Step 4 — JavaScript basics

The language that moves the browser. Four things — variables, functions, events, async — cover 90%.

1. Three variable keywords

const name = "Codingstairs";  // won't change (most cases)
let count = 0;                // will change
// var — legacy, avoid in new code

Rule: const first, let only when reassignment is needed.

2. Types

typeof "hello"         // "string"
typeof 42              // "number"
typeof true            // "boolean"
typeof undefined       // "undefined"
typeof null            // "object" (historical bug)
typeof Symbol()        // "symbol"
typeof 42n             // "bigint"
typeof {}              // "object"
typeof []              // "object" (use Array.isArray)

undefined = not assigned; null = explicitly empty.

3. Functions — three forms

function add(a, b) { return a + b; }
const subtract = function(a, b) { return a - b; };
const multiply = (a, b) => a * b;
const square = (x) => { const r = x * x; return r; };

Arrow functions don't bind this — handy for callbacks, wrong for constructors.

4. Objects and arrays

const user = {
  name: "Alice", age: 25,
  greet() { return `hi, ${this.name}`; },
};
user.name; user["name"]; user.greet();

const fruits = ["apple", "banana", "cherry"];
fruits[0];
fruits.length;
fruits.push("watermelon");
fruits.map(f => f.length);   // [5, 6, 6, 10]

5. Events

<button id="hi">Click me</button>
<input id="name" placeholder="name">

<script>
  const btn = document.getElementById("hi");
  const name = document.getElementById("name");

  btn.addEventListener("click", () => {
    alert(`Hi, ${name.value}!`);
  });

  name.addEventListener("input", (e) => {
    console.log("value:", e.target.value);
  });
</script>

Find → listen → react.

6. Async — Promise · async/await

fetch("/api/users")
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(users => console.log(users))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

async function loadUsers() {
  try {
    const res = await fetch("/api/users");
    const users = await res.json();
    console.log(users);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(err);
  }
}

loadUsers();

async functions always return a Promise. await only inside async.

7. Modern syntax

// Destructuring
const { name, age } = user;
const [first, second] = fruits;

// Spread
const newUser = { ...user, email: "a@b.com" };
const extended = [...fruits, "strawberry"];

// Optional chaining
const city = user?.address?.city;

// Nullish coalescing
const displayName = user.nickname ?? "guest";

// Template literals
const msg = `hi ${name}, age ${age}`;

8. Array methods

const nums = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];

nums.map(n => n * 2);
nums.filter(n => n > 2);
nums.reduce((s, n) => s + n, 0);
nums.find(n => n > 3);
nums.some(n => n > 4);
nums.every(n => n > 0);
nums.forEach(n => console.log(n));

Replace most loops with these.

9. JSON

const str = JSON.stringify({ name: "Alice", age: 25 });
const obj = JSON.parse('{"name":"Alice","age":25}');

10. Try it — tiny todo

<input id="task" placeholder="task">
<button id="add">add</button>
<ul id="list"></ul>

<script>
  const task = document.getElementById("task");
  const list = document.getElementById("list");

  document.getElementById("add").addEventListener("click", () => {
    if (!task.value.trim()) return;
    const li = document.createElement("li");
    li.textContent = task.value;
    li.addEventListener("click", () => li.remove());
    list.appendChild(li);
    task.value = "";
  });
</script>

11. Gotchas

• == vs === — always ===
• this in arrow vs regular — different rules
• Callback hell — use Promise chain or async/await
• Global leaks — always const/let
• Unhandled rejection — wrap await in try/catch

12. TypeScript next

TS adds types on top — autocomplete, early errors, safer refactor. Modern frontend is almost all TS.

Deeper

• JavaScript basics
• TypeScript strict
• Forms + Zod

Next

Step 5 — React 19 writes the same interactions more elegantly.