“></script>
This is basically applying JavaScript to the page to create an effect on the HTML (alongside the CSS and anything else on your page).
Now, add this code to the main.js file:
var myHeading = document.querySelector(‘h1’);
myHeading.textContent = ‘Hello world!’;
Last, make sure the JavaScript files and HTML are well saved, then load index.html to the browser. If you have done everything well, this is the result: Your heading text has now been changed to “Hello world!”, absolutely.

Explanation: You did this by first grabbing a reference to your heading, and storing it in a variable called myHeading, using a querySelector function. The first thing you need to do with an element is to select it. The code you wrote after that is to set the value of the myHeading variable’s textContent, which represents the content of the heading, to “Hello world!”.
This is just a basic sample of using JavaScript to create a heading for your website. In most real cases, writing a code to build businesses’ websites needs to combine more than one programming language and more complex syntaxes.

2. HTML and CSS

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It helps users to create and structure elements in websites or applications, split paragraphs, headings, links, blockquotes, and so on…

HTML is not a programming language. This means that it cannot create “dynamic” functions. It is just like Microsoft Word, used to layout and format web pages.

CSS or Cascading Style Sheet describes how HTML elements are to be displayed on a screen, paper, or in other media. People used CSS to specific web pages styles with favorite fonts, rational layouts, and prominent colors. If HTML is the foundation then CSS is absolutely an aesthetic element.

So, why are they related to JavaScript?

As we said before, JavaScript makes a webpage variable. Just HTML and CSS can only make a static website without any interaction with users. With JavaScript, we can update and change both HTML and CSS. Latest version is HTML5 and CSS3.

You can learn about CSS and HTML at:

3. Basic JavaScript tutorial

Once you know how to program a static web with HTML and CSS. It’s time for you to create a dynamic web from JavaScript. These are the most basic knowledge that you need to master when programming with JS. First, figure out how JavaScript is Embedded with HTML.

Then research the variables: Basic variable type (number, string, array, object, and functions) and how to declare it. You also have to learn about control flow (If…ElseIf…Else, switch), basic loop (while, for), JavaScript Operator (Assignment, arithmetic, string, and comparison), function (used to group a block of code to execute it as many times as you want)

You can learn about JavaScript at:

W3schools – https://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp
Codecademy – https://www.codecademy.com/
Learn JS – https://www.learn-js.org/
The Modern Javascript Tutorial – http://javascript.info/
JavaScript – http://javascript.com/
Basic JavaScript Tutorial for Beginner – https://www.guru99.com/interactive-javascript-tutorials.html

4. Object-Oriented Programming

At University, Object-Oriented Programming (or OOP) is a difficult subject that every IT student must pass through and the priority knowledge when recruiting. Some OOP programming languages: JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Golang, C++

“OOP is the art of observing objects in their natural appearance and trying to capture the functional abstract in descriptive programming way and to visualize them as virtual-workable objects.”.

In simple words, OOP helps to solve the problem by observing and imagining the action. And the attribute of the object in real life then brings it into programming as a virtual object.

OOP has four main attributes:

Abstraction
Encapsulation
Inheritance
Polymorphism

Some resources you can learn from – especially OOP in JavaScript:

5. JavaScript Frameworks and Libraries

JavaScript Libraries are the collection of pre-written JavaScript code. It can be used or reused to perform a common JS task. Libraries help you save wasted time when rewriting a block of code. Libraries are only a tool without any direction or opinions about what you have to do. You can use it flexibly according to your need.

Two famous JavaScript Libraries are jQuery and ReactJS.

JQuery helps simplified interaction with DOM and Ajax in JS. It provides APIs that make it easier to browse HTML documents, animation, event handling, and follow AJAX actions. Learn Jquery, jQuery 101: A Quick Intro Tutorial. W3School – JQuery is three resources you can have a look at.
ReactJS is a JavaScript library that specializes in helping developers build attractive, fast, and effective user interfaces. Launched by Facebook in 2011, ReactJS now become more and more popular with over 1,300 developers. And more than 94,000 websites in use. Some courses to learn are Tech 101: What is React JS guide, React Crash Course, and Official Facebook documentation

On the other hand, JavaScript frameworks are a full toolset that helps shape and organize your website or web application. Frameworks provide a structure or instruction to base your entire project.

Commonly used JS Frameworks are AngularJS and VueJS:

AngularJS is an open-source framework developed by Google for building the complex front-end. It is an MVC framework that provides two-way data binding between model and view.
When you need a framework that can handle everything to build a complex front-end web application then AngularJS is the right choice. You can learn how to use AngularJS at Thinkster.io – A Better Way to Learn AngularJS, CodeSchool – Shaping Up With AngularJS, and AngularJS.
Unlike AngularJS, VueJS is a progressive framework that uses the MVVM model (The difference between MVC and MVVN here) and allows developers to build apps step by step. Vue is designed from the ground up to be incrementally adoptable. A few resources you can refer to our https://vuejs.org/, Vueschool, and VueJS Fundamentals from Youtube.

There is no relation between these libraries/frameworks. But we recommend that you should learn from an easy level to some difficult ones because Angular and React have complex architecture. Hence, you must have a solid base of JavaScript then move to JQuery and Angular or React for the last.

Interactive Javascript tutorial – Testing

Who said testing is not important for a developer? It really is. The goal of Testing is to reduce risk by proactively finding and helping eliminate problems that would most greatly affect the customer using the software. Testing is really important for your code to work the way you expect it to. It gives you satisfaction and a sense of security. Jasmine is one of the favorite testing tools you can follow.

Some basic unit testing courses you can learn (javascript tutorial for programmers) at:

JavaScript Unit Testing for Beginners => https://designmodo.com/test-javascript-unit/
Unit testing your Javascript with jasmine => http://usabloggers.com/2018/jasmine-tutorials/
Jasmine Github => https://github.com/jasmine/jasmine

The 5 Advantages of JavaScript

In 2024, JavaScript still remains the most popular choice for web development. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment for web developers is expected to grow 16 percent from 2022 through 2032. It is clear, this demand surge is a call for mastery in JavaScript. Here are five key advantages that make JavaScript the best choice for beginners:

Client-Side Execution: The browser is more using JavaScript directly, without a server, and it makes the web faster — from the server less and it makes it quicker. In other words, faster load times and a more responsive user experience.
Simple Syntax: JavaScript’s syntax is extremely easy to learn as a beginner if you already know HTML and CSS. Benefits of simplicity are that it helps newbies try out coding fast and have applications running with very minimal codes.
Dynamic and Interactive Web Pages: Feature such as sliders, popups or animations are ones which would be created by a developer using JavaScript. JavaScript is used by sites such as YouTube and GitHub to improve user engagement.
Cross-Browser Compatibility: JavaScript is language independent and works on different desktop browsers so that interactive content can be rendered to most browser selected by users.
Vast Community Support: There is a massive community of JavaScript developers and frameworks, such as React, Vue.js and Angular. The support helps newbies get started by providing resources to work with, fix things, and stay on top of the newest stuff.

If you learn JavaScript, you can unlock a world of opportunities within web development. Whether you are building a simple Website or a complex Web Application, you need the JavaScript to do this.

1. Client-Side Execution

One of the main things that make JavaScript such a staple for web development is that it is client side execution. JavaScript being run on the client side means the code runs in the user’s browser. This approach offers several benefits:

Speed: Because JavaScript doesn’t have to communicate with a server for every action Javascript runs nicely and quickly. It leads to faster load time and smooth user experience.
Reduced Server Load: Since the code is run on the client’s machine, it doesn’t burden the server. It’s especially helpful for high traffic websites.
Offline Functionality: While client side execution some features of a website may work even if the user is offline.
Immediate Feedback: Users receive instant feedback to their actions, form validations, without the need to reload the page.
Rich User Interfaces: JavaScript makes creating dynamic and interactive user interface easy by allowing things such as drag and drop and sliders.

Advantages like these make JavaScript an important tool for developers hoping to develop responsive and fl exible web applications. To get some more in depth insights, you can read the State of JavaScript 2023 report.

2. Simple Syntax

Easy syntax has been one of the main advantages of JavaScript over other languages, where people can write the code in minimal time and focus. For example, creating a basic function in JavaScript is straightforward:

function greet(name) {
return "Hello, " + name + "!";
}

Because of this simplicity, it’s easy for beginners to understand fundamental programming concepts without getting lost in the weeds of complex syntax. JavaScript is consistent in its syntax no matter if you are developing a web application or running a server with Node.js.

There is a second reason, and it’s that JavaScript’s syntax is very readable, making it easier for developers to work together and maintain code. The latest study, The 2024 Developer Ecosystem Survey by JetBrains, reveals that JavaScript continues to be the most used programming language (80%) of developers doing work on websites.

Finally, the simplicity of the JavaScript syntax makes it attractive for beginners, as they can better learn and write the code. Together these factors make Python an excellent first language for those who decide to learn to program, because it is so easy to use and is so popular.

3. Dynamic and Interactive Web Pages

JavaScript makes websites come alive. It enables developers to engage in dynamic and interactive web pages. That means web sites can detect a user’s action in real time and act accordingly. For instance, when you click a button, JavaScript can change the content — no reloading the page in sight.

JavaScript is used on 97.8% of all sites, as of 2024. It is important in web development. JavaScript lets you add interactive maps, animated graphics, and real time data updates in your pages. They make for a better user experience and engagement.

JavaScript has Single Page Apps (SPAs) and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) enabled in it too. PWAs are a marriage of the advantages of web and mobile apps, and offer offline support as well as rapid performance. SPAs only load a single HTML page and update the content as users interact with the app.

For interactive elements such as sliders, pop ups and form validations, developers use JavaScript. Why are these elements important they enhance the user friendliness and the appearance of a website. JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular and Vue.js helps simplify this.

For more about using JavaScript, take a look at W3Schools JavaScript Tutorial, or Codecademy’s Interactive JavaScript Course for a quick tutorial. Starting with these tutorials, beginners will find hands on examples and exercises that will help them get started.

JavaScript is in constant development with new features and updates being added constantly. Developers who are looking to stay competitive in the industry need to keep up with these changes.

4. Cross-Browser Compatibility

JavaScript is known for its cross browser compatibility. This means that we can run JavaScript code on different web browsers without breaking anything. BrowserStack published a report recently about cross browser compatibility as a key part of web development.

For example, developers tend to have trouble with their code working on one browser and not on another. Things like modern JavaScript features might not work with older browsers. While you can code such a way that works on different browsers, until libraries such as jQuery, and frameworks such as React came to be, it was a complicated process.

A 2024 Stack Overflow survey found that 62.3% of developers have used JavaScript in the last 12 months. This also shows that when we want the javascript code to work for all browsers, we should make sure that the code works for all browsers.

Developers use polyfills and browser dev tools when they need to achieve cross browser compatibility. With these tools we can detect and fix things that may break down on account of differences in browser rendering engines.

One of the best features of JavaScript is its cross browser compatibility, which helps it to be used by the web developers.

5. Vast Community Support

The JavaScript community is very large and friendly. The community has kept expanding through 2024 with many resources for beginners. But it’s a very popular one, by the way: there are over 1.5 million questions about JavaScript on Stack Overflow. Developers find this Q&A database as a vast source of solving problems quickly.

There’s also GitHub hosting over 2.5 million JavaScript projects. Open source makes it possible to share and learn from developers around the world while they work together on projects. The r / javascript community of Reddit contains more than 2.5 million members and a forum to discuss and read news.

There is also the rise of online meet ups and conferences. There are newsletters and articles on platforms such as DEV.to and JavaScript Weekly to keep learners up-to-date. Having local meetups can offer opportunities for in person networking and learning.

The 2 Disadvantages of JavaScript

No matter how popular or versatile JavaScript is, there are some drawbacks. As seen in the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 62.3% of all developers have used JavaScript in the last year. However, two significant disadvantages stand out: Browser compatibility issues and client side security vulnerabilities.

First, JavaScript runs on the client side, and immediately on the user’s browser. This puts applications at risk of being exposed to security risks, as malicious attackers can penetrate them. freeCodeCamp have written a report that shows some bugs and oversights in JavaScript could be exploited for malice. This means, therefore, that some users turn off JavaScript altogether, preventing any web application from working.

Additionally, because of its flexibility, JavaScript code can be interpreted differently by different browsers, causing compatibility problems. While the support for JavaScript has improved in major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), there may still be discrepancies. Which means developers have to test their code across numerous browsers to guarantee guest performance and it may be too much to handle.

1. Client-Side Security

If you’re building dynamic web applications with JavaScript, you’re in luck; however, as a language, it also has its own set of security concerns. The biggest disadvantage of JavaScript is that it is a Client Side language and this leaves application to various security risks.

Client side vulnerabilities are ranked highly in the OWASP Top 10 Client Side Security Risks. Web browsers account for almost 50% of internet traffic and thus make an excellent way to attack victims.

One of the most common problems is Cross Site Scripting (XSS), that is, when the attackers inject malicious scripts into the pages viewed by other users. This can easily result in the theft of data, session hijacking, or any other security breaches.

The OWASP Foundation offers detailed reports about client side security risks and takes a hard stance on securing of JavaScript code. It also provides insights into protecting client side JavaScript applications.

Best practice is to validate and sanitize user inputs, use CSP headers, and update your JavaScript libraries.

2. Browser Support

Another drawback of JavaScript is its support for browser. Most of these modern browsers — like the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft and Safari — provide decent support for JavaScript but there are some differences. But these differences have the potential to break cross browser compatibility, making it hard for developers to make their code run undisturbed on all platforms.

For example, no offering the most recent JavaScript technologies, older browsers, or additional less popular ones could really reduce the software program functionality of web applications. With 97.37% global users using browsers that support dynamic imports, there is a marginal per cent that could have issues, finds a report by Can I Use.

These compatibility issues are, however, a common ocurrence among developers, who often need to write additional code or make use of polyfills to overcome these compatibility issues that extends development time and complexity. That becomes even truer for features introduced in ECMAScript since 2015 (ES6, etc.) which might not be supported at all by all browsers.

We can always don’t miss the latest browser support statistics, and there are useful resources like Can I Use and MDN Web Docs which we can refer to make sure that we don’t miss the latest browser support statistics. They even give detailed tables of compatibility, and help the developers decide which features to use.

Conclusion

The demand for JavaScript developers is expected to grow by 16% in 2024. This underscores the importance of finding the best JavaScript tutorial for beginners. As an active participant in the developer community for many years now, we’ve helped thousands of developers starting out on their journey with our extensive tutorials and hands on projects.

We have industry experts crafting our tutorials who have gone on to run successful projects like the healthcare platform “ODC” and the dynamic web app for Joyn’it. The purpose of these resources is to make learning JavaScript accessible and engaging so you can come away with a good foundation in web development.

At Designvelop, we know there are times when you need to improve your skills and at other times when you want to kick start a new career.
Whether it is, we’re there to help you every step of the way. Learn about our tutorials and be a part of the ecosystem of developers making their passion into expertise.

Itching to start your JavaScript journey with Designveloper? Start mastering this essential programming language today and visit our website!