Well, this question looms in my mind most of the time, but then again, for the past ten years, whatever I come across on the internet has been built on JavaScript.
The answer to your question is no.
JavaScript's dominance is not a fluke. It's used in nearly every browser, across billions of individual runtime environments. The likelihood of it being replaced is slim, especially with the rise of jQuery and Chrome. JavaScript's future is secure.
JavaScript was first released in 1995, and in an instant, it became one of the most popular languages. Developers favour it more because it works with a combination of different frameworks, such as Angular or React, making it easier to solve and sort out problems like synchronization behaviour, dynamic typing, and type-checking. Now, it will not fade away anytime soon, given its extensive framework, many intricate and strong ties to web browsers, legacy web applications, and finally, it is continuing to evolve with time.
In recent times, it has gained more popularity due to its diverse use cases across various fields beyond the web. The need and demand for websites and web-based solutions have increased recently, and the only language that can make this happen is JS.
Although it started by supporting server-side applications to make chatbots, web applications, etc., the Stackoverflow 2023 Developer Survey 2023 revealed that JS has remained the most widely and generally used programming language for eleven consecutive years.
With the major ES6 update, it continued to gain popularity in 2015. Its evolution was drastic but constructive, transitioning from simple animations and "makeup" to becoming a powerful programming language utilized for developing extensive and intricate applications.
While it continues to rank as one of the top languages on GitHub and is also being used by unicorns like Netflix, Facebook and Google to utilise it for their codebases. Having a massive market share, it dominates the entire industry.
With the emergence of AI, JavaScript is much more needed than before for implementing AI models and chatbots on the web. Users mainly interact with these, too, through the browser, so the link between all these processes is primarily JavaScript. Now, Python is important when it comes to research and data-related tasks. But JavaScript is on another level, as it dominates the development. You can clear difference if you note how AI researchers use Web GPUs to run models using JavaScript, this is because Python is not suitable to run certain models.
So, my inference is that JavaScript can be combined and is compatible with frameworks and libraries for comprehensive development and environments.
I have already emphasised the importance of JavaScript several times, and we live in an age where it is used extensively. But at every point, change is bound to come forward as technology shapes the future. Now, there are areas where JavaScript is losing its influence, mostly because it is not that effective or advanced technologies have surpassed it.
Node.js has gained popularity recently, and developer communities around the world are excited to use JavaScript in many different ways. This could simplify the language stack, eventually allowing a single developer to work across an entire application. It has made significant progress by addressing issues such as multithreading by coming up with features like the worker_threads module. Node.js is best for microservices and backend applications as its lightweight characteristics are being built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. Another reason is its compatibility with Lambdas, making it one of the most widely preferred and used languages. But even with all these ups, there are certain downs. It is hard to upgrade and maintain as it is a complex platform. This difficulty has increased as it progresses. This could set a predicament that it will be used for more specific purposes alone.
So, the Rust programming language has been garnering attention lately as many new projects have been embracing it. This is all thanks to the evolving JavaScript Tooling. A very curious case is that SWC, which is a competitor of Webpack, is trying to compile JavaScript/ TypeScript files for major web browsers. So when it comes to the future of JavaScript tooling, it is not that bleak, as it is not limited to JavaScript alone.
Previously, tasks that were not achievable by JavaScript, such as executing compiled code in the Browser, could now be done by web assembly. This also addresses several drawbacks of JavaScript like performance and security etc. Now you might think web assembly might replace JavaScript, no it rather more likely to collaborate or complement it as Web Assembly could facilitate the web experience which was previously not possible. Now most of us still depend on JavaScript for design and interactivity but with the help of Web Assembly it could reach further.
The React framework has established itself as a preferred choice with a large community of supporters. But lately, you might have noticed that user traction for both Dart and Flutter is on the rise. So, the Flutter framework can be great. Yes, it's efficient, and the performance on Mobile devices is higher compared to that of React. It is also a good option for creating web applications. The framework is also broader and more advanced, while the upgrading is trouble-free and has a highly advanced set of abstractions.
So now you will be wondering if it is going to be a fall from grace for React Native.
Well, not exactly. The React is expanding and broadening even more with the release of version 19, giving it the edge it needs.
Now, I have disclosed a fraction of what I know in this blog. No, JavaScript is not going obsolete. Well, in the long run, this language has faced a lot of criticism, and it comes from those who are not trying to learn the language or its basics as well. It is vital to learn more about the fundamentals before moving to the advanced or intermediate level to understand JavaScript. Learning JavaScript can help you tackle other program languages with ease, and a strong grasp of essentials like knowing the framework and libraries will help you create various applications.
As long as there is web and web browsers JavaScript will subsist.
