JavaScript MN

## Details

We're back again with an in-person event, with help co-hosting by Frontend Masters and Datasite. Please RSVP so that we can add you to the list to make check-in with the building as fast as possible.
Arrival: 5:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Socializing, food, and networking: 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Talks: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Like we do for our virtual events, if you have a project, article, or anything to share, please bring it for the last part of the event for a show and tell/discussion.

Talks
1.) Will Sentance: JavaScript Hard Parts - Latest Updates 2025 and beyond
Over the past few years, JavaScript has gained a wave of powerful new features - from new operators to more robust async handling. In this talk we'll explore how these additions build on the core foundations of JavaScript - the same ones I break down in my JavaScript: The Hard Parts series (closures, async, OOP, etc.).
Even if you've never seen that series before, you'll leave with a sense of how today's JavaScript extends the fundamental building blocks you already use every day. We'll map each new feature back to those core mechanisms so you can see how the language is evolving
What we'll cover:

Higher-Order Functions & Closure

• New non-mutable array methods (toReversed, toSorted, etc.)
• Helper methods that make array work safer and clearer
• pipe operator for chaining operations
• Why closure is still the heart of module design in 2025

Object-Oriented Programming

• Static and public class fields
• Truly private methods and variables

Async Programming

• The rise of AbortController across browser AP|s
• Smarter control over cancellation and resource cleanup

Types & Operators

• WeakRef / deref for memory-sensitive references
• Built-in Set enhancements
• BigInt for handling large integers
• New well-known Symbols adding meta-programming tools

2.) Brian Muenzenmeyer: Node.js - You Don't Need a Dependency
Advancements over time in Node.js are improving the out of the box experience. New versions are released all the time across Active LTS and Current development lines. It's easy to miss something between the release notes and our busy work schedules. Through the efforts of contributors over several recent majors, great new features are landing. Each is useful in isolation, but put together they form a more and more comprehensive standard library.

We'll walk through 6 recent improvements to the standard library. Each feature may replace a dependency in the stack, simplifying your footprint and reducing support burden. We'll walk through complete before and after diffs, get real about production readiness, and use live examples.

This iterative evolution of the project is part of a larger system of learning - change and stability in balance and conflict. We'll contextualize how this is a marker of a vibrant, competitive ecosystem and what we can do to keep it that way in our careers and on our teams. Lastly, I'll inspire attendees to see themselves within these pace layers and find the open source engagement that meets their constraints, skillsets, and time constraints.