[GEEKY] JavaScript – Universal Language of the Future

JavaScript is the language of the future. Why do I say this?

I love Ruby, I respect Java, and I am jealous of Python. And of course I have a warm spot in my heart for C++. Think about it. JavaScript is unique among all those languages:

  • Any computer you can get your hands on nowadays has a working, and probably very fast JavaScript compiler/interpreter. Laptops, Desktops, Servers, Mac, Pc, Linux, Phone, Tablet. ALL OF THEM. You can't say that of any of the other languages.

  • Because of the browser wars, and probably spurred on by Google and Chrome, there has been enormous investment in JavaScript performance so that it is now respected as a viable high performance language for server side apps.

  • As a language, it's not shabby. Most people don't think about JavaScript as a full fledged programming language, but it does have some great characteristics.

If you don't believe me, here's another person who comes to the same conclusion by a slightly different route:

"Web servers, rich web client libraries, HTML5, databases, even JavaScript- based languages: I see JavaScript everywhere. If you have avoided JavaScript, this is the year to learn it. There's no excuse -- and if you don't, you risk being left behind." (from "Why a JavaScript Hater thinks everyone needs to learn JavaScript in the next year.")

So, go learn JavaScript. You will need it for your next job.