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by radioact1ve 3527 days ago
Exactly this. All of the upfront choices, will I make the right choice? I've been meaning to jump in and learn. After years of backend development (C#, Python, and some Go), I want to give JS a shot and at least experiment.

It's a daunting process that I keep pushing back as there is no immediate need.
2 comments
inimino 3527 days ago
The best thing to remember is that if you're doing it for fun and learning, you don't need anything but a plain old HTML5 and a plain old script tag. Once you feel you need something more than that for a particular project (or for work) you'll be better able to evaluate what's out there.

  <script>
  // get started!
  </script>
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irrational 3526 days ago
This. Someone starting out should not be using webpack, react, jquery, lodash, etc. etc. etc. You need to first learn vanilla javascript which requires nothing more than a browser and a text editor.
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pauly 3527 days ago
even simpler open your browser console and just start typing, I've found new ideas by letting the autocomplete there guide me
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Klathmon 3527 days ago
Realistically, you won't make the right choice. But that's okay. Because of the number and size of most packages, they are easily replaceable.

Like the commenter higher up said, it's not like C#, Python, or Go where if you have an issue with a library, it could take days to find and implement a replacement. The vast majority of libraries in JS land are small and single purpose. Think of it as replacing the air-filter in your car vs the whole engine.

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