First off, what in the world is ES6?
ES6, broken down, stands for ECMAScript 6, which is the standardized name for JavaScript. The “6” simply indicates the version of ECMAScript you are working with.
So, why ES6?
ES6 was released in 2015, following its predecessor, ES5. Since then, newer versions like ES7, ES8, and ES9 have been released. So, once again, the question is: why focus on ES6?
While there are more recent versions of ECMAScript, many browsers are still trying to catch up. Most companies still use ES5 for programming because it remains widely supported across browsers. However, ES6 is on the rise and gaining popularity quickly.
Most browsers haven’t yet fully updated to support the latest versions, which is why ES6 remains essential.
Don’t worry about ES6 not being compatible with your browser — transpilers like Babel and environments such as Webpack handle this by converting ES6 code into ES5, making it compatible everywhere.
So, why make the leap to ES6 when both are accepted?
I won’t go into depth on every feature, but I’ll share some insights into the reasons for the shift. Enjoy!
Data Types
One of the less obvious but quite useful additions in ES6 is the introduction of a new data type. ES5 supports primitive data types like strings, numbers, booleans, null, and undefined.
ES6 introduces symbols, which are widely used as identifiers for object properties. This addition has a variety of implications for how we work with objects.
Defining Variables
While we’ve been using var in ES5 for some time, it has several limitations. One of my favorite ES6 features is the introduction of const and let.
Using these keywords allows for more dynamic and strict variable declarations, elevating the quality and reliability of your code.
Performance
Although ES5 is older than ES6, it’s natural to assume it has lower performance. With the new features introduced in ES6, data implementation becomes more efficient.
In short, ES6’s simplified syntax allows for better, more concise code — which might seem minimal on a line-by-line basis, but can make a significant difference across large projects.
Object Manipulation
ES5 can be time-consuming, both in terms of performance and coding effort. ES6 introduces destructuring, a powerful feature that allows us to extract data from arrays, objects, maps, and sets simultaneously.
While it might seem minor at first glance, destructuring is a game-changer. It’s a topic worth exploring further — I plan to dedicate a future blog to it.
If you’re not already familiar, I strongly recommend learning destructuring, as it’s very common in the field and often appears in interviews.
Arrow Functions
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve spent hours scanning code — whether your own or someone else’s. By now, if you’re like me, you might have gone cross-eyed reading the words function and return.
While these are necessary in ES5, ES6 has made things much cleaner with arrow functions. I love arrow functions because they make code look so much neater.
Some might object, citing benefits like simplifying function scope or writing more concise code. But for me, the biggest advantage is how arrow functions change the way this is bound within functions.
If you’re unfamiliar with this, know that it’s a complex concept — one of the hardest for me to grasp in programming. If you agree that this can be brain-bending, stay tuned, as I plan to cover it in a future discussion.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the read!