30+ Helpful Sources to Boost Your JavaScript Skills
What to read and watch to take your JavaScript skills to the next level? Andrii Gordiichuk, Senior Engineering Manager, shares his favorite resources.
What skills should you master as a JavaScript engineer?
— Nowadays, engineers should embrace new technologies faster than ever before. The world is changing quickly, and in 2023, clients are looking at new tools and technologies such as AI/ML, ChatGPT, low-code/no-code platforms, IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud Native, blockchain, cryptocurrency, metaverse, and others. That is why the ability to adapt quickly is one of the most important things each engineer should develop.
JavaScript fits front-end and back-end development, so don't limit yourself to only one of those. Full-stack skills are a progressive trend. But this doesn't mean knowing everything — it implies that engineers have a wide expertise to be more competitive and deliver effective solutions for different contexts. The important thing here is having the fundamental engineering knowledge that is the foundation for building you as an engineer and boosting your engineering mindset. And don’t forget to pay attention to mastering soft skills for effective customer communication and teamwork.
Useful resources to improve your JavaScript skills
— In my experience, original documentation is the best starting point for learning a new framework, library, tool, etc. In addition, you may use specific educational platforms and tools that can help you to boost your mastery. At the very beginning, practice, articles, videos, and community chats are your best friends.
I recommend 30+ resources that help you boost your JavaScript skills.
Platforms and websites
- JavaScript.Info is a must-have for beginners. This online resource covers a wide range of topics, from basic syntax to advanced concepts, and includes tutorials, quizzes, and practical exercises.
- Patterns.dev is a free book on design patterns and component patterns for building powerful web apps with vanilla JavaScript.
- FreeCodeCamp is a learning portal inspired by the idea of helping people learn to code for free.
- 33 Concepts Every JavaScript Developer Should Know is a repository that helps developers master their concepts in JavaScript.
- Developer Roadmaps is a website offering a range of roadmaps, from beginner-level to advanced, for different areas of software development, including front-end development, back-end development, DevOps, and data science. Embark on your JavaScript developer roadmap with confidence, as we provide curated resources and guidance to help you achieve your career goals.
- Refactoring guru contains everything you need to know about refactoring, design patterns, SOLID principles, and other smart programming topics.
- Fireship is a fast and amusing way to level up your programming skills.
- 2ality is a blog focused on JavaScript, TypeScript, and also web development.
- LeetCode provides coding challenges for developers to improve their coding skills and prepare for technical interviews.
- CodeWars helps learn, train, and improve your coding skills by solving programming tasks of many types and difficulty levels in a gamified way.
Newsletters
YouTube channels
- JavaScript Competency Center is a source for online education in the areas of web development, programming, and coding.
- ByteByteGo covers topics and trends in large-scale system design, from the authors of the System Design Interview book series.
- Going Headless helps to explore the world of headless architecture and MACH technology.
Books
— Begin with simple things you already use in practice and want to understand more deeply. I would suggest combining technical books with books about self-development, motivation, and processes.
- Mythical Man-Month, by Frederick P. Brooks
- Series of books, by Robert C. Martin (Uncle Bob);
- JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, by David Flanagan;
- You Don't Know JS series: Up and Going, Types & Grammar, Scope and Closures, this & Object Prototypes, Async & Performance, ES6 & Beyond, by Kyle Simpson;
- High Performance JavaScript, by Nicholas C. Zakas;
- Effective TypeScript, by Dan Vanderkam;
- Tackling TypeScript: Upgrading from JavaScript, by Dr. Axel Rauschmayer;
- Dive Into DESIGN PATTERNS, by Alexander Shvets;
- Node.js Design Patterns, by Mario Casciaro
- Fundamentals of Software Architecture, by Mark Richards;
- Building Microservices, and Monolith to Microservices, by Sam Newman;
- Designing Data-Intensive Applications, by Martin Kleppmann;
- Fundamentals of Data Engineering, by Joe Reis;
- Full Stack Serverless, by Nader Dabit;
- The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, by Ray Kurzweil.
— Remember, learning to code and boosting your engineering expertise is a process that requires time and practice. Start with the basics, build small projects, and continue to learn and grow your skills over time.