5 sites every JavaScript developer should know

1. Mozilla Developer Network

You probably know that MDN is unparalleled at providing API documentation for both JavaScript and the DOM. What you might not know is that they also have tonnes of great guides for learning some of the concepts behind JavaScript, broken up by difficulty.

Some examples:

• A re-introduction to JavaScript (for people transitioning from novice to intermediate)
• Memory Management (for advanced users who need every iota of performance)
• Strict mode (you’ve seen it before, but what does it exactly mean?)

2. reddit.com/r/javascript

The subreddit for JavaScript is my personal favourite JS resource out there. It provides everything a good subreddit should: a balance between discussion and links, a community of experts and novices, and good mods.

3. JavaScript Jabber

The unrivalled king of JS podcasts, JavaScript Jabber provides (mostly) weekly discussion on topics from the newest framework to remote work.

The podcast has had some absolutely giant names on such as:

• Brandon Eich (creator of JavaScript)
• Igor Minar (creator of AngularJS)
• Lars Bak (creator of the V8 runtime that powers Chrome)
• Isaac Z. Schlueter (creator of npm)

The show also has relative no-names on too, which in my opinion is great. It doesn’t just focus on the celebrites in JS, but rather gives you an understanding of how people are using JS around the world.

4. npmjs

One of the great movements that’s taken JS code (though by no way is it unique to JavaScript) is writing very modular code. The benefit of modular, single-responsibility code is that it can be reused, and npm is a great facilitator of this.

You might have used npm before. If you haven’t, just install node and you’re set. Even if you have used npm, you might not have explored the site’s repository - and you should!

Sections like the most depended upon packages let you see what other JS devs are using. It’s a great way to discover new libraries, tools, and frameworks that you wouldn’t hear about otherwise!

5. JavaScript Design Patterns (online ebook)

Addy Osmani’s book is one of favourite JS books out there. Sure it’s good to sit down and read like Crockford’s JavaScript: The Good Parts, but the reason this book is on this list is because it’s great as a reference too.

You’ll find design patterns for all of JavaScript’s pain points here, from constructors to modules to writing your own jQuery plugin. Reading, then re-reading sections from this book will make you a better programmer.