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My Modern Software Learning Journey 🚀

· 4 min read
Priya Sharma
Web Developer

pythermalcomfort

Why I Started Learning JavaScript (and Why You Should Too!)​

When I transitioned from office administration to IT and software, I quickly realized that JavaScript is the gateway to the web. I chose to learn JavaScript because it powers nearly every interactive website and is essential for frontend development.

What attracted me most:

  • It’s beginner-friendly yet powerful.
  • It works in any browser without setup.
  • It connects perfectly with tools like React and Node.js, which are on my learning path.

I started with simple scripts like pop-up alerts and now I’m building mini web apps. If you’re starting in tech, JavaScript is a great place to begin.

My First JavaScript Project – A Simple Calculator App​

To practice what I learned, I built a basic calculator using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It could perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Features I implemented:

  • User input via buttons
  • Real-time calculation with JavaScript functions
  • Clean UI with CSS Grid

What I learned:

  • DOM manipulation using document.querySelector
  • Event handling with .addEventListener
  • Importance of clean and reusable code

🔗 GitHub Link to Calculator (Coming soon)

Getting Started with React: What I Learned in My First Week​

React was intimidating at first, but now I love how it simplifies web development. I used create-react-app to start and focused on learning:

  • 📦 Components: I broke down my app into small reusable blocks
  • 📥 Props & State: Passing and managing data between components
  • 🔄 JSX Syntax: Writing HTML inside JavaScript

One week in, I built a basic “To-Do List” app with add/delete functionality. React makes dynamic UI logic easier to manage.

How I Use VS Code for Web Development​

VS Code became my favorite code editor fast. Here’s how I optimized it:

🔌 Favorite Extensions

  • Prettier – for auto-formatting code
  • ESLint – for code quality and error checking
  • GitLens – to see code changes in Git
  • Live Server – for instant preview in the browser

My GitHub Journey: Pushing My First Project​

Before, I only heard of GitHub. Now, it’s part of my workflow.

What I did:

  • Created a GitHub account and a new repo
  • Initialized Git locally in VS Code
  • Used git add . → git commit -m "init" → git push

Why GitHub matters:

  • Version control keeps code safe
  • Employers check GitHub to see real work
  • It’s great for team collaboration

Github: https://github.com/priya-sharma160

Testing React Apps with Jest: My First Experience​

I started learning Jest for testing my React components.

What I tested:

  • Button clicks
  • Input changes
  • Conditional rendering

What I learned:

  • How to write simple test cases
  • How to simulate events using fireEvent
  • How confident testing makes code changes easier

Running npm test and seeing “✓ passed” felt very rewarding!

Deploying My React App with GitHub Pages​

Deploying my first app online made me feel like a real developer!

How I did it:

  • Built my React app using npm run build
  • Installed gh-pages package
  • Updated package.json and ran npm run deploy

Now anyone can visit my app via a public URL. Next time, I want to try Netlify for easier deployment.

Frontend vs Backend – What I’m Learning About Both​

As I explore development, I see the difference clearly:

Frontend (React) – What users see and interact with Backend (Node.js, Express) – Handles data, logic, and databases

I enjoy frontend because of immediate visual feedback. But I’m also learning backend basics using Node.js and planning to explore MongoDB next.

npm and package.json – Why They Matter​

When I first saw package.json, it confused me. But now I get it:

  • It tracks my project’s dependencies
  • It manages scripts like start, build, and test
  • It helps others install my app easily

Using npm install and npm run now feels natural. Learning these tools taught me how real software projects are structured.