Master JavaScript: 100 Essential Definitions for
Beginners
deepdev.org/blog/100-essential-javascript-definitions-for-beginners
100 Essential JavaScript Definitions for Beginners
Dive into the world of JavaScript with our comprehensive guide
featuring 100 essential definitions. From basic concepts to advanced
features, this article covers everything a beginner needs to know to
start their coding journey. Perfect for aspiring web developers and
those looking to refresh their JS knowledge.
100 Essential JavaScript Definitions for Beginners
Are you just starting your journey into the world of JavaScript?
You've come to the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk
you through 100 essential JavaScript terms and concepts, helping
you build a solid foundation for your coding adventures. Let's dive in!
Basic Concepts
1. JavaScript: A versatile programming language used for creating
interactive web pages and applications.
2. Variable: A container for storing data values. Example: let
name = "John";
3. Constant: A variable that cannot be reassigned. Example:
const PI = 3.14159;
4. Data Type: A classification of data. JavaScript has six primitive
data types and one complex data type (Object).
5. String: A sequence of characters enclosed in quotes. Example:
"Hello, World!"
6. Number: A numeric data type used for integers and floating-
point numbers. Example: 42 or 3.14
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7. Boolean: A data type representing true or false values.
8. Undefined: A variable that has been declared but not assigned
a value.
9. Null: A deliberate non-value or absence of any object value.
10. Symbol: A unique and immutable primitive data type introduced
in ES6.
Operators and Expressions
1. Operator: A symbol that performs operations on values and
variables.
2. Assignment Operator (=): Assigns a value to a variable.
Example: x = 5;
3. Arithmetic Operators: Perform mathematical operations (+, , ,
/, %).
4. Comparison Operators: Compare values (==, ===, !=, !==, >,
<, >=, <=).
5. Logical Operators: Perform logical operations (&&, ||, !).
6. Ternary Operator: A shorthand for an if-else statement.
Example: condition ? expr1 : expr2
7. Expression: A combination of values, variables, and operators
that resolves to a value.
Control Flow
1. If Statement: A conditional statement that executes code based
on a condition.
2. Else Statement: Specifies code to be executed when the if
condition is false.
3. Else If Statement: Checks multiple conditions in sequence.
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4. Switch Statement: Selects one of many code blocks to be
executed.
5. For Loop: A control flow statement for iterating a specific
number of times.
6. While Loop: Executes a block of code as long as a condition is
true.
7. Do...While Loop: Similar to while, but always executes the code
block at least once.
8. Break Statement: Terminates a loop or switch statement.
9. Continue Statement: Skips the rest of the loop iteration and
continues with the next one.
Functions
1. Function: A reusable block of code that performs a specific
task.
2. Function Declaration: Defines a named function. Example:
function greet() { ... }
3. Function Expression: Assigns a function to a variable.
Example: const greet = function() { ... }
4. Arrow Function: A concise way to write function expressions.
Example: const greet = () => { ... }
5. Parameters: Variables listed as part of a function definition.
6. Arguments: Values passed to a function when it is called.
7. Return Statement: Specifies the value to be returned by a
function.
8. Callback Function: A function passed as an argument to
another function.
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9. Higher-Order Function: A function that takes other functions as
arguments or returns them.
Objects and Arrays
1. Object: A complex data type representing a collection of key-
value pairs.
2. Property: A key-value pair in an object.
3. Method: A function that is a property of an object.
4. Array: An ordered collection of elements stored in a single
variable.
5. Index: A numeric position of an element in an array (starting
from 0).
6. Array Method: Built-in functions to manipulate arrays (e.g.,
push(), pop(), slice()).
7. Object Literal: A way to create objects using curly braces {}.
8. Dot Notation: Accessing object properties using a dot.
Example: person.name
9. Bracket Notation: Accessing object properties using brackets.
Example: person["name"]
DOM and Events
1. DOM (Document Object Model): A programming interface for
HTML and XML documents.
2. Element: An individual part of an HTML document, like a
paragraph or div.
3. Node: Any object in the DOM tree.
4. Event: An action that occurs in the browser, such as a button
click or page load.
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5. Event Listener: A function that responds to events triggered by
the user.
6. Event Handler: A function that runs when an event occurs.
Advanced Concepts
1. Scope: The context in which variables are declared and
accessible.
2. Closure: A function that retains access to its outer function's
scope.
3. Hoisting: The behavior of moving variable and function
declarations to the top of their scope.
4. This Keyword: Refers to the object it belongs to.
5. Prototype: An object from which other objects inherit properties.
6. Inheritance: The ability of an object to acquire properties and
methods from another object.
7. Class: A blueprint for creating objects (introduced in ES6).
8. Constructor: A special method for creating and initializing
objects created within a class.
9. Asynchronous Programming: Writing code that doesn't run
sequentially.
10. Promise: An object representing the eventual completion or
failure of an asynchronous operation.
11. Async/Await: A modern syntax for working with asynchronous
code using promises.
12. Module: A self-contained piece of code with private and public
interfaces.
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13. Export: A keyword used to make code in a module accessible to
other files.
14. Import: A keyword used to include code from other modules.
15. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A lightweight data
interchange format.
ES6+ Features
1. Let: A block-scoped variable declaration.
2. Const: A block-scoped declaration for constants.
3. Template Literals: String literals allowing embedded
expressions. Example: `Hello, ${name}!`
4. Destructuring: A syntax for extracting values from arrays or
properties from objects.
5. Spread Operator: An operator used to spread elements of an
array or object. Example: ...array
6. Rest Parameter: Collects multiple elements into an array.
Example: function(a, ...rest)
7. Default Parameters: Allows setting default values for function
parameters.
8. Map: A data structure that stores key-value pairs.
9. Set: A data structure that stores unique values.
10. Symbol: A unique and immutable primitive data type.
Browser APIs and Web Development
1. AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML): A technique for
making asynchronous requests to the server.
2. Fetch API: A modern replacement for XMLHttpRequest for
making HTTP requests.
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3. Local Storage: A web storage object for storing data in the
browser.
4. Session Storage: Similar to Local Storage but data is cleared
when the browser session ends.
5. Cookies: Small pieces of data stored on the client's computer
by websites.
6. Geolocation API: Allows web applications to access the user's
geographical location.
7. Web Workers: Scripts that run in the background, separate from
the main page.
8. Service Workers: Scripts that act as proxy servers between
web applications, the browser, and the network.
9. WebSockets: A protocol providing full-duplex communication
channels over a single TCP connection.
10. Canvas API: Allows dynamic, scriptable rendering of 2D shapes
and images.
Development Tools and Practices
1. Debugging: The process of finding and fixing errors in code.
2. Console.log(): A method to output messages to the browser
console for debugging.
3. Linter: A tool that analyzes code for potential errors and style
issues.
4. Transpiler: A tool that converts code from one version of
JavaScript to another.
5. Bundler: A tool that combines multiple JavaScript files into a
single file.
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6. npm (Node Package Manager): A package manager for
JavaScript libraries and tools.
7. Version Control: A system for tracking and managing changes
to code.
8. Git: A popular distributed version control system.
9. Unit Testing: Testing individual units or components of a
program.
10. Integration Testing: Testing how different parts of an
application work together.
11. Continuous Integration (CI): The practice of automating the
integration of code changes.
12. Deployment: The process of making a website or application
available on the internet.
13. Minification: The process of removing unnecessary characters
from code without changing functionality.
14. Code Splitting: Dividing code into smaller chunks to improve
performance.
15. Progressive Enhancement: A strategy for web design that
emphasizes core webpage content first.
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