What Programming Language Should You Learn After JavaScript?

Learning a programming language is a significant step in anyone's journey to working in tech. JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages, especially for web development, and is often the first language that many people learn. But what should you learn after you've mastered JavaScript? This article will provide some suggestions based on what you want to achieve in your career.

Python

Python is a great choice for your next coding language to learn after JavaScript for several reasons. First of all, Python is versatile and can be used for various purposes, including web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and more. By learning Python, you can expand your skill set and have the flexibility to work on different types of projects.

Python is also easy to read and write. It has a clean and readable syntax, which makes it easy to understand and write code. This can be particularly beneficial for those transitioning from JavaScript, because Python's syntax is more straightforward and less verbose.

Plus, if you’re interested in more fields beyond web development, Python can be a great tool to master alongside JavaScript. It has a wide range of libraries and frameworks that are specifically designed for data analysis and machine learning. By mastering Python, you’ll have tools at your disposal that enable you to work with large datasets, perform complex calculations, and build machine learning models.

Additionally, many of the same tools make Python a great choice for automation and scripting tasks that can help you automate repetitive tasks, build scripts to process data, and create command-line tools.

Lastly, Python has a large and active community of developers, meaning there are resources, tutorials, and libraries available to help you learn and solve problems. This can make the learning process easier and provide you with ongoing support as you progress in your Python journey.

The Key Takeaway: By learning Python after JavaScript, you can broaden your programming skills, explore new areas of development, and increase your career opportunities in the tech industry because Python is:

• Versatile
• Easy to read and write
• Great for data analysis and machine learning
• Effective for automation and scripting
• Supported by a large community and extensive resources

Learn More About Python Programming:

• Average Python Programmer Salaries
• Why You Should Learn Python
• What is Python Used For? 
• How Long Does it Take to Learn Python Programming? 
• Is Python Good for AI and Machine Learning?

PHP

PHP is a popular programming language that is often used in web development. Learning PHP after JavaScript can be beneficial for several reasons. First, PHP can help you round out your skills in back-end development. JavaScript is primarily used for front-end development, while PHP is commonly used for back-end development. By learning PHP, you can expand your skill set and become proficient in both front-end and back-end development. This will enable you to build dynamic and interactive websites that can handle user input, process data, and interact with databases.

PHP works for back-end development because it’s a server-side scripting language, meaning that the code is executed on the server before the web page is sent to the user's browser. This allows you to perform tasks that cannot be done with JavaScript alone, such as accessing databases, handling form submissions, and generating dynamic content.

PHP also has a wide range of popular frameworks, which can simplify the process of building complex web applications. These frameworks provide pre-built modules and libraries that can help you develop secure and scalable web applications more efficiently.

Lastly, PHP is compatible with various operating systems and databases, making it a versatile choice for web development. It can be easily integrated with popular content management systems like WordPress, making it an ideal language for building websites and web applications.

The Key Takeaway: By learning PHP after JavaScript, you can enhance your web development skills and increase your career opportunities in the field because PHP:

• Allows you to build a solid foundation in both front-end and back-end development
• Has access to many popular web frameworks
• Is compatible with a wide range of operating systems and databases

Java

Java is a popular programming language that has a wide range of applications and can be another beneficial choice to learn after JavaScript. It can be used for building enterprise software, developing Android mobile apps, and creating server-side applications. By learning Java, you can expand your skill set and explore different career opportunities in these areas.

Java is also an object-oriented programming language, which means it follows a modular approach to software development. This can help you understand and apply important software engineering principles such as encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Understanding OOP concepts can greatly enhance your programming skills and make you a more efficient developer.

Similar to Python, Java also has a large and active community of developers, which means there are abundant resources available for learning and troubleshooting. You can find comprehensive documentation, tutorials, forums, and libraries that can help you if you get stuck while learning Java.

By learning Java, you can also increase your chances of finding job opportunities in various sectors because it’s widely used in the industry, and there’s a high demand for skilled Java developers. Part of its popularity is due to the fact that it’s platform-independent, which means that Java programs can run on different operating systems without any modifications. This makes Java a reliable choice for developing cross-platform applications.

The Key Takeaway: Learning Java after JavaScript can broaden your programming skills and open up new career paths, because Java is:

• Versatile
• Uses Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
• Has a strong community and resources
• In high demand
• Compatible with many different platforms and operating systems

Learn More About Java:

• Java vs. JavaScript: How Are They Different? 
• Is Python or Java Better for Machine Learning?

jQuery

jQuery is a popular JavaScript library that simplifies HTML document traversal, event handling, and animation for rapid web development. Learning jQuery after JavaScript can be advantageous and give you yet another tool for honing your web development skills.

First of all, jQuery provides a simplified syntax to manipulate the Document Object Model (DOM) of a web page. It allows you to easily select HTML elements, modify their attributes and content, and apply animations and effects. This can greatly enhance your ability to create dynamic and interactive web pages, something JavaScript already helps you do.

jQuery also handles the differences in how different web browsers interpret JavaScript, making it easier to write code that works consistently across multiple browsers. This can save you time and effort in testing and debugging your code. Its functionality is even further improved by a vast collection of plugins that can add features like image sliders, form validation, and AJAX functionality without the need for extensive JavaScript code written from scratch. This extensive plugin ecosystem can significantly speed up your development process.

Much like some of the programming languages we’ve mentioned, jQuery has a large and active community of developers who provide support through forums, documentation, and tutorials. This means that if you encounter any issues or have questions while learning or using jQuery, you can easily find resources and assistance.

Finally, and perhaps the most compelling reason to learn jQuery after JavaScript, is that jQuery is built on top of JavaScript, so learning jQuery can deepen your understanding of JavaScript itself. You can leverage your existing JavaScript knowledge and seamlessly integrate jQuery code into your projects.

The Key Takeaway: Learning jQuery after JavaScript can enhance your web development skills by providing you with:

• A powerful and efficient library for DOM manipulation
• Cross-browser compatibility
• Access to a rich plugin ecosystem
• Community support
• Seamless integration with JavaScript

Node.js

Node.js is a powerful runtime environment that allows you to run JavaScript code outside of the web browser, making it a popular choice for server-side development. By learning Node.js, you can become a full-stack JavaScript developer, as you will have the ability to write both client-side and server-side code in JavaScript. This can streamline your development process and make it easier to build and maintain web applications.

Learn More: How Much Do Full-Stack Developers Make?

Node.js is also known for its scalability and high performance. It uses a non-blocking, event-driven architecture that enables it to handle a large number of concurrent requests efficiently. This makes it particularly well-suited for building real-time applications, chat applications, streaming services, and other applications that require high scalability and performance.

Since Node.js is built on top of JavaScript, learning Node.js allows you to leverage your existing JavaScript knowledge and skills. This can make it easier to learn and work with Node.js, as you don't have to learn a new programming language or syntax.

Finally, Node.js has a large and active community of developers who provide support through forums, documentation, and tutorials. This means that if you encounter any issues or have questions while learning or using Node.js, you can easily find resources and assistance.

The Key Takeaway: Learning Node.js after JavaScript can expand your web development skills by:

• Allowing you to build full-stack JavaScript applications
• Taking advantage of its scalability and performance
• Leveraging your existing JavaScript knowledge
• Leaning on extensive community support

TypeScript

TypeScript is a strongly typed superset of JavaScript that adds static typing and other features to the language. TypeScript can provide additional features to JavaScript that can help you catch errors and bugs at compile time rather than runtime, enabling you to write more reliable and maintainable code. It also has advanced IDE support and tooling, making it easier to navigate and refactor your code.

The static typing also helps improve code quality and readability. With TypeScript, you can define types for variables, function parameters, and return values, enabling better documentation and reducing the chance of introducing errors.

Because TypeScript supports modular development by allowing you to define interfaces, classes, and modules, you can organize your codebase and better collaborate with team members. TypeScript also supports features like decorators and generics, which can aid in building scalable and maintainable applications.

The biggest reason to learn TypeScript after JavaScript is probably because TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript. That means that any valid JavaScript code is also valid TypeScript code, and it makes it easy to transition from JavaScript to TypeScript, as you can leverage your existing JavaScript knowledge and skills.

Not only is the transition between these languages easy, but because of how related they are, TypeScript can seamlessly integrate with existing JavaScript projects. You can gradually introduce TypeScript into your codebase by adding type annotations incrementally. TypeScript code can be transpiled to JavaScript, allowing it to run in any JavaScript environment, including browsers and Node.js.

The Key Takeaway: Learning TypeScript after JavaScript can help you:

• Enhance your developer experience
• Improve your code quality
• Increase scalability
• Leverage your existing JavaScript skills and knowledge within the JavaScript ecosystem

Develop Your Skills at App Academy

Choosing a programming language to learn after JavaScript largely depends on what you want to do. If you're interested in data science or machine learning, Python might be the best choice. If you want to get into enterprise software or mobile app development, Java could be the way to go. Regardless of the language you choose, the important thing is to continue learning and expanding your skills.

At App Academy, we teach a number of these programming languages — including JavaScript and Python — that you can use to build not only your skills but also your career. Our bootcamps and App Academy Open are designed to teach you the coding languages you need to know and help you prepare for interviews and land a job in the world of tech.

Sign up for a live online info session to learn more, or schedule a 1:1 call with one of our team experts. Start your software engineering career today with App Academy, and see how far you can go!