I Learned JavaScript for 2 Years… Without Installing It 😭😂

#webdev #javascript #python

A 2-Year JavaScript Realization

I started learning JavaScript about two years ago. Like many beginners, I mostly worked in the browser — writing <script> tags inside HTML and opening files with Live Server in VS Code. It worked perfectly, and I didn’t even need to install anything.

Fast forward to today: I was watching a Python tutorial. The instructor said:

“First, install Python.”

And suddenly it hit me — I never installed JavaScript. Ever.

For two years, I was running JavaScript in the browser without a single installation step. And it worked!

Why JavaScript Feels Different

JavaScript is unique. Every modern browser has a built-in JS engine:

Chrome / Edge → V8
Firefox → SpiderMonkey
Safari → JavaScriptCore

This is why you can write JS inside a <script> tag, open it in the browser, and it just runs — no setup needed. Unlike Python, which requires installation before you can run anything, browser JavaScript comes ready to go.

It’s easy to see why beginners can get confused: you’re writing and running real code, but technically, the runtime was already there the whole time.

Introducing Node.js

Eventually, I wanted to run JavaScript outside the browser — in the terminal, on the backend, or to work with files. That’s when Node.js enters the picture.

Node.js is a runtime that allows you to run JavaScript outside the browser. Suddenly, everything clicked:

node app.js

This gave me the ability to:

Run scripts in the terminal
Build backend services
Access the file system
Use npm packages

In short, Node.js is what turns browser-only JavaScript into full-stack JavaScript.

A Realistic Takeaway

After reflecting on this, my 2-year journey makes sense. The confusion isn’t unusual: many beginners focus on browser-based JavaScript first.

Browser JS = ready-to-go environment
Node.js = installation required, backend capabilities
Python = installation required, completely separate runtime

Realizing this clarified why I could spend so long coding without ever “installing” anything, and why Node.js was the natural next step for serious projects.