JavaScript, often abbreviated as JS, was created in 1995. The language was originally developed in May and on 4 December of the same year it was officially released to the world. Both the language itself and community behind it have a rich history. JavaScript has been essential to the shaping of the World Wide Web. Organizations like the Mozilla Foundation, W3C and Ecma played a major role in the development of the language over the years. Libraries and environments such as jQuery and Node.js contributed significantly to the potential of JS to this day.
The main JavaScript advantage is that it's universally compatible, which allows it to work smoothly across many platforms. Unlike some languages, there is no need to compile the code before execution. Furthermore, JS is well-adapted to all major web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Edge. With advanced modules and tools such as Silverlight, Flash and DOM, JavaScript keeps its dominance, contributing to 98.7% of dynamic websites and advanced web apps.
According to the latest results from W3tech (World Wide Web Technology Surveys), in 2023, 2.1% of all websites use JavaScript as their server-side programming language.
As we celebrate its 28th anniversary today, it's a perfect time to look back on JavaScript's achievements over the last few years and explore the top 3 that can predict its future.
1. According to Statista, JavaScript is used by 65% of software developers
In the summer of 2007 Jeff Atwood (an American software developer, author, blogger and entrepreneur) wrote "Atwood's Law" – “Any application that can be written in JavaScript, will eventually be written in JavaScript”. And we couldn't agree more with him.
JS occupies an important place in the work of software engineers - 65% of them, as reported by Statista's latest survey. The language allows developers to create essential computer operations, thus impacting people’s daily lives and the increasing use of web widgets. In 2022, 65% of the software developers chose JavaScript and 55% - HTML/CSS.
The popularity of JavaScript can be attributed to the growing enthusiasm for boot camps and programming courses. These educational programs play a major role to improve the understanding of these technologies among people.
In Bulgaria, over 10 training hubs and academies, such as Telerik Academy, SoftUni and IT Step offer courses for young tech enthusiasts. In addition, the advanced developers are constantly engaged in learning new languages and exploring additional resources, which contributes to the sustainable attractiveness of the language.
2. The PopularitY of Programming Languages Index (PYPL index) placed JS 3rd
JavaScript takes a leading position in the PYPL index(for Nov 2023) as determined by users of the GitHub code hosting service. The Index is created based on the search volume of "language tutorials" for each programming language on Google. In the current ranking list, JS comes in at number three, while Java and Python take the top two positions.
3. Ranking in the TIOBE Programming Community Index 2023 and 2022 Stack Overflow Survey
JavaScript's ranking in the TIOBE Programming Community Index for 2023 is 6th, with a rating of 2.36%. This is up from 2.33% in 2022, indicating that JavaScript has maintained its popularity as a widely used programming language. JavaScript's consistent ranking in the top 10 of the TIOBE index reflects its versatility and widespread use in web development, mobile app development, and server-side scripting.
We can say that the popularity of programming languages has dynamically changed in recent years with the releases of JavaScript and Python. While JS keeps its dominant position, as shown in Stack Overflow's 2022 Developer Survey, in which it took the top position for the tenth year in a row, Python has seen a significant rise in its popularity.
Notably, JavaScript's market share stands now at 95.76%, a significant advantage over Java, which is behind with a market share of just 3.72%. JavaScript's base is significantly larger with 12,689,330 users compared to Java's 492,866 users.
Bonus insights
- Nearly 3,491,140 websites are using the capabilities of the JavaScript framework known as Vue.js. Some of the world's largest websites using it are Facebook, Netflix, and Adobe.
- According to W3Techs, Node. js is used by 2.1% of all websites, making it a significant technology choice for a wide range of websites.
Interested in new career opportunities with JavaScript? Check out this
Fullstack JavaScript and Midlevel Software Engineer roles we currently have.