Not exactly, you can learn a bit about Javascript before Bootstrap because JavaScript is never a prerequisite to learning BootStrap; meaning you can do without it.
When it comes to CSS frameworks like Bootstrap, having a strong foundation in CSS and HTML is of greater importance.
When front-end developers get the hang of HTML and CSS, many move on to Javascript to make their CSS interactive.
But some front-end developers love being designers, so they learn about Boostrap and sigh with relief when responsive design becomes easier.
While learning Bootstrap, front-end developers then realize that Bootstrap doesn’t use JavaScript to make websites interactive but rather uses a Javascript library known as jQuery.
This new discovery seems fascinating and makes them wonder if there is still any need to learn Javascript as jQuery offers web interactivity.
Well, we’ll address that shortly towards the end of this article.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
How Do I Learn Bootstrap?
Bootstrap is a CSS framework that allows front-end developers to make beautiful layouts without worrying about responsive design.
If easy responsive design sounds great to you, all you need to do is copy and paste the CDN link from the official Bootstrap site within your <head> tag below the <meta> tags in your HTML file.
So instead of creating a new CSS file, you spend most of your time working within your HTML file.
The Bootstrap framework allows you to reuse code, specifically classes.
For example, if you want to make a blue button, all you have to do is make a class within your <button> tag, type “btn btn-primary” and viola, you have a blue button.
If you want to make that button shrink on mobile you add another class, “btn-sm”.
Bootstrap is known for its grid system that contains column and row classes.
For example, you can create several divs using classes like “col” and ”row” to make the skeleton of a gallery. Columns and rows are made responsive with classes like “col-sm” and “row-md”. Then finally you can use a class like “justify-content” to put these columns in the middle of your website.
It sounds simple, but once you start adding more classes things can get hectic, especially while creating responsive layouts.
If you find yourself stuck with Bootstrap, it’s because you don’t have a good foundation in CSS and HTML.
Scrimba has wonderful interactive video courses on CSS grid, Flexbox, and Bootstrap.
Zero to Mastery has an extensive curriculum that also covers Bootstrap as well. But if you’re not a video person, Bootstrap’s official documentation has everything you need to know.
What is jQuery?
jQuery is a Javascript library that is user-friendly and contains a different syntax that makes Javascript less difficult to work with.
The library is known for being “slimmer” than Javascript, which makes it faster to load. Unlike JavaScript, jQuery contains cross-browser functionality.
Another added feature that jQuery has that makes it shine so bright is its ability to interact with the DOM and manipulate HTML/CSS with little struggle.
jQuery essentially frees you from the struggles of the limitations of Javascript. It also takes less code to create animations and overall is less wordy for most functions that you do with Javascript.
If you only want to design a beautiful website and don’t care much about interactivity, then you have no need for JavaScript.
Bootstrap and jQuery are meant to make web design easier.
If you want to learn more about the differences between jQuery and Javascript, Edureka has a detail-rich chart on the difference between jQuery and Javascript that is quite helpful.
So Is It Necessary to Know Javascript?
Knowing Javascript is a requirement for front-end developers.
So if you choose to keep it aside for BootStrap, you’ll still hop on it afterwards as it remains an integral part of frontend web development.
Front-end developers use Javascript to make interactive elements of their websites such as buttons, slideshows, and modals.
Having the knowledge of jQuery is good, but this doesn’t mean it can replace pure Javascript as it’s just a library built on the same Javascript.
As a frontend developer, it’ll be beneficial to not only learn JavaScript but to also master the rudiments of the language.
This is because all the core frontend frameworks are built on JavaScript and they keep on evolving over the years.
With a sound understanding and command of Javascript, you’ll face almost no challenge learning the required frameworks.
Backend developers don’t need JavaScript and BootStrap to carry out their tasks, but they can still learn them if they so desire.
Recommended Learning Pathway
We’ve reviewed multiple learning resources, videos and free and paid courses on the net.
From our findings, the paid Udemy course by Andrei Neagoie: The Complete Web Developer in 2022: Zero to Mastery offers the best value for time and money.
As a result, we do recommend this course here to our readers interested in web/front-end development as we continually record positive feedback from our audience.
The course is well structured so you don’t have to worry about which language, framework or library to learn first as it does the heavy lifting for you and sets you on the right track.
Here’s a direct link: The right web development learning pathway.
Conclusion
You can go ahead and learn Bootstrap without knowing much of JavaScript, as it’s never a prerequisite for learning bootstrap.
You can also choose to learn Javascript first before learning Bootstrap, still fine as none is dependent on the other.
Bother less about the right direction for learning as the recommended Udemy course for complete web development will take you through the right learning pathway.
And it’s a wrap.
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Happy Coding!
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