Javascript is making all other languages irrelevant. You must master it now. (opens in new tab)

(projectricochet.com)

11 pointsyrmhm12y ago19 comments

19 comments

Yes, you should master JavaScript -- it's used all over the web and people will continue using it that way. But I disagree it's making all other languages irrelevant and that it's a "game changer". Devices are not going to be coded in JS any time soon (the runtime isn't robust enough and the language is not designed to be used that way). Yes, people may use asm.js more and more to convert bigger programs to run on the web, which is super cool, but asm.js isn't JavaScript.

So master JavaScript, but then learn Rust, Elixir, Go, Haskell, and Lisp, too. These are as much "game changers" as anything else.

yrmhmOP12y ago

"Devices are not going to be coded in JS any time soon"

http://technical.io/

ricoshady12y ago

Oh, there is http://pijs.io as well.

OlivierLi12y ago

I really think the JS madness is getting to an absurd level here on HN.

I understand how it's geting more popular but there really is a whole world outside of webdev.

Systems programming, AAA games, simulators and embedded software are not switching over to JS any time soon.

ricoshady12y ago

It isn't absurd, Javascript is everywhere and it is shipping on almost every new device. That isn't shared by many other languages except C and C++. It is even showing up outside of webdev all together, mobile and server side. I definitely agree it won't replace systems programming, and where native speed and performance is paramount, it'll struggle there too. But it will progressively infringe on those spaces, including games and other types of programming. The business need for a language that can be used on so many platforms will be hard to resist, impossible to resist. And the fringe cases where other development is needed will become more niche and competitive, while JS will flourish with opportunity for some time to come.

_random_12y ago

That guy lost his touch with reality living in that Drupal land.

"...Different languages come with more than just a different syntax, they also come with their own way of thinking...". This is of course bad, because naturally we don't need Erlangs, Scalas, F#s, SQLs, Haskells, X(*)MLs, telling us there is a different way to approach a problem. Just give us the good ol' Hammer.JS! It's perfect for any task!

Required reading for author: asm.js, LLVM, TypeScript.

PS: if the world goes mad and he turns out right we will have a _really_ good reason to leave for start ups.

ricoshady12y ago

I didn't say they were inherently bad, but they can be. They often keep people thinking in old ways.

peerst12y ago

Well JS is keeping you thinking in pretty ancient ways. The "ideas" in JS are so old that you need quotes around the word. This sounds like from a Blub programmer. I'd better add a reference because Blub programers don't know what Blub means: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Graham_(computer_programme...

anonyfox12y ago

This reflects my inception, too. Not only in webdevelopment, but desktop-apps and mobile stuff is developed in JS, too.

I even heard, that: Win8 Metro Apps are developed with HTML5 stuff and Apple is building a JS Bridge to their Cocoa APIs. But i have no sources currently.

If this is true, there will be one language to rule them all. It's not the prettiest one, but that's what meta-languages like coffeescript are for (if you want).

(Projects like ASM.js (near native speed) or Emscripten (transcompile many languages like C++ to JS) are pushing towards this direction even further!)

_random_12y ago

ASM.js is actually a JavaScript killer. It's a hope-giving possibility of not having to touch JS whatsoever.

anonyfox12y ago

perfect world for me: write in coffeescript and compile to asm.js for raw performance :)

1 more reply

malandrew12y ago

"You must master is now." Most certainly true. If not for production, you will at least use if d for communication of your work on the Internet.

"JavaScript is making all other languages irrelevant" Hogwash. Many many languages out there have something to offer you intellectually and professionally. Saying they are all now irrelevant is naïve and the path to mediocrity.

anonyfox12y ago

For intellectual fun and profit, there is an increasing number of "meta"-languages out there which compile to javascript. See Coffeescript and Livescript for Example.

total__C12y ago

Politics is unworthy of discussion yet an article like this is acceptable? If Javascript is making all other languages irrelevant why does the world have Coffeescript, Clojurescript, and so on and so forth?

ToastyMallows12y ago

You know that those languages produce Javascript in the end correct? If anything wouldn't that just support this argument?

jawngee12y ago

That would be equivalent to saying "assembly is making all other languages irrelevant"

Which, of course, is complete nonsense.

_dark_matter_12y ago

The argument is "You must master javascript". If other languages compile to javascript - then you needn't master javascript, you can master those other languages.

So no, this does not just support this argument. There are other languages to learn.

1 more reply

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19 comments

mcmire12y ago

So master JavaScript, but then learn Rust, Elixir, Go, Haskell, and Lisp, too. These are as much "game changers" as anything else.

yrmhmOP12y ago

"Devices are not going to be coded in JS any time soon"

http://technical.io/

ricoshady12y ago

Oh, there is http://pijs.io as well.

OlivierLi12y ago

I really think the JS madness is getting to an absurd level here on HN.

I understand how it's geting more popular but there really is a whole world outside of webdev.

Systems programming, AAA games, simulators and embedded software are not switching over to JS any time soon.

ricoshady12y ago

_random_12y ago

That guy lost his touch with reality living in that Drupal land.

Required reading for author: asm.js, LLVM, TypeScript.

PS: if the world goes mad and he turns out right we will have a _really_ good reason to leave for start ups.

ricoshady12y ago

I didn't say they were inherently bad, but they can be. They often keep people thinking in old ways.

peerst12y ago

anonyfox12y ago

This reflects my inception, too. Not only in webdevelopment, but desktop-apps and mobile stuff is developed in JS, too.

I even heard, that: Win8 Metro Apps are developed with HTML5 stuff and Apple is building a JS Bridge to their Cocoa APIs. But i have no sources currently.

If this is true, there will be one language to rule them all. It's not the prettiest one, but that's what meta-languages like coffeescript are for (if you want).

(Projects like ASM.js (near native speed) or Emscripten (transcompile many languages like C++ to JS) are pushing towards this direction even further!)

_random_12y ago

ASM.js is actually a JavaScript killer. It's a hope-giving possibility of not having to touch JS whatsoever.

anonyfox12y ago

perfect world for me: write in coffeescript and compile to asm.js for raw performance :)

1 more reply

malandrew12y ago

"You must master is now." Most certainly true. If not for production, you will at least use if d for communication of your work on the Internet.

anonyfox12y ago

For intellectual fun and profit, there is an increasing number of "meta"-languages out there which compile to javascript. See Coffeescript and Livescript for Example.

total__C12y ago

ToastyMallows12y ago

You know that those languages produce Javascript in the end correct? If anything wouldn't that just support this argument?

jawngee12y ago

That would be equivalent to saying "assembly is making all other languages irrelevant"

Which, of course, is complete nonsense.

_dark_matter_12y ago

The argument is "You must master javascript". If other languages compile to javascript - then you needn't master javascript, you can master those other languages.

So no, this does not just support this argument. There are other languages to learn.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse