JavaScript

JavaScript is the programming language of the web. HTML gives a page its structure, CSS gives it its appearance, and JavaScript gives it behaviour - things like dropdown menus, form validation, animated transitions, and anything else that responds to what a user does.

It runs directly in the browser without any server involved, which means interactions can happen instantly without reloading the page. It also runs on the server side (via Node.js), handles databases, and powers mobile apps. It's the most widely used programming language in the world for good reason: you cannot build a modern website without it.

Every project I build uses JavaScript at its core. On the frontend it handles all the interactive elements - navigation menus, contact forms, filtering, animations, and anything that needs to respond to user input. On the backend it powers server logic, API routes, and database queries through Node.js.

For most client projects, JavaScript runs through frameworks like React and Next.js rather than being written as raw script files. That makes the code easier to maintain and less prone to the kind of messy, hard-to-debug issues that come with older JavaScript approaches.