Why should you learn vanilla JavaScript before learning any of its libraries?

Have you ever wondered which is the ideal JavaScript framework to learn? Or have you tried to figure out the best path to become a JavaScript front-end developer? This article will address why learning vanilla JavaScript is essential to your success.

JavaScript is usually the programming language that runs in browsers. It is frequently the cause of headaches when we first try to code, but, with enough determination, we can quickly end up mastering all its tricks.

Things can start to get complicated when we try to learn libraries like React.js, Vue.js, Angular, or Svelte. These libraries have something in common: they use JavaScript at their core. And so does TypeScript! At the end of the day, Typescript is a superset of JavaScript that compiles down vanilla JavaScript, so we’ll be back to the same page.

For better or worse, the internet has changed how we access the content. Learning about technologies and development, in general, has become more manageable. Sometimes, the enormous amount of resources available may fail to guide us on the right track: we are tempted to take shortcuts and go straight to the action. I bet that we have all experienced something similar.

As Internet users and self-taught students, we must be careful when choosing what to learn. We can study everything we want. The content will probably be available on the Internet. We just have to take our time to plan so we can avoid future complications and enjoy our learning experience.

Vanilla JavaScript.

Vanilla JavaScript is a programming language with a painstaking behavior. Thanks to its flexibility, we can solve complex problems effortlessly, but if misused, it can be counterproductive. For example, vanilla JavaScript is not strongly typed; It’s just a way of treating variables that makes it easy to write but is error-prone. This freedom vanilla JavaScript offers to approach problem-solving is challenging to find in other programming languages.

I know it is hard not to get excited and control the urge to dive into that shiny and trendy new library that everyone is talking about. I know that sometimes the enthusiasm and the commotion about a new project may overtake us. But, a good foundation is crucial to a wholesome learning experience. Trying to code something extraordinary without the hassle of understanding the core language that the library was built upon is setting ourselves and our project up for failure.

I know that investing time in learning the basics of vanilla JavaScript before diving into a JavaScript library is crucial and time-saving. We don’t need to become “subject matter experts”. But, if we can grasp the basic concepts at least, we will better identify the reasons for the existence of any JavaScript library or environment we decide to pursue later on.

As software engineers, cultivating intellectual curiosity and studying how frameworks are built and work is one of the critical factors that may help us grow as we embark on any learning journey. Appropriate training on the foundations of a given library will make our lives much easier.