The State of JavaScript

avaScript has not traditionally been considered a backend language; that space belonged to the likes of Java, Python, C/C++, C#/.NET, PHP, Ruby and so on. JavaScript was just a 'toy language' that allowed web developers to add animation to websites in order to improve its aesthetics. But this all changed with the advent of Node.js. With Node.js, developers can now write JavaScript code that executes on the server, as well as the client. In other words, developers can now write both front and backend code using the same language!

This provides huge productivity benefits, as common code can now be shared across the stack. Furthermore, developers can avoid context switching between different languages, which often breaks concentration and reduces output.

It also led to the rise in Isomorphic, or Universal, JavaScript frameworks, such as Meteor. These types of frameworks allow you to write applications entirely in JavaScript that run on both the client and the server.

Here's what we'll cover in this chapter:

• Examining a short history on the evolution of the web application and its transition from the client-server model to Single-Page Applications (SPAs)
• Explaining the concept of Isomorphic JavaScript
• Exploring the benefits of using JavaScript across the entire stack