JavaScript Engine
A JavaScript engine is a core software component that executes JavaScript code, typically within web browsers or server-side environments like Node.js. It parses, compiles, and optimizes JavaScript code into machine-readable instructions, enabling dynamic and interactive web applications. Modern engines use techniques like just-in-time (JIT) compilation to improve performance.
Developers should learn about JavaScript engines to optimize code performance, debug complex issues, and understand how JavaScript interacts with the runtime environment. This is crucial for building high-performance web applications, server-side applications with Node.js, and when working with frameworks that rely on engine-specific features. Knowledge is also essential for tasks like memory management and avoiding performance bottlenecks.