JavaScript is behind nearly every modern website on the web. JavaScript powers most of the dynamic features you see on the web, such as buttons which change when they’re clicked or images with zoom capabilities.

Alongside HTML and CSS, JavaScript is a fundamental technology used in web development. While it’s initial purpose was to enable developers to make their sites dynamic, today it has expanded to support back-end web development.

Once you learn the basics of JavaScript, you’ll be ready to explore a wide range of other topics and related frameworks. There’s React, which makes it easy to build fast and powerful web applications. There’s also Next.js, which you can use to easily make full-stack apps with JavaScript.

Thanks to the versatility of JavaScript, there’s so much you can do. But before you build a massive application, you’ll need to know where to begin.

In this article, we’ve prepared a short list of tutorials on popular JavaScript concepts for beginners to help you start on your journey to learning how to code in JavaScript.

Working with Strings

In JavaScript, strings are sequences of one or more characters. They can contain letters, symbols, spaces or numbers. One of the first things you should learn when you’re getting started with JavaScript is how to use strings.

How to Split and Slice Strings

In this guide, we explore how to use the split() and slice() functions; split() allows you to separate a string into an array and slice() allows you to retrieve a range of characters from a particular string.

How to Replace Text

Sometimes you’ll want to replace the contents of a string. That’s where the replace() method comes in. Using replace(), you can replace a letter, word or phrase in a string with another phrase. We discuss how to use replace() in the above tutorial.

Check if a String Contains Another String

There may be a scenario where you want to check if a string contains another string. For example, you may want to check if a user’s email address ends in “.com” and you can do this using the includes() method in JavaScript.

Loops and Conditionals

Programmers use loops to repeat common actions. This reduces the need to copy and paste code, and helps coders maintain a clean and readable codebase. Conditionals are used to decide when certain blocks of code should be met.

if else Statements

“if...else” statements allow you to check if a condition is met. If that condition is met, the code in your “if” statement will run; otherwise, the code in your “else” statement will be executed. You can use “else if” to check for multiple conditions.

Try Catch

Coding is difficult, so it’s no wonder programmers aren’t perfect. What matters is not whether your code is perfect, but whether it can handle errors if they appear. “try...catch” statements allow you to effectively handle errors in your code.

for Loop

When coding in JavaScript, you may want to perform a similar task multiple times. In this guide, we discuss how to use the “for”, “for...in” and “for...of” loops in JavaScript to accomplish this goal.

Functions and Lists

In programming, lists allow you to store similar values in the same variable. This means you don’t have to declare multiple variables for values that have something in common. Functions allow you to group together a set of statements that performs a task.

How to Use Functions

With a function, you can write code once for a common process in your program. A function can be referenced anywhere in your code and can be reused multiple times. For instance, a function could be used to validate a form input for a website.

How to Filter and Reduce List Items

When you’re working with a list, you may want to find items that meet specific criteria. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use the filter() function to find items in a list. You’ll also learn how to use the reduce() function to perform calculations on a list.

How to Add and Remove List Items

The shift() and unshift() methods allow you to remove and add items to the start of a list. For instance, you could use the shift() method to add the name of a student to a list of student names and then use unshift() to remove that student’s name from the list.

We’ve included interactive Repl.it environments in all of these projects so you can quickly get started with these fundamental JavaScript concepts.

Advanced Tutorials

Are you looking for a challenge? Keep reading! Here are a few advanced tutorials you can follow to help you boost your JavaScript knowledge:

As you continue learning JavaScript, you’ll discover a range of new features and methods that help you write more efficient and powerful code. The world – or rather your code editor – is your oyster. The best way to improve your knowledge of JavaScript is to get started now!

This article only covers a few of the many concepts required to use JavaScript effectively. On Career Karma, check out our full beginner’s guide to learning JavaScript.

About the author

James Gallagher

James Gallagher is a writer at Career Karma where he focuses on coding tutorials and technical articles. (twitter)