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  3. Why is Javascript still a thing?

Why is Javascript still a thing?

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  • G GKP1992

    Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

    I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu PeterK Offline
    Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter
    wrote on last edited by
    #25

    I'm closing on 20 years of JavaScript. You have to accept it as JavaScript, it will solve 99% of your problems. As long as you try to bend it to be C# (or like) you will fail in so many ways... If you want to feel good with the tools, try using Notepad as editor and never hit F12 while you are in the browser... After two weeks you will see the benefits of the built in debugger... ;)

    Skipper: We'll fix it. Alex: Fix it? How you gonna fix this? Skipper: Grit, spit and a whole lotta duct tape.

    "It never ceases to amaze me that a spacecraft launched in 1977 can be fixed remotely from Earth." ― Brian Cox

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    • G GKP1992

      Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

      I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

      J Offline
      J Offline
      Jon McKee
      wrote on last edited by
      #26

      I'm not the biggest fan of the language either but it is quite useful. Some of those frustrating bits also give you the ability to do things that simply aren't possible in other languages. That being said, I've really started to like Typescript[^]. It's a superset of JS so you basically just have to read up on how the type system works then you're good to go.

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      • L Lost User

        It boosts IT employment, shortens the life of those same people, and as a side effect keeps thousands of coffee farm workers busy in far flung places like Kenya and Brazil (even if they only earn a dollar a week.) Think of the horror if they fixed that sort of stuff... hundreds of IT folks out in public... think of the children!

        Sin tack the any key okay

        abmvA Offline
        abmvA Offline
        abmv
        wrote on last edited by
        #27

        u seem to have a point there..also see below.. That paradigm will be defined by three key characteristics, Nadella explained: Every computing task and experience will be "multi-device, multi-sense" with multiple means of input and output; artificial intelligence will be built into every application and device; and there will be an increased use of containers, microservices and server-less technologies that provide new ways to develop, distribute and manage applications.

        We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. - Greta Thunberg

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        • L Leng Vang

          I guess you could call me a moron, because I do write server side code in JavaScript (Nodejs that is) and a full SQL Server accessing one no less. I happen to like it better than using IIS. Only thing I missed in NodeJs is EF capability.

          N Offline
          N Offline
          Nelek
          wrote on last edited by
          #28

          VB6 is still used too ;P :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

          M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

          J 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • G GKP1992

            Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

            I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

            E Offline
            E Offline
            Eytukan
            wrote on last edited by
            #29

            GKP1992 wrote:

            if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now.

            Come on, That is why we gave you Applets, Active-X, etc right? :rolleyes:

            Starting to think people post kid pics in their profiles because that was the last time they were cute - Jeremy Falcon.

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            • Sander RosselS Sander Rossel

              I used to hate JavaScript for probably the same reasons you do. However, I've come to see some of its beauty. Then I ran into some issues in C# and thought to myself "this would be easy in JavaScript." Today, JavaScript is just another tool in the toolbox and, even server side, not my last choice. There are things I don't like about it, but there are certainly also things I DO like about it. And the best part is that it's getting better.

              Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly

              K Offline
              K Offline
              KC CahabaGBA
              wrote on last edited by
              #30

              People see beauty in buckets of paint thrown at a canvas in a random fashion as well... Just sayin!

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • G GKP1992

                Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                L Offline
                L Offline
                Lost User
                wrote on last edited by
                #31

                debugging Javascript in a browser is bad. Which browser and what JS debugging tools did you use if at all? Some browsers have excellent debugging tools including step by step execution.

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • G GKP1992

                  Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                  I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  bleahy48
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #32

                  You did see this, right? Stanford Uni's intro to CompSci course adopts JavaScript, bins Java • The Register[^]

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                  • G GKP1992

                    Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                    I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                    C Offline
                    C Offline
                    CygnusBMT
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #33

                    JavaScript is around for one reason: To stick it to Microsoft. There was a time when types mattered (remember why "smart" people hated VB?). There was a time when performance mattered (remember when C++ was cool?). There was a time when user interface standards mattered (Anyone remember UI guidelines?). Now all that matters is having your code - however much of a mess it may be - run in a browser even though if it's a browser running on a PC, 98% of the time it will be running on Windows. But I guess we have to worry about that 2% because it could be Linux! Or, a Mac! Two percent of the market is only a failure if it's Windows phone. Why don't we write apps for PCs? That only is a smashing success for mobile. It would never work for a PC because....Microsoft owns the PC, and we can't have that. No, let's beat our heads against the wall trying to get some hacked together language to do even the most basic things.

                    A 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • G GKP1992

                      Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                      I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                      M Offline
                      M Offline
                      MSBassSinger
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #34

                      Have you considered using TypeScript? Several developers I know shifted from JS to TypeScript to better align their OO C# experience with generating JS.

                      G 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • G GKP1992

                        Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                        I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                        K Offline
                        K Offline
                        Kirk 10389821
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #35

                        Yeah it has flaws. Every language and every environment does. Remember in Cobol, you had to IDENTIFY the target environment! In ForTran, God was REAL.... Unless you declared it otherwise. The biggest issue I ran into was some code declared a variable with the same name as a global IE object, and that JavaScript variable did not really work, but the code failed in IE, and worked okay in Chrome. That took me a while to debug. But the little I do with HTML, I would honestly die a thousand deaths without JavaScript!

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                        • N Nelek

                          VB6 is still used too ;P :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

                          M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          JakePogo
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #36

                          It kind of sounds like you just don't care enough to learn how to do it correctly. Don't judge others just because you have issues with it. ALL programming languages have their nuances, as well as pros and cons depending on your goals. I really don't mean to offend but I feel like your being very critical...

                          N 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • G GKP1992

                            Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                            I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                            K Offline
                            K Offline
                            Ken Utting
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #37

                            I'm kind of surprised at the lacks of specifics on this thread. So far no one, including the OP, has indicated specifically what they like or don't like about Javascript or the tools and ecosystem that surrounds it. One of the things I find most amazing about Javascript is how chameleon-like it is. Folks have created TypeScript, to provide strong typing and a more traditional OO flavor. React and other frameworks rely more on its Functional Programming flavor. Other people have compiled Javascript source into such compact code that the recently released WebAssembly standard is only a minor improvement. People have even made Javascript look like the granddaddy of OO languages, Smalltalk (Amber Smalltalk[^]). Tools around Javascript also make the language extremely powerful. Flow allows you to find flaws in your code without requiring the explicit type declarations that TypeScript utilizes. WebPack and its many plugins allows you to not only minimize your production code, but you can even create hot-loaded modules so that your enormous web app doesn't have to all be loaded when the user accesses the first page. And if you're generating minimized code, make sure you also generate source maps, so you can debug it so much more easily. Chrome's built-in developer tools are powerful, and I rely on them every day, but occasional glances at FireFox and Edge make me think they have pretty strong debugging tools as well. There's no way to tell from your post what it is about Javascript you don't like, or how much experience you have with the language, and so its impossible to suggest approaches that might help you deal with your issues. And there's no doubt that Javascript continues to have its limitations. But it still seems to me that Javascript survives not only because it is the only game in town for front-end web programming, but because it is a remarkably adaptable tool that enjoys strong support from a large, vibrant developer community.

                            Z A 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • M MSBassSinger

                              Have you considered using TypeScript? Several developers I know shifted from JS to TypeScript to better align their OO C# experience with generating JS.

                              G Offline
                              G Offline
                              GKP1992
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #38

                              MSBassSinger wrote:

                              Have you considered using TypeScript?

                              I have actually, but I'm just a poor developer. However, I have initiated the decision process and now it rests with the managers. I hope they don't find it too "expensive".

                              I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • G GKP1992

                                Recently, I spent around day trying to find out why something was not working the way it was supposed to. And what did I found out? Nothing! Really, debugging JS code in a browser is one of the worst things about web development. So I begin to wonder, why is this mess still around? :(( Admit it, javascript has a very flawed design. The only reason we still use it, is because we have no other choice. Really if people had the choice of using a friendlier language like C# or Java, javascript would have been in the dumpster by now. I never liked a thing about Javascript and I do not think I ever will. It is crippled. Back to work I guess. And guess what, it is Javascript again. :mad: :((

                                I am not the one who knocks. I never knock. In fact, I hate knocking. Just barge in will'Ya?

                                Z Offline
                                Z Offline
                                zezba9000
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #39

                                Bridge.NET is what I choose to use for web crap: Bridge.NET - Open Source C# to JavaScript Compiler[^]

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • K Ken Utting

                                  I'm kind of surprised at the lacks of specifics on this thread. So far no one, including the OP, has indicated specifically what they like or don't like about Javascript or the tools and ecosystem that surrounds it. One of the things I find most amazing about Javascript is how chameleon-like it is. Folks have created TypeScript, to provide strong typing and a more traditional OO flavor. React and other frameworks rely more on its Functional Programming flavor. Other people have compiled Javascript source into such compact code that the recently released WebAssembly standard is only a minor improvement. People have even made Javascript look like the granddaddy of OO languages, Smalltalk (Amber Smalltalk[^]). Tools around Javascript also make the language extremely powerful. Flow allows you to find flaws in your code without requiring the explicit type declarations that TypeScript utilizes. WebPack and its many plugins allows you to not only minimize your production code, but you can even create hot-loaded modules so that your enormous web app doesn't have to all be loaded when the user accesses the first page. And if you're generating minimized code, make sure you also generate source maps, so you can debug it so much more easily. Chrome's built-in developer tools are powerful, and I rely on them every day, but occasional glances at FireFox and Edge make me think they have pretty strong debugging tools as well. There's no way to tell from your post what it is about Javascript you don't like, or how much experience you have with the language, and so its impossible to suggest approaches that might help you deal with your issues. And there's no doubt that Javascript continues to have its limitations. But it still seems to me that Javascript survives not only because it is the only game in town for front-end web programming, but because it is a remarkably adaptable tool that enjoys strong support from a large, vibrant developer community.

                                  Z Offline
                                  Z Offline
                                  zezba9000
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #40

                                  Type safety (aka compile time errors instead of runtime ones). No standardized web bytecode it compiles to like HLSL, Vulkan shaders, .NET, Java, etc, etc leaving huge gaps in a standardized lang and API. Maybe webasm will fix that. O and crap like this: Javascript: the weird parts -- Charlie Harvey[^]

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                                  • C CodeWraith

                                    You can't become a CodeWraith until they have drained every bit of enthusiasm and interest from you. JavaScript (or being threatened with having to work with it) makes flipping burgers not so bad a carreer choice after all.

                                    F Offline
                                    F Offline
                                    FireDog31262
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #41

                                    I don't think you can make $80K - $100k a year flipping burgers.

                                    No matter where you go, there you are...~?~

                                    C 1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • N Nathan Minier

                                      I have to completely agree with Balboos with one minor addition: If you are frustrated by JS it's because you're trying to treat it like C#/Java. It's not the same thing, it doesn't work in the same way, and it's like being mad at a spoon for not being a fork.

                                      "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

                                      F Offline
                                      F Offline
                                      FireDog31262
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #42

                                      Can we have a spork? :laugh: :laugh:

                                      No matter where you go, there you are...~?~

                                      N 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • F FireDog31262

                                        I don't think you can make $80K - $100k a year flipping burgers.

                                        No matter where you go, there you are...~?~

                                        C Offline
                                        C Offline
                                        CodeWraith
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #43

                                        Thereb are some things you just can't buy with money, like keeping your sanity.

                                        I need a perfect, to the point answer as I am not aware of this. Please don't reply explaining what method overloading is

                                        F 1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • J JakePogo

                                          It kind of sounds like you just don't care enough to learn how to do it correctly. Don't judge others just because you have issues with it. ALL programming languages have their nuances, as well as pros and cons depending on your goals. I really don't mean to offend but I feel like your being very critical...

                                          N Offline
                                          N Offline
                                          Nelek
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #44

                                          and it kinda sounds like you don't know how to distinguish a joke.

                                          M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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