Career Insight

Top 5 Front-end Programming Languages

JavaScript code on laptop screen

You interact with the front-end part of a website each time you click a hyperlink on a webpage, autofill your personal information on a form, or finalize an order on your favorite retail site. In short, front-end is the client-facing side of a website and vital for an interactive, seamless, and appealing user experience. To make high-quality user interaction possible, full-stack and front-end developers use front-end programming languages. While these languages have functions that make them useful in specific situations, a select few stand out above others in the front-end development process.

The Purpose of a Programming Language

At its core, a programming language is the tool used to dictate a computer’s behavior and control its tasks. While computers communicate in strings of 1s and 0s known as binary, programming languages translate those sequences into something much more understandable to humans. This gives developers the ability to comprehend a computer’s data and give it instructions. Much like the alphabets and grammar of Spanish, English, French, or any other language, programming languages have their own set of rules and attributes. The qualities and abilities of these next 5 languages make them a perfect match for full-stack and front-end developers.

Front-end development programming languages infographic

Top 5 Front-end Programming Languages

  • HTML

    Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, has the distinction of being integral in virtually every webpage on the internet. This markup language is used to add and organize text, videos, and other elements on a page. The fact that it’s free and provides support for some of the most popular browsers around means HTML is an essential tool for frontend and full-stack developers. Additionally, its introduction to different coding principles and its ease-of-use make it the perfect choice for anyone trying their hand at coding.

  • CSS

    CSS works in perfect harmony with HTML. It takes the webpage elements it organizes and beautifies them for optimal user experience. This front-end programming language is all about presentation, layout, and style. Do you want different fonts, colors, and effects on your webpage? CSS has you covered. Some of the most valuable CSS attributes include:

    • Its compatibility with browsers such as Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, which focus primarily on the delivery of visuals to monitors, printers, and other devices
    • Its ability to save developers time — once a code has been composed, it can be used on other pages.
    • It’s easy to maintain. The CSS changes made on one page are automatically applied to other pages.

  • JavaScript

    JavaScript is used to apply refined features on a webpage during the front-end development process. This can be anything from a simple two-dimensional animated image to a dynamic map that changes with a user’s interaction. In traditional web development, JavaScript takes on the role of orchestrator, while HTML and CSS handle a web page’s structure and presentation respectively. Together, these three languages are considered the essential pieces of the World Wide Web. JavaScript has also proved priceless in the development of applications with substantial user traffic, including Twitter, eBay, and Spotify.

    If you’re thinking about which programming language to learn first, JavaScript may be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s widely considered a great springboard to other popular programming languages. In fact, it’s one of the many reasons why Kenzie Academy teaches JavaScript in our Full-Stack Web Development program!

  • TypeScript

    As JavaScript grew in popularity and function, its limitations became apparent and its code more difficult to maintain and reuse. TypeScript was built to address those issues. This programming language is a syntactical superset of JavaScript, which means any code written with JavaScript is a valid code in TypeScript. This advantage allows TypeScript to be used across the same browsers, devices, and operating systems as JavaScript. A favorite TypeScript feature among front-end developers is strict typing, which enables defined elements to remain the way in which they were set. Additionally, the close relationship between both languages means if you’re already a JavaScript expert you can take advantage of TypeScript’s abilities and elevate your frontend development efforts.

  • React

    While essentially a framework, or a set of solutions for common software development problems, many consider React a dynamic and highly advanced programming language. This is thanks to attributes and abilities such as:

    • Its component reusability, which enables cohesiveness across entire projects
    • The virtual DOM, a tool used to simplify the process of improving the structure of an application while prioritizing performance
    • Frequent updates
    • The size of its support environment, which includes documentation, tutorials, and other training materials

Making Front-End Easier

Having one of the top front-end programming languages under your belt as you take on your own development project can make a huge difference. Right off the bat, you’ll find these top 5 languages make the process more efficient with their frequent updates, the technology behind each language, and their established support. This means you can create responsive and functional applications without getting too bogged down and sidetracked by broken code, bugs, and other roadblocks.

Don’t Wait for a Future-Proof Career

Any one of these languages can be the key to unlocking a career in one of the strongest industries around. All you have to do is take that first step. And don’t worry, you won’t have to do it alone.

At Kenzie Academy, your success is our priority from the second you join the Kenzie Family to the moment you become an integral part of tech. Our goal is to ensure a future in technology is attainable to everyone, whether you’re here to pivot your career or looking for a fresh start! If you want to get started, apply today or get in touch with us if you have any questions.

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