Despite all its shortcomings as a programming language, JavaScript isn't a dirty word anymore. A decade ago, most self-respecting developers would refuse to even touch it, so it was left to web designers and junior developers who spiced up a few HTML pages with dispensable functionality. It's amazing how the advent of AJAX changed things.

JavaScript is still the old mess, but starting with libraries like JQuery and contemporary Single Page Application frameworks like AngularJS, the web platform has become an innovative place that requires the talent of serious, well-educated software engineers.

At the moment, innovation progresses at a rapid pace. New frameworks and tools appear every week and it's hard to stay on top of things. In the following video, Dustin Whittle provides an excellent overview that's helpful for those of us who haven't been following frontend development closely and want to set up their own tool chain.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uA4a8y8q9I&w=560&h=315]

The good news for backend guys like myself is this: Since browsers are so capable today, we can shift a lot of functionality to the client-side that used to mess up our backend code with transactional functionality.