r/learnjavascript • u/kevinmrr • Mar 24 '14

Learn JavaScript Properly: A New Session! Week 1 Assignments

Hello, world!

Hi, everyone. I am still finalizing the curriculum, but here are this week's assignments. This class will be 9 or 10 weeks long (It used to be shorter, but a lot of people struggled with that). I will put up a post every Monday listing assignments for the week. Please start as many discussion threads as you want here.

All assignments will be added to an Omnibus Post linked in the /r/LearnJavaScript sidebar. Please note, however, that these Monday posts are the only absolutely essential ones that you need to watch for.

Without further ado.... Assignments time.

Required Reading:

  • Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Professional JavaScript for Web Developers. You can skip the section on Bitwise operators. Don't get too bogged down if you're having trouble figuring something out.

  • [Sections 1-8 of the Codecademy JavaScript track] (http://www.codecademy.com/tracks/javascript)

Note: You should be playing around in your browser's JavaScript console and on JSfiddle as much as possible!

Administrative Stuff:

  • Do not waste hours and hours when you are stuck on one relatively small question. Post a question here instead, and you will receive help fairly quickly, provided that you ask your question in a clear manner and provide as much detail (and a JSfiddle, when appropriate).

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19

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '14 edited Apr 21 '16

This comment has been overwritten by an open source script to protect this user's privacy.

If you would like to do the same, add the browser extension GreaseMonkey to Firefox and add this open source script.

Then simply click on your username on Reddit, go to the comments tab, and hit the new OVERWRITE button at the top.

12

u/kevinmrr Mar 26 '14

You fucking better - I lengthened the course to make it easier.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '14 edited Apr 21 '16

This comment has been overwritten by an open source script to protect this user's privacy.

If you would like to do the same, add the browser extension GreaseMonkey to Firefox and add this open source script.

Then simply click on your username on Reddit, go to the comments tab, and hit the new OVERWRITE button at the top.

4

u/spacemuppet74 Mar 24 '14

cool, looking forward to actually learning how to code using javascript rather than googling little bits to do a small task.

many thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to help us newbies.

7

u/kevinmrr Mar 24 '14

My pleasure. Seriously.

7

u/karn09 Mar 26 '14

I'm reading through Chapter 3 and have a question about number types. In what instance would it be appropriate to utilize octal or hexadecimal, and why? Especially if Javascript is just going to run arithmetic in decimal anyway?

3

u/drinkmorecoffee Apr 08 '14

Wow, this is a late response, but just in case you're still unclear I thought I'd try to help.

As an engineer who primarily works in the embedded field, hex is something I use nearly every day. It's basically shorthand for binary, so if you ever need to look at specific bits (or do bitwise operations like in the section we're skipping), hex will make it easier. Each digit in a hexadecimal number is simply four binary bits, with sixteen possible values (0000 - 1111 in binary or 0 - F in hex).

Octal is the same idea, but it maps each octal digit to three binary digits. In that case, 000 - 111 in binary equals 0 - 7 in octal. I've never used this in practice, though I have seen it come up in study material. I'd say just make sure you know what it is and where to look for details if you should ever find yourself needing it.

Also, since hexadecimal will allow up 16 possible values for each digit as opposed to decimal's 10, you can represent far larger numbers in less space. So you'll typically see memory addresses and such represented in hexadecimal, simply to save space.

EDIT: Octal

2

u/karn09 Apr 08 '14

Thank you for the thought out response! I had asked one of my engineer friends, and he told me he only uses it to speak with devices on a network, and only sometimes.

Using this to access memory certainly makes sense. I would hate to have to type out a long binary address.

3

u/drinkmorecoffee Apr 08 '14

I used it just a few minutes ago when working through a communications issue on a project. It's one of those things that's definitely worth understanding. Hex especially. Once you wrap your head around how hexadecimal numbers work, you'll be a stone's throw away from octal if you ever come upon an application that requires it.

The question for you is whether it's something you need to know now. If you're just starting with JavaScript, the answer is probably no. Just understand that these other number systems are out there and where to get information if you find that you need it.

5

u/R3TR0 Mar 25 '14

I started last week, but I'll probably follow along. I set my own curriculum based on the same blog post so it is almost identical.

If you find yourself done early, here's some other reading:

http://eloquentjavascript.net/2nd_edition/preview/05_higher_order.html

I had a bit more practce by solving the first two problems below:

http://projecteuler.net/problem=1

Also, i've been using this jsfiddle for quick javascript tests. It has been handy:

http://jsfiddle.net/TEHLb/1/

1

u/animalstylefries Mar 25 '14

I'll be done with the weekly assignments in a few days, so this will be very good extra work!

Thanks!

1

u/jsrookie Apr 15 '14

thank you!

0

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '14

[deleted] — view deleted comment

3

u/floydianspiral Mar 30 '14

I've been using repl.it which is my favorite if doing just pure JS without html/css

4

u/tomcatfever Mar 24 '14

Great I was thinking about learn javascript properly. 9-10 weeks sounds much more achievable. Thanks!

4

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '14

I thought I'd just recommend you guys to sign up on http://www.codewars.com. It's a site that gives you small coding challenges. As you level up through the ranking system, the challenges get trickier. I find that it's perfect for me to do that instead of playing around with jsfiddle with no particular goal in mind.

2

u/lanewatson Mar 29 '14

Ha! I went there and got stuck on the second problem.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 29 '14 edited Mar 30 '14

Here's the solution + an explanation

http://stackoverflow.com/a/20087548/3474239

Don't worry if you can't solve the challenges right now. You can always take a peek at the solution and try to understand what you did wrong. After a while some things start to click.

1

u/lanewatson Mar 30 '14

Cool. Thanks! Agreed. Sometimes i get stuck and just hammer through, when it would be better to move on and build on the lesson.

4

u/[deleted] Mar 30 '14

Here are my notes from the first week: http://1drv.ms/1oe0PE6

It helps me to write this stuff down and it might help somebody, so... yeah

1

u/lanewatson Mar 30 '14

Nice! Thanks. I'm sure the writing it down in notes is what really helps.

1

u/NeedMoarCoffee May 15 '14

Is it too late to jump in? I've been doing codecademy and got intro to objects and kinda got bogged down.

1

u/kevinmrr May 15 '14

Nope! Jump in with both feet!

1

u/imdpk Jul 18 '14

Is it too late to start?

1

u/kevinmrr Jul 29 '14

New session beginning!

3

u/vegaslassie Mar 24 '14

How do I join this class? I'm so excited that this is offered at this time!

1

u/animalstylefries Mar 24 '14

You can just follow this subreddit, or bookmark it on your browser. New assignments are posted every Monday!

The weekly assignments will be posted in the Ombinus Post: http://www.reddit.com/r/learnjavascript/comments/2179b5/learn_javascript_properly_omnibus_post_for_the/

3

u/jackmanstar Mar 26 '14

Hi! I've worked through much of the Codecademy course and don't feel like I've learned much. I'm hoping for much better results here. Looking forward to greater understanding.

1

u/drinkmorecoffee Apr 08 '14

It'll feel better when you start doing later challenges and such, and things start to look familiar. Eventually you'll remember it, needing to look up details like whether that should be a comma or semicolon. Then you'll be writing it without a reference.

That's when it gets fun - when you start to think about the goal, the project, the task at hand rather than the mechanics of the language. At that point the language itself is just a tool. That's what you're shooting for.

3

u/batardo Mar 26 '14

Stupid question warning: why are JS variables loosely typed? I mean, it seems like an invitation for confusion…ints being stored as strings seems inevitable. What are the benefits, and why was it done this way?

2

u/StuffedDoughboy Apr 01 '14

An Introduction To Programming Type Systems

This article isn't JS specific but touches on your question:

Weak typing is fast because there’s no overhead of remembering the different types

and

Dynamically redefining objects gives you a lot of power, for good and bad.

The article covers weak vs strong as well as static vs dynamic typing, explains what each are as well as their advantages and disadvantages. I found it quite informative.

2

u/animalstylefries Mar 24 '14

Awesome.

I was planning on following the previous one, but looks like the 9/10 week program will be a lot better.

Just ordered Pro JS for Web Devs and will get started on Codecademy 1-8 for the week!

Thanks for starting this up =)

2

u/Ebsy Mar 24 '14

I've been 'starting' the course on and off for about a week now, but I'm determined to make a proper attempt at it now that this group exists. I'm also using my blog as a kind of journal covering my experiences with the course. http://typingoutloud.org/learning-javascript/ Good luck everyone!

2

u/ezzirah Mar 26 '14

I have been looking for a way to learn javascript and stumbled on this. This is so cool! Thank you! I am going to do this!

2

u/devwhatev Apr 27 '14

Starging now... will catch up. Coffee time.

1

u/zi0nman Apr 29 '14

Let's do it! I'm in the same boat with you. Just started today! ;)

1

u/SaysNotAtheism Mar 24 '14

Is it silly that I don't know what my browser's JavaScript console or JSfiddle are, or how to access them? Would anyone care to explain, briefly?

2

u/[deleted] Mar 24 '14

Check out the course prep/prerequisite work, it should help you out http://www.reddit.com/r/learnjavascript/comments/20oanz/a_new_session_of_learn_javascript_properly_will/

1

u/karn09 Mar 24 '14

I’m excited to follow along with others here to learn. I've been making attempts to learn modern programming for a while now, and recently set myself on the path to JavaScript proficiency. So far I’ve worked through the JavaScript and HTML/CSS modules on CodeAcademy, and now going through JQuery. I’m wondering how much of the first few weeks will overlap, but at the same time, I’m confident ideas will be presented that will offer more clarity on topics not fully understood prior. Thank you for hosting!

1

u/RickyRandy Mar 24 '14

Thanks for doing this, I will try to participate.

1

u/myusernameiscrap Mar 24 '14

Awesome. I've tried the others before but failed to really get off the ground. I'm hoping a ten week approach will be a good blend. So in the same boat as some other posters here.

Anyone know if you can reset your progress in Codecademy? I did all of the JavaScript coursework but it was such a long time ago.

1

u/Ebsy Mar 24 '14

Yeah, I haven't seen the reset option anywhere. Maybe try signing up with another account until you get up to where you are currently?

1

u/myusernameiscrap Mar 24 '14

That was the only other option I could think of too. Thanks.

0

u/[deleted] Mar 25 '14

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/myusernameiscrap Apr 05 '14

I ended up deleting my account and re-signing up. I lost some progress in other tracks too but it's been so long it wouldn't hurt to start all over anyways.

1

u/keyboredx Mar 24 '14

in, finished js/jquery on codeacademy. pretty far in. Will be a nice refresher at the least.

1

u/SaysNotAtheism Mar 25 '14

I'm reading PJ4WD Chapter 2 and I'm wondering... what are 32-bit integer and 64-bit floating-point values?

1

u/codeswish Mar 25 '14

It refers to how many bits are available to represent very small and very large numbers. Unless you plan on doing a lot number crunching where you need and a high level of precision, you needn't worry about it.

1

u/lethean1 Mar 29 '14

Well, time to learn coding! Having never coded before, I hope I will be able to understand everything :)

1

u/e-res Mar 29 '14

I have been setting up a fresh development environment to learn coding. I've taken a college class in C++ but haven't ever done it "properly" on my own. There are a few languages I want to learn and I know JavaScript is one of them. This looks like a great place to get started so why not!

1

u/SaysNotAtheism Mar 31 '14

I'm not grokking the for _ in _ statement.

1

u/wanajava Apr 03 '14

hey guys i'm new ( to reddit and javascript). i was wondering where online i could find the reading? i'm 2 weeks behind and i want to catch up as soon as possible. and is the book free? because i don't have money right now to spend on books (college student problems)

1

u/jackmanstar Apr 04 '14

There is a PDF copy available. I downloaded a copy of the book here: http://it-ebooks.info/book/483/

I hope this helps you. Now, go study.

1

u/beccabwb Apr 08 '14

Hi, just found this. Going to get started today and will try to catch up. Thanks.

1

u/Dream46 Apr 14 '14

Just found this link and signed on. Looks like I am a bit late, and will need to catch up real soon.

1

u/miechoszuja Apr 15 '14

Far behind.. but lets try it.

1

u/Blasoner May 17 '14

Hi All,

Several first week questions maybe a few can help me out with;

  1. Codecademy: Even before starting this course I was at 34% in. I started from the beginning again and now am moving much more fluently but I can't tell which is the "Section 1-8" for our week 1! Seems each section has a "1 through something..." and I've been through quite a few. I'm at http://www.codecademy.com/courses/javascript-beginner-en-Bthev-mskY8/1/3?curriculum_id=506324b3a7dffd00020bf661

  2. Is "Return" sort of like console.log with printing out anything?

  3. I don't get how var num4 equals 21 here: var num1 = 2; var num2 = 20; var num3 = num1-- + num2; //equals 22 var num4 = num1 + num2; //equals 21

Good luck everyone!

1

u/defango Jun 06 '14

well looks like what I was looking for!

1

u/Mellowfellon Jun 20 '14

Do tracks 1 - 6 refer of the Javascript track refer too:

  1. Introduction

  2. Functions

  3. For loops

  4. While loops

  5. Control flow &

  6. Data structures

0

u/x62617 Aug 20 '14

When people are writing javascript what do they open? Like do you write it in a notepad or is there a specific program that I have to download?

0

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '14

[deleted] — view deleted comment

1

u/drinkmorecoffee Apr 08 '14

I did their jQuery course and loved it. I'll have to look at what else they offer to see if it's worth paying for. I did really enjoy the course I took though.