Are the courses going to be updated as Node.js certifications have been updated to version 14 LTS?

zorawar

Hello,
on November 2nd there was announcement in the following post about Node.js certifications being updated from version 10 to version 14.
https://openjsf.org/blog/2020/11/02/node-js-certifications-update-node-js-10-to-node-js-14/

1. Will the courses LFW211 and LFW212 be updated to reflect this change?
2. Will the courses be updated to have sections on Node.js features like modules that were previously unsupported or experimental in Node.js versions 10 and 12?
3. Will the current set of chapters and content be relevant for Node.js 14 LTS? How to know which techniques are not recommended anymore in version 14 when compared to version 10 and 12?

The following forum post from November 4th talks only about typos and issues brought up in the forum.
https://forum.linuxfoundation.org/discussion/857815/lfw211-new-course-version-now-live-11-04-2020

I have both the courses LFW211 and LFW212. Now I am wondering if the topics in the course will be aligned with the topics that will be tested in the certification using Node.js 14.

It will be helpful to have more information on these changes.

Best,
Zorawar

codefinity

All of the current stuff should work as is, but when it comes to streams there have been some minor changes in the way things are output. That's as far as I have gotten. I am 🏃🏽‍♂️ v15, BTW.

zorawar

@codefinity thanks for the info!

I implied wrongly that EcmaScript (ES) modules were supported in version 14.
When I looked at the documentation ES modules are still experimental.
https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v14.x/docs/api/esm.html
The post informing the change from version 10 to 14 mentions that ES modules may become the default in the future.
I like the fact that Developers can use it in the exam.

@zorawar said:
2. Will the courses be updated to have sections on Node.js features like modules that were previously unsupported or experimental in Node.js versions 10 and 12?

Thanks again!

davidmarkclements

hey @zorawar

Yes the experimental nature of esm even though it's unflagged makes it a difficult balancing act. Here's our philosophy moving forward with the certifications and the training material:

By design, both courses are compatible and will continue to be until at least October 2021.

Here's an in-depth explanation of why:

The main change for Node 14 is that it supports EcmaScript Modules (esm). After consulting with industry experts about where the industry itself is at with regard to usage of esm the conclusion was the industry won't be adopting esm (not to be confused with what's now called "faux-models" - e.g. transpiled esm-like syntax) for some considerable time.

The examination supports esm but is not framed by it. We still use cjs (the first module system), with an opt-in to esm if desired by the candidate. Both sets of training are also written with this view: esm is possible but not the dominant narrative right now.

Since we are jumping from Node 10 (Maintenance LTS) to Node 14 (Active LTS) we will not need to update the exam to a new Node version until October 2021. At this point we will also reassess the training in-line with the direction of the exam. These updates will likely be more connected to industry trends than to major technical alterations.

Over the next year, we will continue to monitor the esm industry trend in particular, and then update both the exam and the training in light of that.