As a major player in the web development space and having an enviable record of undertaking diverse projects, we have had the fortune of using many programming languages. One of the most popular programming language which we have time and again used in most of our assignments is Javascript. Of course, like any other programming language it has both pros and cons but there is a reason why it is endorsed by a 12 million strong developer community – its wide scope for deploying applications from cloud to IoT along with its simple syntax. It is also the undisputed leader in front end web development and developers love using Javascript for developing applications for their clients.
Having said that, there are also some aspects of Javascript that developers are averse to such as differential execution in different browsers, single inheritance and lack of debugging functionalities. In a world of ample choices, the developer is ever on the lookout for any viable alternatives to Javascript. So, in today’s blogpost, we make an attempt to provide our insights on the different workarounds to Javascript available in the market. Now, we do acknowledge that these tools transpile another language to Javascript. Nevertheless, these are some noteworthy alternatives
Typescript
Typescript, developed by Microsoft, is an easy recommend for it not only improves upon Javascript but also adds a lot more features, making it an awesome alternative. It has support for static typing and Node.js, among other things. This open-source tool can be used in any browser with any host and any operating system. Clients hiring a programmer can especially use Typescript for developing large enterprise applications. It goes without saying that coding in this language requires a certain level of expertise.
Kaffeine
Kaffeine can be thought of as extensions to Javascript that enhances the latter’s functions in many aspects with a special focus on debugging. In fact, debugging has never been simpler. It adopts a practical approach, often doing away with over the top features of Javascript. The main pro of using this tool is its ease of use both for developers and end users, making the case for a smooth user experience.
Dart
‘Paint your UI to life’ is what this Google developed Dart VM proclaims and rightly so. Having support of type inference, Dart improves upon Javascript by removing some of its common irritants. It also comes with Google’s own kit, which enables Dart to go a step further and helps developers to design standalone web and mobile applications. At the same time, we also ask developers to tread cautiously, for there is not much of online resources in case of programming trouble.
Elm
Are you looking for advanced front end web development? Then Elm might be for you. It is not the typical general purpose language like Javascript. It proclaims itself as that friendly tool that seek to help in every which way – from displaying error messages and hints to eliminating runtime exceptions. However, given its capabilities, the learning curve is steep, thereby making it difficult for newbies to develop applications in a short period.
Coffeescript
Coffeescript is a decent attempt in bringing out the best of Javascript, especially improving on the latter’s readability. The execution is faster when compared to Javascript and having support for Node.Js is yet another advantage. However, the downside is that developers still need to be an expert in the original language and also has limited features. Moreover, the recent updates (ES6) of Javascript means that developers need not think twice about going back to Javascript itself.
No alternative in the above list is complete and has its share of pros and cons. For one, almost every tool requires some level of expertise to master it. At HireIndianProgrammers, we still believe that a true heir to Javascript is yet to arrive at the scene.
