JavaScript is a scrappy yet graceful language that has found itself at the center of one of the greatest software shifts in history. It is now the primary programming language used to deliver user experiences on the most ubiquitous platform that exists: the web.
This huge responsibility has meant that the JavaScript language has had to grow up very quickly in a period of shifting demands. For the up-and-coming JavaScript programmer or web developer, these changes have meant that the language and its ecosystem have been increasingly complex to grasp. Nowadays, the sheer number of frameworks and libraries available is overwhelming, even to those who've been in the industry for many years.
The task of this book is to peel back the confusing layers and concepts that the world has placed atop the language to reveal its underlying nature and consider how we can use it to craft reliable and maintainable code with a focus on usability. We will begin by zooming out and considering, in a very fundamental way, why we even write code. We will discover that the code we write does not exist in a vacuum. We will explore the large and small ways in which our code drastically affects our users and fellow programmers, and discuss ways that we can accommodate their various needs.
Beyond a fundamental exploration of clean coding principles, we will deeply delve into JavaScript itself, guiding you through the language, from its most atomic syntax to its more abstract design patterns and conventions. We will also explore how we can go about documenting and testing our code in the cleanest way possible. You should come away with a solid grasp of the JavaScript language and an attuned sense of what clean code is.