Why Business Professionals Should Learn JavaScript

Why Business Professionals Should Learn JavaScript
Why Business Professionals Should Learn JavaScript. Photo: Pixabay

There was a time when coding was strictly the purview of geeks and was of little interest to anyone else. This is changing, however. JavaScript, and other languages like it, are increasingly finding use within the workplace. JavaScript can add functionality to otherwise dull spreadsheets, and it can be used to customize existing business software and to develop your own.

Being able to work with JavaScript will give you an edge over other businesses and individuals, adding a very powerful weapon to your toolkit.

Whether you are looking to improve the prospects of your business, or your value as a potential employee, JavaScript has a great deal to offer business professionals. Here are some of the top reasons business professionals should consider JavaScript.

Add Functionality to Spreadsheets

JavaScript can be used to add functionality to spreadsheets made on Google Sheets, providing a powerful tool for importing and manipulating data. It can also be used to analyze and visualize data, making it much easier to interpret, therefore making it more useful. Microsoft now also supports the JavaScript API for use with Excel.

Build and Customize Web-Based Software

JavaScript is one of the most powerful, versatile and widely used programming languages for building web-based software. With in-depth knowledge of JavaScript, you will be able to build and customize your own web software for your business to use.

For example, the majority of the commercially available web-based software packages for managing customer relationships can be customized using JavaScript. Salesforce allows you to add in your own custom buttons whose functionality you can decide for yourself.

If you can code in JavaScript, you could potentially design your own proprietary software from the ground up. There are lots of open source JavaScript apps for business, and you can use these as a basis for your own in-house software.

Automate Windows Applications

There are a number of commonly used Windows applications that support JavaScript as a language for scripting repetitive tasks – anything that you need to do on a regular basis. This is a great way of saving time, both on an individual and company-wide level. It is also a great way of making complex tasks simple for any of your employees to complete.

If you use Windows, you can use Windows Script Host with Jscript, a JavaScript offshoot, to perform a number of functions. For example, you can use it to manipulate and alter files, as well as automating individual applications. With custom macros, you can use it to interact with any other programs you use.

Learning to code is a useful skill for anybody in today’s world. However, business professionals in particular can benefit from the improved efficiency and productivity that is possible when deploying a language like JavaScript to achieve automation. In addition to this, being able to deploy and customize web-based applications allows businesses to be more agile and responsive in general. If you have been considering learning a programming language but have been sitting on the fence or aren’t sure which language to learn, taking the plunge with JavaScript is an excellent investment.