A Reflection on Javascript

28 Aug 2016

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I remember the first time I started programming; it was a language called Java, and my first program was the infamous “Hello World” program. I remember being unimpressed by how much work needed to be put into making a program that just spits out a phrase back to you. As time passed, however, and as my programs became more complex, my opinions changed. I began to appreciate the preciseness and logical nature of Java. My experience with Javascript has been similar thus far.

To me, the logic remains the same in all programming languages, and the only notable difference is the syntax. Thanks to this, I have been able to transition from C++ into Javascript rather smoothly. The major difference I’ve noticed is that instead of specifying data types for variables like in C++ or Java, you only need to declare that it is, in fact, a variable. This difference makes it much easier to write basic programs, but I see problems in the future that involve integers being treated as decimal numbers.

Regarding the WOD method of teaching us Javascript, I have always loved the idea of turning study and work into games. People tend to treat work as just that, and often get bored and uninterested in learning as a result. However, if one treats these tasks as a game, challenging themselves to complete it in a certain time limit, the task ceases to be work, and can actually be fun. I feel that these WOD challenges have been a great help in getting me to learn Javascript and to get better at it.