Learning can be really scary without the right set of tools and guidance in the field. One of the hardest decisions that you will come through is to find out the starting point. It always pays to follow a guide map for learning JavaScript.
Step 1: Start Simple – Learn the Basics
The first and foremost part is to understand what JavaScript is and its role in web development. JavaScript is considered as the language that adds interactivity to your web page and works in conjunction with other languages.
You can start with the free eBooks and tutorials available on the internet. Most of these books are sufficient for understanding the basic concepts but make sure to use a book that is written by an experienced author or JavaScript expert.
Step 2: Install JavaScript Developer Friendly Browser
JavaScript is sometimes called the language of browsers because of the features that it adds to the browser. There are so many browsers that you can choose from, including Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
Each of these browsers comes with a set of developer tools and you need to be extra careful in choosing these tools. Developer tools can make it very easy for the beginner and you can search the net for the tools available online. Firebug is one of the best and most used developer tools on the internet.
Step 3: Read Some Good Books from Experts
There are plenty free tutorials available for JavaScript on the web, however, if you need a serious study plan pick a good JavaScript book written by an expert JS developer.
The best practice is to follow the blog or eBooks of your expert. All the experts maintain a comment section that allows you to interact with them and ask any questions. This can be a great platform for you to learn and clarify your doubts directly from the experts.
Step 4: Start Creating a Simple Application Using Your Knowledge
Applying what you have learned is very important. By now, you must be tweaking with codes to find out their outcome and how it works on a web page. This is the right time to build something with what you have learned till now.
Build a To-Do list
You may often consider it hard at first but it not necessary to get along with all the features. You can start with a basic to-do list and create one for yourself. It will allow you to use what you have learned in the previous steps.
Build a Simple Game
Building game is always fun and requires a lot of programming skills. Try building a simple game using JavaScript and you will realize a lot of learning from it.
Build A Simple Tool
As a programmer, you may think of some useful tool for eliminating repeated tasks. I created this tool while I was learning jQuery. It has been an amazing learning experience when I started seeing my tool go live on the internet. If you want to contribute to this same toolset you can fork this open source project on GitHub and add more tools.
Step 5: Go Next Level: Learn a Popular JavaScript Framework
If you are dedicated enough to come this far, the next step that you should take is to learn any JavaScript framework.
There are various choices in front of you and you can choose any of these but make sure to understand their application before learning it. Some of them include:
It is important to stick with your choice and try to learn as much about it as possible.
Step 6: Build an Awesome Application
You never know how painful it is unless you are wearing their shoes. The real world problems in JavaScript are much more than these simple applications. You have to understand different aspects of the project including user-friendly apps, security concerns and above all, handling and availability of data as per requirement.
It is best to start developing an application for the real world. You can get all the help from your guide or even from an online blogger willing to spend some time in mentoring you. But it is essential to building your own app.
Step 7: Continue Learning And Keep Up With The Latest Trends
There are so many things coming out every day with thousands of experts working on new projects. You should make sure to stay in touch with what’s happening in the JavaScript world. It is best to subscribe to all the top developers, no matter where they are and what they do.
You can even participate in blogs and forums that are developed to solve the issues of developers by using the expertise of their members only.
Once you enter the world of JavaScript, you’ll be amazed every day with the latest discoveries and cool stuff that is developed each day. So what are you waiting for!