DEV Community: Rishad Karappa

The Most Underrated Skill in Programming

Rishad Karappa — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:45:07 +0000

Many beginners think programming is about memorizing syntax.

It's not.

The real skill is learning how to break a big problem into smaller problems.

For example, if you're asked to build a To-Do App, don't think:

"How do I build a To-Do App?"

Instead, think:

How do I store tasks?
How do I add a task?
How do I delete a task?
How do I display tasks?

Each small problem is much easier to solve.

This same approach works for everything:

Data Structures & Algorithms
System Design
Web Development
Debugging

The best developers aren't the ones who know the most syntax.

They're the ones who can consistently break complex problems into simple steps.

Code is written one line at a time. Problems are solved one step at a time.

What programming concept took you the longest to understand?

First Order Function vs First Class Functions (JavaScript) Many beginners get confused between first order function and first class functions.

Rishad Karappa — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:43:57 +0000

🔹 First Order Function

A First Order Function is a function that:

❌ Does NOT take another function as argument

❌ Does NOT return another function

It just works with normal values (number, string, etc).

`Example:
function multiply(a, b) {
  return a * b;
}`

Here:

It takes numbers

Returns a number

No function involved

So this is a First Order Function.

👉 It is just a normal/basic function.

🔹 First Class Functions

JavaScript supports First Class Functions.

This means:

👉 Functions are treated like normal values (like numbers or strings).

Because of this, you can:

✅ Store function in a variable

✅ Pass function as argument

✅ Return function from another function

1️⃣ Store Function in Variable
function greet() {
return "Hello";
}

const sayHi = greet;

console.log(sayHi()); // Hello

Function stored in variable → First class behavior.

2️⃣ Pass Function as Argument
function greet() {
console.log("Hello");
}

function execute(fn) {
fn();
}

execute(greet);

Here function is passed as parameter.

3️⃣ Return Function from Function function outer() { return function inner() { console.log("Inside inner"); }; }
const result = outer();
result();

Function returning another function.

🧠 Important Understanding

⚠️ First Order Function and First Class Function are NOT opposites.

First Order → Type of function

First Class → Feature of language

Because JavaScript is a first-class function language,
we can create higher-order functions also.

🔥 Small Comparison

First Order Function First Class Function
No function inside Functions treated like values
Simple function Language capability
Example: add(), multiply() Store, pass, return function

Final Simple Line

👉 First Order Function = Normal function
👉 First Class Function = JS allows functions to behave like variables

First Order Function vs First Class Functions (JavaScript)

Rishad Karappa — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 16:53:44 +0000