Mastering the Basics: JavaScript Best Practices for Beginners

Stepping into the world of JavaScript is exciting, but it’s easy to pick up "bad habits" that make your code buggy or hard to read. Writing clean code isn't just about making it work; it's about making it maintainable for your future self and others.

Here are the essential best practices to follow as you start your coding journey.

1. Use `let` and `const` Instead of `var`

In modern JavaScript (ES6+), var is largely outdated. It has "hoisting" behaviors that can lead to confusing bugs.

const: Use this for variables that won't be reassigned (your default choice).
let: Use this only when you know the value needs to change later.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

var name = "Alex";
var age = 25;

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

const name = "Alex"; // Name doesn't change
let age = 25;        // Age will change next year
age = 26;

2. Use Meaningful Variable Names

A variable name should tell the reader exactly what it holds. Avoid single letters or vague terms.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

const d = new Date();
let x = 10;
const data = ["Apple", "Orange"];

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

const currentDate = new Date();
let retryAttempts = 10;
const fruitList = ["Apple", "Orange"];

3. Use Strict Equality (`===`)

JavaScript is a "loosely typed" language, meaning it tries to be helpful by converting types automatically. Using == can lead to unexpected results because it ignores the data type. Always use === to check for both value and type.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

console.log(5 == "5"); // true (Confusing!)

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

console.log(5 === "5"); // false (Correct!)

4. Keep Functions Small and Focused

A function should do one thing and do it well. If a function is 50 lines long, it’s probably doing too much.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

function updateAndSaveUser(user) {
    // validates user...
    // updates database...
    // sends welcome email...
    // logs to console...
}

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

function validateUser(user) { /* ... */ }
function saveToDatabase(user) { /* ... */ }
function sendEmail(user) { /* ... */ }

5. Use Template Literals for Strings

Stop struggling with messy plus signs (+) when joining strings and variables. Template literals (using backticks `) are much cleaner.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

const greeting = "Hello, " + name + "! You are " + age + " years old.";

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

const greeting = `Hello, ${name}! You are ${age} years old.`;

6. Comment "Why", Not "What"

Good code should be "self-documenting"—the names of variables and functions should explain what is happening. Use comments to explain why you chose a specific approach if it's complex.

❌ Bad Practice:

JavaScript

// Add one to i
i++;

✅ Best Practice:

JavaScript

// We increment the counter here to bypass the header row in the CSV
recordIndex++;

Conclusion:

Following these rules early on helps you avoid "Technical Debt." Clean code is easier to debug, faster to read, and makes you look like a pro during code reviews!

1. Use let and const Instead of var

2. Use Meaningful Variable Names

3. Use Strict Equality (===)

4. Keep Functions Small and Focused

5. Use Template Literals for Strings

6. Comment "Why", Not "What"

Conclusion:

1. Use `let` and `const` Instead of `var`

3. Use Strict Equality (`===`)

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