The Reasons Behind JavaScript’s Success
Tags: restapi, javascript, webdev, programming
Published: 2023-05-16 11:03:34

---
title: The Reasons Behind JavaScript’s Success
published: true
date: 2023-04-30 22:01:49 UTC
tags: restapi,javascript,webdev,programming
canonical_url: https://fagnerbrack.com/the-reasons-behind-javascripts-success-eecc6c2aa27
---

#### Insights from the Richardson Maturity Model & Dreyfus Model and the Programming Learning Cycle

Unveiling the mysteries behind skill acquisition is crucial in every domain, including technology. In software engineering, the [Richardson Maturity Model](https://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html) and the [Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition](https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA084551.pdf) have emerged as vital frameworks for understanding how people learn and evolve. They play a crucial role in explaining why JavaScript has been so successful.

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*a32ZXMHGXvSUyfxgj_ETsQ.jpeg)

The [Richardson Maturity Model](https://martinfowler.com/articles/richardsonMaturityModel.html) is a roadmap that illustrates the stages of mastering RESTful APIs. As learners grasp the fundamentals of Hypermedia, they gradually unlock the potential of Representational State Transfer (REST).

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/673/1*T-Le5_kVGeJcQ_XGKcbTbA.png)
_The Richardson Maturity Model (source)_

On the other hand, the [Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition](https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA084551.pdf) identifies five stages of skill development: novice, competent, proficient, expert, and master. While novices rely on rules and guidelines, experts and masters harness their intuition and deep comprehension of principles to shape their field. It's a model that also encodes the fundamentals used in [Katas](http://codekata.com/kata/kata-kumite-koan-and-dreyfus/).

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*ZXXZGE2BymVYRQjCa3RNIA.png)
_The original Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition Table (source)_

Though these models seem distinct, they share a common foundation in skill acquisition. While the Dreyfus Model takes a high-level domain-agnostic approach, the Richardson Maturity Model focuses on the stages engineers experience as they learn the domain of Hypermedia. Recognizing how these models intersect can illuminate JavaScript’s meteoric rise to prominence, which is spurred by NodeJS.

**JavaScript: The Key to Skill Advancement**

JavaScript is a versatile, beginner-friendly programming language that offers a low barrier to entry and flexible nature. This potent combination has empowered learners to progress through all the Dreyfus Model stages using a single language for server and client-side programming.

Gone are the days for novices to need to learn Java, its multi-threaded components, and frameworks like Hibernate, EJB, and Springboot for server-side coding. With NodeJS, developers can use their existing JavaScript skills and focus solely on libraries and frameworks as they advance from competence to mastery.

As developers fluent in Java, C#, Python, and Ruby move into non-coding roles within organizations (see the [Peter Principle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle)), a new wave of JavaScript novices has risen to take their place. Thanks to JavaScript’s low barrier of entry, these learners have become proficient seniors, leveraging the best aspects of JavaScript to continually rediscover and apply existing architectural patterns in the browser context.

This phenomenon has resulted in a cyclical re-discovery of some concepts previously known and refined by other server-side language communities. The JavaScript community ends up making the same mistakes and learning from them again and again:

- JSX -> HTML Templates
- Redux -> Event Sourcing

It also includes rebuilding tools and the trial/error process to stabilize their functionality and APIs:

- Webpack -> Maven
- NPM -> PIP
- Next.js -> Spring
- ExpressJS -> Apache

**The Power of Understanding Learning Models**

We can appreciate JavaScript's skyrocketing success and ongoing revolution by grasping the fundamentals behind the Richardson Maturity Model and the Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition. The language’s low entry barrier and adaptability have enabled learners to rapidly progress through the Dreyfus Model stages, making JavaScript the undisputed champion of web development.

JavaScript continues to thrive with a dynamic community that constantly rediscovers and refines established concepts. Both these models offer invaluable insights into learning and growing as software engineers, benefiting anyone eager to enhance their skills.

The burning question remains: Will today’s novices discover a language capable of dethroning JavaScript in the future? Only time will tell.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading. If you have feedback, contact me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/FagnerBrack), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fagnerbrack/) or [Github](http://github.com/FagnerMartinsBrack).

Thanks to [**Leonard Richardson**](https://www.oreilly.com/pub/au/2556) for their insightful input on this post.