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If JavaScript did not exist, what would your tech stack look like?
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Discussion (40)
If javascript didn't exist, human ingenuity would have found something easier and even more powerful to replace it. But unfortunately, Javascript exists, and for almost thirty years... So my tech stack would certainly have this powerful and more efficient tool, but there is not.
In terms of other, already existing languages, what would you use? There has to be something out there that you'd want to pick up.
Probably java (and Kotlin), because it was the first language I learned, even if obviously that couldn't replace js for websites, I would probably take advantage of it to launch my first native Android app (I never had the opportunity even if I made a couple). Or, as I am already doing now, I would focus a lot more on python for data science.
Sounds about right! My Java skills are in intensive care, not gonna lie! π It's something I have to work on.
Ugh, I need to get serious about Python. π
Thanks for joining the conversation @devlorenzo
Swift! Honestly I didnβt like JS until very recently. The additions like coalescing and optional chaining make it a lot nicer, and something I had missed moving from iOS to full stack (mainly js/web stacks). That plus typescript gets it closer to the language I love.
Awesome! Thanks for pitching in @jenbutondevto ! π
Fun fact: a friend once told me that he heard a YouTuber say he finds TypeScript, I quote, "an obstacle". What do you think of that statement? Do you find TS an obstacle in any way? π€
When I first started using TS, I DID find it as an obstacle - because I was writing code that I knew would work, but TS was putting on the breaks with those squiggly red lines .
I realise now that it was my lack of understanding TS AND JS that was making life difficult for me. I had got used to bad practices that didn't play well with TS.
Fast forward 2 years and I can say TS has had a big part to play in making me a better developer. Also, whenever I go back to vanilla JS, it strikes me as crazy that I can do whatever I want, with no errors (until runtime)! Use a variable that hasn't been defined? Sure! Call a function with whatever params? Sure! Don't get any intellisense or autocompletes, and have to refer to the documentation every 5 mins? Sure!
Oh how I love TS <3
It depends! For small projects and small scripts, having strict typescript rules and having to compile and adjust your project settings can be a hindrance.
There are lots of boilerplate projects that have ts baked in and all set up to worth with jest and whichever framework you like.
I guess types arenβt a hindrance to me, since Iβm very used to it coming from swift. If you arenβt used to it, sure it might be slower and feel like a chore writing types. You really start to feel the benefit when youβre working in bigger teams or projects. Thereβs a lot less you have to worry about since the static analysis takes care of that.
Very good points raised here! ππ» Size and complexity of a project are key indeed. Not all tools are well-suited for all use cases.
Makes sense π Types don't bother me either, after all, the first programming language I learned was Java (yeah, the one for masochists). Java's a tough one to please I must say π
Thanks so much for allowing me to pick your brains a little, hehe. π
What? JavaScript doesn't exist? Don't crash my life π’ π
But seriously, I've always thought about Python or C#.
I love robotics and I think these languages are perfect for that.
So, if it weren't for JS, I would have studied them.
Sorry buddy, it had to be done! π
Great choices! π€ I like how general purpose Python is. Thanks for joining the conversation! π
Python. In the browser, on the desktop, at the command line.
Idle is the ITS (Incompatible Time Sharing System) of our time.
OO's allow you to (efficiently) build up toolboxes and frameworks that can be widely applied. Stuck-on OO generally fails at this. Almost everything in JS is a long-overdue, poorly implemented add-on. Take advantage of 60 years of computing and computer science to make something better, not just more.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts @mrwook ! ππ»ββοΈ
I see you used the #javascript tag, didn't know that existed, what is javascript? π€π
LOL π€£π€£π€£
Probably something like PHP laravel or, Python Flask, Vanilla HTML π« idk π
It's a start! Thanks for sharing your thoughts ππ»π
Or Iβd even develop my own language if Iβd have an idea like js π β€οΈβ€οΈ
Hahaha, that'd be fun π
It is π
obligatory "I'd use Ecmascript" joke here
I don't work in the frontend anymore as much as I used to, these days I'm working mostly in C#, Elixir and occasionally Go.
Not much would change I'd guess
Hahaha, you are effectively unaffected by this! π
How come you are working with these more often now? What changed in your career? π€
I changed jobs, I used to work for a company that handled terminal automation and we were transitioning all our tooling to web based, meaning that there was a lot of full stack development going on (and the Javascript that comes with it).
These days I'm working in a full backend system without a user-facing frontend (we're more a backend for other applications), so hardly any Javascript involved (not counting the very occasional change in our own diagnostics site)
I guess for the web I'll have to go the good ol' PHP way and become an expert in CSS to be able to make dropdownsπ€£.
If JavaScript did not exist I don't think I would be doing much web development anyway, so I'll join the Python & C gang and work on robotics.
CSS is the real magic π
Sounds like a good switch! π€ Thanks for pitching in!
unpacks all CSS-only solutions
Probably Typescript or Dart. I guess Typescript doesn't count as it is a superset of Javascript..
Indeed, TS doesn't really count π Dart huh? π€ How come Dart? Any motivations for this choice?
It was the first that came to mind π Always seemed cool to me, but honestly I'm so Typescript/Javascript minded that I couldn't really tell you what I'd use. Really looking forward to all the answers!
I've used Dart myself and I enjoyed using it. Actually (personal opinion here, hehe), I think Dart has similarities with TS & JS. For me, Dart is what you'd get if Java and TS had a baby π
Same here π
Lisp all the way down.
Any particular reason? π€
Just a language that seems to run on anything and everything, a bit like js.
That's fascinating π€ Thanks for sharing your thoughts π
Well. If javascript dies some day it probably will happen when I too old and creepy to work at all. I hope so. Javascript has allowed me to build mobile, web apps and also web sites. Javascript may not be the most flexible and powerful programming language but it is powerful and flexible enough to build the kind of stuff me and my clients are interested in.
If javascript have more than 30 years of battles and upgrades, more than 100 frameworks (I really don't know if this number is correct, but who can say how many js frameworks coexist out there?) an almost infinite amount of libraries and a lot more stuff, it really have to mean something. If it were a weak and unworthy language it would have died within its very infantry.
So, if it is still alive and powering almost the 80% of the web (another self assumed number because I really don't know. Somebody does?), an amazing amount of web and hybrid apps including games, text editors, painting and photography apps, utilities, tools and more more many more, it isn't probably because of its weakness or incompetence.
I am not a js expert, only know the basics to mainly understand, adapt or change the code written by others and that's great. Because even knowing it so basically I would be able to use it anyway.
Si, I hope it keeps on powering the kind of stuff I build because, as I have already said, if it dies I will have to change my job and my entire career.
Bolero with F# or Blazor with C#
Not gonna lie, I have no clue what these are π€£! Time to duckduckgo it! (Jeez, that sounds terrible π)
Typescript ! ππ
I would be embracing PHP :)
First thing that came into my mind after reading that damn title.
Did not expect any less π
If Js didn't exist I'd probably be coding in Flutter rn
Dart (Flutter) is a decent option I must say. Worth a shot at least π
Python would replace javascript with a pleasure.
python / C# / rust
Dart, with Flutter. On the backend then Angel Dart.