What Can I Make With Javascript?

Project-based learning is arguably the best way to approach programming. Unlike a field like history or philosophy where you can learn through reading and reflection, coding is something that has to be tinkered with, explored, and approached actively.

This is especially true if you’re looking to switch into a technology career. What is more important to employers is not credentials or degrees, it is whether or not you can produce functioning code and know types of programming languages. The top echelons of every technology field are peppered with coders who are entirely self-taught. 

They had to start somewhere. With our guide, now you can too. 

What Is JavaScript And Why Should I Learn It?

Javascript is a general-purpose language which has found widespread use in making web pages responsive and dynamic. It’s used for things like error-checking input fields in real time or writing a personalized greeting based on the time of the day. Other forms of Javascript, like Node.js, have even made their way into web development backends.

There are hundreds of online JavaScript courses available to teach you this programming language. Many of these courses even provide projects to practice with. Many of the projects related below, therefore, focus on Front End and Back End web development. But there’s no reason you can’t do something more ambitious like, say, coding a neural network in Javascript. 

Javascript Project Ideas 

With the introduction out of the way, let’s take a look at some projects you can do right now to build Javascript expertise:

1. Make a web browser game. Because of its role in making web pages dynamic, it should come as no surprise that you can make games in Javascript. Here’s a tutorial for building a platformer with Javascript. 
2. Learn to code mouseover effects. You’ve no doubt been to a website where hovering the mouse over an element causes a description or menu of options to pop up. These interactive elements can be done in JavaScript, and this will teach you how to do it, too. 
3. While reading an article like Top Coding Challenges For Javascript Junkies, you’ll notice buttons at the bottom that allow you to directly share the article to various social media platforms. This can be done in javascript and would be an excellent skill to develop if you’re interested in web development. 
4. Security is paramount today, especially with so much of our lives happening online. Learn to use Javascript to make your applications safe with this source code for building a javascript-based login authenticator. 
5. One of the best things about learning to code is that you can automate tasks and make yourself more productive. Javascript to-do lists can help you accomplish this. 
6. How about a simple word counter? Being able to parse text is a surprisingly useful skill in coding, especially if you can extend the project by having it read in websites from a URL. 

If these don’t interest you– or if you learn best by seeing others do things first, there are lots of ways to find other Javascript challenges. Javascript30 has you build 30 applications in 30 days using plain Javascript and Udemy has a course walking you through 17 complete Javascript projects, step by step. 

You’re sure to find something that intrigues you!