JavaScript Tutorial & Demo 2: Code Editors & Dev tools

Prior Lesson: JavaScript Tutorial & Demo 1: Theory

In this guide, you’ll learn more about:

JavaScript code editors
How to install Visual Studio Code for JavaScript development.
Advantages and disadvantages of JavaScript
JavaScript Development tools

Table of Contents

JavaScript Code Editors That Are Popular

An editor for JavaScript is required to make inputting JavaScript programs more accessible and faster.

To edit JavaScript source code, their are several code editors which are essentially a text editor, similar to Notepad or Notepad on Windows.

Aside from essential editing tools and capabilities, the JavaScript code editor provides syntax highlighting, indentation, autocomplete, indentation, and brace match capability.

Some editors provide a simple way to test JavaScript and other tools linked to the software development process.

These are the best JavaScript code editors:

It is vital to note that all of the JavaScript editors listed above are entirely free. If we settle on one, we will use Visual Studio Code.

Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. Visual Studio Code is sometimes abbreviated as VS Code.

VS Code works on all platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

VS Code is exceptionally adaptable. It lets you change the themes, keyboard shortcuts, and settings and even install extensions to offer further functionality.

VS Code has built-in JavaScript support, which supports IntelliSense debugging, formatting, debugging programming navigation, and restructuring, as well as a slew of other sophisticated language capabilities.

You may get Visual Studio Code by clicking on the link below:

Visual Studio Code may be downloaded.

Visual Studio Code Installation

Visual Studio Code installation is quick and straightforward. It’s a short download that will take you only a few minutes to install.

A) Microsoft Windows

To install VS Code on Windows, go through the following steps:
Then, launch the installer that you downloaded from the file. It just takes about a minute.
Launch the Visual Studio software.
Visual Studio Code will be installed to your path in %PATH% by the installation. you can now type the command code . to launch the VS Code on that folder.

B) Mac OS X

To download VS Code for macOS, follow these steps:

To begin, expand the contents of the downloaded archive by double-clicking on it.
Then drag the Visual Studio Code App into the Applications folder to make it available on the launchpad.

The Live Server extension installation on VS Code

Users can use live server extensions to launch a local development server that uses hot reload on static sites. There is no need to reload the page after modifying the JavaScript code to view the changes.

Follow these steps to install the Live Server extension: If you want to use the Live Server extension, you must do the following:

Firstly, you must select Extensions.
Then, on the list, look for Live Server and pick the Live Server extension.
After that, you may install it by clicking the button.

Now, you’ve learned about the JavaScript code editor and how to install Visual Studio Code for editing JavaScript source code in this tutorial.

Let us know about JavaScript advantages and disadvantages.

JavaScript Advantages

The benefits of JavaScript are as follows:

Reduced server interactions You may validate user input before sending the page to the servers. This reduces server traffic, resulting in reduced load on your server.
Users receive immediate feedback. Visitors do not have to wait for the page to refresh to see if they haven’t supplied any information.
Enhancement of interactivity It is feasible to design interfaces that respond when a user hovers over them with an instrument or clicks on them with a keyboard.
Improved user interfaces JavaScript may be used to add components such as sliders and drag-and-drop elements to your website, providing users with a rich experience.

JavaScript’s constraints

JavaScript cannot be considered a comprehensive programming language. It lacks the following essential characteristics:

Client-side JavaScript does not support file writing or reading. This was done to keep the user safe.
Because there is no networking capability in JavaScript, it is unsuitable for networking applications.
JavaScript does not support multithreading or multiprocessors.
Again, JavaScript is a lightweight programming language that may add interactivity to dull HTML websites otherwise.

Tools for JavaScript Development

One of JavaScript’s key advantages is its simplicity. The advantage of JavaScript is that it does not necessitate the acquisition of pricey programming tools. It is feasible, to begin with, a simple text editor, such as Notepad. You don’t need a compiler because it’s an interpreted language within the web browser.

Numerous companies have created excellent JavaScript editors to make our life easier. A couple of them are listed below to assist you.

FrontPage by Microsoft: FrontPage is a popular HTML editor created by Microsoft. FrontPage also provides Web developers with a variety of JavaScript tools to help create and develop interactive websites.

Macromedia Dreamweaver MX: Macromedia Dreamweaver MX is a popular HTML and JavaScript editor for professionals in the web development business. It has several pre-built JavaScript components, works well with databases, and complies with the most recent standards, such as XHTML and XML.

Macromedia HomeSite 5: HomeSite 5, a popular HTML and JavaScript editor created by Macromedia may manage personal web pages successfully.

Accessing JavaScript Web Development Tools

Google Chrome

On Windows, hit “F12,” on Mac, “Cmd+Opt+J.”

Edge and Firefox

F12 is typically used to launch the Console tab of the devtools in Firefox and Edge.

Safari

If you are using the Safari browser on a Mac, you must first activate the Developer Menu.
Then, to toggle the Console window, press Cmd+Opt+C.

Article Category: JavaScript Tutorials