When I first took computer science courses, I had no previous experience in computer programming, as I never had any previous encounters with any computer IDE’s, much less programming language. Going into my first computer science class ICS 111, an introductory class that introduces students to programming through Java, it took me some time for me to master the basics. I saw what the teacher coded and emulated it learning how each word is important for each line of code. I struggled with the first month or so as Java to me felt like a hurdle that differed from any math or common core subjects for which I had to study for, it was an entirely new realm to which I had to learn entirely new laws.
Javascript has been a turning point for me. It shattered my preconceived notions for some aspects of programming I thought were a necessity to function correctly, most notably the typesetting of variables. My rigid mindset led me to believe that a computer was not capable enough to keep variables in a dynamic status where they did not need to be assigned a type that they adhered to. I would have never thought that there would be such flexibility in a programming language, especially after I came a few months ago from learning C and C++. The Strict and complicated ruleset enforced when creating variables and doing processes with the C programming language differed greatly from my first experience with Javascript. When I first came in contact with Javascript through the freecodecamp exercises, I found myself astonished by how loose the regulations were for things such as declaring variables freely, creating functions, and passing parameters with other functions. It took me a while to comprehend the shift in syntax to where what would be imposible in other languages could be done with in Javascript. The usual C syntax situations of micromanaging the variables felt like an overwhelming challenge compared to the convenience of Javascript syntax where you could freely change a variable’s type to whatever you desire. After taking some time and testing Javascipt, this astonishment gradually shifted to excitement about discovering a more efficent toolset. The WODS where javascript had to be used also further enhanced my understanding of the programming language and its benefits.
Currently, my thoughts of Javascript haven’t really changed much from my intial impressions. To me Javascript is a programming language that although not as loose as python, it is easier to copmprehend than Java or C++. It is a language that flourishes in the goldilocks zone of programming where a person who wants to develop an application but doesn’t want the hassle of being bound by the rigid structure of variable type declaration could create variables and use them in functions easily. Javascript brought me a new outlook to prorgamming, no longer did it feel like a textbook process, but now it feels like a multiple version work that has many ways of interepretations according to your will.