Where I Started
When I started programming in 99, at my first job, I was literally learning two languages at the same time: Perl and SQL. The position was for an online Realtor-related service web site, and there was a lot of processing data and auto-generated pages to serve up pictures of homes and Real Estate agents. It was pretty fun, and gratifying to be making money for something as fun as coding.
But I stayed with back end development languages like PHP for possibly longer than I should have. A possible factor in me staying with php/mysql, is that there are ALWAYS jobs for this technology! Anywhere you go. It allowed me to just say: "I think I'll move to Nevada, or Seattle, or this state or that area, and always know I have a job. "
It was like a comfort zone, of just staying content with one thing, and wanting to spend more time watching TV at night instead of learning.
And I think that the ignorant part of me saw Javascript as part of just that front-end, web development world for too long. I didn't respect it that much. ( but people who do front-end stuff only, like designers, are amazing talented people )
Learn Core First
After absorbing core Javascript books like Javascript: The Good Parts, and Secrets of the Javascript Ninja, and other solid books on core javascript, I decided that it was just simply the perfect decision to learn ReactJS, and partially because doing this catapults me into being able to write a cross-platform mobile app if the need ever arose. ( React Native )
The ReactJS app I'm working on now, which may or may not serve a need for people ( I need to stop hiding it and just freakin release it to find out ! ), is easily the funnest time I've had in development . ( Comes close to a wxPython app I wrote in 2004, but not quite there. )
Each part of my app's pages, has its very own React component that is self-contained and handles its own shit responsibly. Which means...
Every time I discover a bug, or some feature I want to add to any particular part of the web app, I just very specifically go to one exact file, that contains the Class for that functionality. It's such as beautiful way to do javascript, or coding, in general. And using something called Redux, which manages the underlying data that the entire app needs access to, is like this symphony of endorphin shots to your mood, every time you have to add a new feature that either changes this data, or needs access to it. Not sure how to describe it.
One of my other web-based tools that I've used since 2010 when I wrote it, is an app that lets me organize errands I go on, and the routes to get me there.. and it's based on Google maps. But damn, it's like this big monolithic, huge pile of jQuery statements to get that data, or hide that div, or update that database field ( through ajax ).
It's a nice looking app ( that noone knows about ), but it's a bitch to go back to, to work on, even with all of my own comments.
Alternatives
Even though I've purchased a Udemy course on Angular, don't think I'll ever pursue that. I might be wrong, but I almost see Angular as kind of the Corporate play-it-safe solution for an I.T. manager, that will choose this Google-created framework to please his boss. Kind of the way managers might pick .DOTNET for their corporate back end solution.
And the reason I say, in the title, javascript programming in general, is the reality of the times, where you can develop the entire solution for an Application in JS, with Node.js being such an integral existence in today's I.T. world. The language is constantly improving, and it's just kind of a no-brainer to choose JS as the language for any project, because many companies provide a Javascript API to access their data.
Resources
There are many excellent podcasts and youtube channels to improve your skill in it. One of my favorites is "Fun Fun Functions". He's kind of a crazy mixture of slapstick comedian, but very smart developer with a manchu beard, and I think German accent, who has recently quit his job at Spotify to do his channel full time.
There's also Wes Bos with his Podcast, forget the name, and then there's Javascript Jabber podcast.
Time to get back to my app and a coffee refill.