Create JavaScript project foundation

[dneff]

Summary

Establish the foundational structure for the JavaScript Advent of Code implementation, including project setup, directory structure, and basic tooling configuration.

Phase Information

• Phase: 1 (Foundation)
• Order: 1 (Must be completed first)
• Dependencies: None
• Estimated Effort: 6-8 hours

Current State

The repository currently has Python solutions across 10 years (2015-2024) with 394 solution files. This issue establishes the JavaScript equivalent foundation.

Technical Requirements

Directory Structure to Create

javascript/
├── package.json              # Node.js project configuration
├── .gitignore               # JavaScript-specific ignores
├── 2015/
├── 2016/
├── 2017/
├── 2018/
├── 2019/
├── 2020/
├── 2021/
├── 2022/
├── 2023/
└── 2024/

Package.json Configuration

• Type: "module" for ES6 module support
• Node version: >=18.0.0 (for modern JavaScript features)
• Scripts:
  • Test runner configuration
  • Linting setup (ESLint)
  • Solution runner utilities
• Dependencies:
  • File system utilities
  • Testing framework (Jest or similar)
  • Development dependencies for linting/formatting

Code Style and Standards

• ES6+ modules with import/export syntax
• Consistent naming: camelCase for JavaScript conventions
• File naming: solution1.js, solution2.js (matching Python pattern)
• Modern JavaScript: async/await, destructuring, template literals

Acceptance Criteria

• javascript/ directory created with proper structure
• package.json configured with all required settings
• Year directories (2015-2024) created and ready for solutions
• .gitignore configured for Node.js projects
• Basic npm scripts defined for common operations
• ESLint configuration for consistent code style
• README stub created (will be expanded in later issue)

Implementation Notes

• Mirror the Python directory structure for consistency
• Configure modern JavaScript tooling (ES6 modules, latest Node.js features)
• Set up foundation for helper library importing
• Prepare for file I/O operations similar to Python implementations

Files to Create

• javascript/package.json
• javascript/.gitignore
• javascript/README.md (stub)
• javascript/.eslintrc.js (or .json)
• Directory structure for all years

Testing Requirements

• Verify npm install works correctly
• Ensure ES6 module imports function properly
• Test basic file operations in Node.js environment

Success Metrics

• Clean npm install with no errors
• Proper directory structure matches specification
• Linting configuration validates JavaScript code style
• Project ready for helper library implementation

This foundation enables all subsequent JavaScript development work.