web – Intro to Web Apps JOU 3363

Starting JavaScript!

This week, you will start learning JavaScript, the programming language that lets us add interactivity and more to web pages and apps. This is a handy list of resources:

The course videos: JavaScript playlist
JavaScript Console Work — these are the pages you see in my videos (sorry, but the menu does not work well on all devices; just click anywhere on the page to go forward, and “Back” to go back … someday I will find time to fix the menu)
Codecademy: Introduction to JavaScript
MDN JavaScript reference (see links on left side)
- JavaScript basics
- JavaScript First Steps (variables, basic math, other basics)
- JavaScript building blocks (functions and more advanced beginner skills)
JSHint — like a validator for JavaScript; see note at bottom of this page
Eloquent JavaScript, 3rd edition, by Marijn Haverbeke (2018) — full text of book available online
You Don’t Know JS: Up & Going, by Kyle Simpson — full text of book available online

JavaScript has been around since 1995, and random Googling by a beginner is likely to end in tears. There are so many old tutorials and so much outdated advice! You most definitely can learn to use JavaScript, but keep your focus on what is taught in this course and what is asked of you in the assignments. I have tried to streamline it for you.

Note: If you use JSHint, make sure you click “Configure” at the top of the page and select “New JavaScript features (ES6).” Otherwise you will get an error every time you use the let keyword, or any template literal.

Screen Shot 2018-10-08 at 6.29.37 PM

Recommended

A Web design example

I just came across this nicely designed, responsive page: U.S. Web Design Standards

Point 1: Design standards are important, and the U.S. government is starting to realize that too!

Point 2: The page reflects many of the principles of good, standards-compliant We design in 2015.

Point 3: If you click “View the Standards,” you’ll find all kinds of good advice about usability and accessibility for Web and mobile content. It doesn’t matter if you are never going to design a site for the U.S. government — these are simply good, solid design practices that serve the audience well.

Recommended

7 future Web design trends

I found a link to this blog post (published May 6, 2015) via a discussion on Quora.

7 future Web design trends

I don’t agree with everything in the article, but most of it is spot-on. Well worth a read.

Recommended

Responsive Web design in 2015

Yesterday I talked to a class about adaptation of websites so that they are usable and look good on all the screens. This is called responsive design, because it is the design that adapts to the kind of screen it’s on.

You can view my slide deck.

General Info

Code for journalism students

There’s a movement afoot that says everyone should learn to code. Programming should be taught in the elementary schools and high schools as a regular required subject. Why do people think this? Because learning to code is a process that makes you a better problem-solver in all kinds of situations.

Learning to code does not mean you want to become a computer programmer. I know you signed up for a major in the College of Journalism and Communications because you were good at writing, or maybe good at visual storytelling, and probably you did not like your math classes. Guess what? Neither did I.

Check out the About page and the Course Schedule and see whether you think you’re up to the challenge. Learn to code.