By Elson Correia
You may not survive as a developer if you don't understand how to structure data and write algorithms that collect, analyze, and transforms the data. That is true despite having to learn data structure or data structure algorithms. What is required is for you to understand the idea behind working and manipulating data.
Why learn Data Structures in JavaScript?
JavaScript is no longer a browser-level programming language and web development is no longer HTML and CSS manipulations to present content. It is common to find very complex web applications that deal with a lot of data from games, editors, and data manipulation right from the browser.
Data structures relate a lot with Object-Oriented Programming which is still a popular programming paradigm and even if you are not a fan of FP, understanding the need to structure data and write algorithms on manipulating, searching, and transforming data is an important skill to have. Even functional programs make use of data structures.
Learning data structure in JavaScript — as in any language — will change the way you approach data and how data goes from one point to another. In general, it is an essential skill to advance your career even if you never use it.
Does Web Development require it?
Websites are no longer used just to display content with simple animation and interactions. Nowadays, you can sit in front of a browser, play complex games, manipulate media, trade stock, bank, design, code, manage and visualize complex data, perform memory and CPU-intensive tasks, etc.
Simple web development does not require but it is nice to know since it teaches a different way to think and organize data. The requirement becomes evident when the developer starts engaging in complex web applications, especially data-intensive ones.
Can I go without this knowledge?
Yes! Not everything on the web is complex. Content websites like blogs, and product and documentation websites, are more HTML and CSS intensive. They still require some JavaScript which can get intensive but it is more about interaction and feedback control.
With the rise of site builders, users are preferring to use these tools to put together their websites instead of hiring web developers for the task. These tools will only get better with time allowing for more data interaction and control but they will never replace creativity at the engineering level.
Simple websites are being automated and this automation is getting better and better. We are seeing designers doing web development jobs and as advice, I recommend stepping into the world of complex web applications for one's long-term career's sake.
Get started!
Learning about data structures will provide you with a lot of value. It will help you build better and faster applications by carefully considering the right data structure for the job. It allows you to better manage and optimizes for data that goes through the application. Above all, that's the type of knowledge that takes turns, developers, into engineers.
You may start by reading any of these articles written with examples and step-by-step implementation guides for each data structure.
- Array — a collection of elements placed sequentially in memory.
- Stack — a collection of elements that follow the LIFO principle.
- Queue — a collection of elements that follow the FIFO principle.
- Linked List — a collection of elements in which order is not given by a physical place in memory.
- Map (Dictionary) — a collection of elements in which the key does not necessarily represent the order of the element but is a unique key to access the element.
- Set — a collection of unique elements in no particular order.
- Tree — a non-linear data structure that simulates hierarchical tree structure(hence the name).
- Graph — a finite set of the node(vertices) connected by edges(lines)
You may watch all these data Structures videos if you prefer videos, but these blog posts will get into more detailed explanations.
Youtube Channel: Before Semicolon Website: beforesemicolon.com
