Like with all programming languages, JavaScript has certain advantages and disadvantages to consider. Many of these are related to the way JavaScript is often executed directly in a client's browser. But there are other ways to use JavaScript now that allow it to have the same benefits of server-side languages.

Advantages of JavaScript

  • Speed - JavaScript tends to be very fast because it is often run immediately within the client's browser. So long as it doesn't require outside resources, JavaScript isn't slowed down by calls to a backend server. Also, major browsers all support JIT (just in time) compilation for JavaScript, meaning that there's no need to compile the code before running it.
  • Simplicity - JavaScript's syntax was inspired by Java's and is relatively easy to learn compared to other popular languages like C++.
  • Popularity - JavaScript is everywhere on the web, and with the advent of Node.js, is increasingly used on the backend. There are countless resources to learn JavaScript. Both StackOverflow and GitHub show an increasing amount of projects that use JavaScript, and the traction it's gained in recent years is only expected to increase.
  • Interoperability - Unlike PHP or other scripting languages, JavaScript can be inserted into any web page. JavaScript can be used in many different kinds of applications because of support in other languages like Pearl and PHP.
  • Server Load - JavaScript is client-side, so it reduces the demand on servers overall, and simple applications may not need a server at all.
  • Rich interfaces - JavaScript can be used to create features like drag and drop and components such as sliders, all of which greatly enhance the user interface and experience of a site.
  • Extended Functionality - Developers can extend the functionality of web pages by writing snippets of JavaScript for third party add-ons like Greasemonkey.
  • Versatility - There are many ways to use JavaScript through Node.js servers. If you were to bootstrap Node.js with Express, use a document database like MongoDB, and use JavaScript on the frontend for clients, it is possible to develop an entire JavaScript app from front to back using only JavaScript.
  • Updates - Since the advent of ECMAScript 5 (the scripting specification that JavaScript relies on), ECMA International has been dedicated to updating JavaScript annually. So far, we have received browser support for ES6 in 2017 and look forward to ES7 being supported in the future.

Disadvantages of JavaScript

  • Client-Side Security - Since JavaScript code is executed on the client-side, bugs and oversights can sometimes be exploited for malicious purposes. Because of this, some people choose to disable JavaScript entirely.
  • Browser Support - While server-side scripts always produce the same output, different browsers sometimes interpret JavaScript code differently. These days the differences are minimal, and you shouldn't have to worry about it as long as you test your script in all major browsers.