JavaScript Template Literals Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to ES6+ Strings

Learn JavaScript template literals in this beginner’s guide to ES6+ strings. Discover how to use backticks, string interpolation, and multi-line strings for cleaner, modern code.

Introduction

Before ES6, writing strings in JavaScript was tricky. You had to use single or double quotes, and joining variables with text required lots of + signs. This often made the code messy and hard to read. ES6 introduced Template Literals, a modern way to work with strings that makes life much easier for developers.

If you’re just starting with JavaScript, learning template literals will help you write cleaner, shorter, and more powerful code.

What You’ll Learn

• What template literals are and how they work
• How to use backticks instead of quotes
• How to insert variables with string interpolation
• How to create multi-line strings without extra symbols
• Why template literals are better than the old way of handling strings

What Are Template Literals?

Let’s begin with the basics. Template literals are just another way of creating strings, but instead of using single (') or double (") quotes, you use backticks:

Example:

let name = "Wisdom";
console.log(Hello, my name is ${name}.);

This code prints:

Hello, my name is Wisdom.

Here, ${name} is replaced by the value of the variable. This feature is called string interpolation, and it’s one of the biggest advantages of template literals.

String Interpolation: Adding Variables Easily

Before ES6, you had to write something like this:

let name = "Wisdom";
console.log("Hello, my name is " + name + ".");

Notice how the + signs make the code harder to read. Now compare that to the template literal example. Cleaner, right?

You can even add expressions inside ${ }:

let a = 5;
let b = 10;
console.log(The sum of ${a} and ${b} is ${a + b}.);

Output:

The sum of 5 and 10 is 15.

This shows how template literals save you from juggling quotes and operators.

Multi-line Strings Without Tricks

Another powerful feature of template literals is multi-line strings. Before ES6, writing them was frustrating; you had to use \n or split the string.

With template literals, you can write them naturally:

let greet = `Hi there,
         Welcome to learning template literals,
         Have fun with JavaScript!`;

The text appears exactly the way you typed it, making your code easier to read and the output more precise.

Why Template Literals Are Better

By now, you’ve seen two clear advantages: string interpolation and multi-line strings. But the real benefit is readability and simplicity.

Template literals:

• Help prevent common errors.
• Make code easier to understand
• Align with modern ES6+ practices

Next time you write JavaScript, try using template literals instead of old-style concatenation. You’ll immediately see the difference in how neat your code looks.

Conclusion

Template literals are one of the simplest but most useful features introduced in ES6. They let you insert variables directly into strings, create multi-line text easily, and write cleaner code without messy concatenation.

For beginners, the rule is simple: use template literals whenever you need dynamic text or multiple lines. They’ll make your code easier to read and maintain, while helping you follow modern JavaScript standards.

Learning template literals is a small step, but it puts you on the path to writing professional-level JavaScript.

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