Around a year ago, I wrote a blog post lamenting the high cost of entry for using ES6 features like generators, modules, etc. Since then, the world of JavaScript runtime environments has progressed significantly.
Most (if not all) of the features that were once difficult to use without pre-compilers are now available to the general population with updated browsers, and to back-end developers with new versions of Node.js. The state of JavaScript has improved significantly!
But the problem of new features hasn’t gone away. It’s only moved.
Now instead of wondering how I can work with generators, I’m looking for opportunity to work with async functions and other ES2017 (and beyond) features.
There’s an underlying problem that we have, as JavaScript developers, when it comes to new language versions and features. Most languages require us to install the specific version in whatever environment we are running our application.
But JavaScript is different – at least on the front end of things.
Instead of developers and production engineers installing the latest JavaScript features, we’re waiting for web browsers to catch up to the features. Not only that, but we’re waiting for the general population of people that use our web sites to update their browsers so we can safely use those features.
Sure, we can install new versions of Node.js on our server and run new code in the back-end. But even that can be dangerous.
I mean, when was the last time you heard about a great new language feature or syntax change in JavaScript, and thought to yourself,
“That’s great! I’ll just install the latest, unstable Node.js release, update my Babel.js version and plugins, and download an experimental browser versions that might support this syntax if I use command-line flags when starting it!”
If you’re like me and millions of other developers, this isn’t even a remote possibility. It’s just not going to happen.
Why?
Because you have existing projects that need tried-and-true, stable, well-tested and supported versions of all these things. And the risk of installing new, unstable and experimental versions of Node, Babel or any other runtime, and having it break your actual work is far too great.
It’s enough to make a developer want to forget about learning new JavaScript features… to just wait until they become “old” features. Which is unfortunate – because when I see the future of JavaScript, I see code that I desperately want to write, now.
Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem. It is possible to learn new JavaScript features – to take advantage of async functions and other improvements that can greatly reduce the amount of code you have to write. And it can be done safely.
On May 2nd, I’ll be presenting a live WatchMeCode session all about this problem and solution.
The ES7 and Beyond with Docker webinar will give you everything you need to learn the latest JavaScript features without once putting your current projects in danger from new runtime libraries, or other software updates.
And don’t worry if you’ve never used Docker – with the solution that I have, you won’t need any prior Docker experience to take advantage of the latest JavaScript features.
