It seems that many of the JavaScript questions are answered by the simple use of pushing a library, without taking into account the person asking the question. I think libraries are great myself, but sometimes I think that we're too quick to throw a library down someone's throat.
Imagine a person asks a question and it's apparent that they barely know JavaScript. They're just using code they found and piecing it together with other code, and really have no firm foundation to work on. To add a library on top of that flimsy foundation seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
With that in mind, what JavaScript / programming / web browser concepts do you think are necessary to understand before a library/framework is introduced to a person? Should a framework / library be part of the learning process?
I don't think someone has to grasp absolutely everything to use a library, I just think some people would be better served with a "Library X might help solve your problems, but before you do that, you might want to read up on the following concepts", rather than just a "use library x" answer.
What you should learn are some fundamental programming techniques:
closures
continuations
function objects / what a "first class" function is
JavaScript object oriented design
difference between "prototype" languages and traditional Object Oriented languages
Absolutely firm grounding in HTML and CSS: standards, tricks, and various browser compatibility issues
UI Design Principals
With that in mind, today its practically impossible to develop without a library. I recommend Dojo but others use jQuery, YUI, etc...
When choosing a library, you need to have a firm understanding of what problem you are trying to solve. Is it browser abstraction? dealing with communication? charting? animations? graphics? UI toolkits?
Each library has its "niche", so you need to really know what you're specific problem domain is and in turn choose a library accordingly.
I would suggest using the brick and mortar kind of library and find a good book on JavaScript.
I think that one reflex reaction to a "how do implement X" is "don't reinvent then wheel", and this is generally good advice. I think that if you have to ask how to do something reasonably complex, and it's already in a library then you're going to waste massive time trying to piece together something from a few answers on SO.
So barring the obvious: learn the syntax of the language, learn how to debug etc., by and large a library is the right answer. And that's not just to say "Use the library, disengage brain" it also means "Study the library, look at the issues it's solving - you didn't realise your problem was so complex? Well the folks who put hours and days into the library studied the problem in some detail and probably developed the library by using it extendsively. Study the implementation and learen how."
I think that studying good code is a very good way to learn.
Libraries bring similarities to browsers where so much is different from browser to browser. This is why, I'd suspect, people suggest their usage in various answers. Nothing is stoping anyone from reading a good js book if they want to actually understand what is going on, but we surely cannot shove books and tutorials down anyone's throat. You need to want to learn before that would be worth anything.
They should read this http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596517742/wrrrldwideweb
And check out some of the links here http://www.crockford.com/
Related
I have completed codeacademy twice, freecodecamp twice and read a few online articles...I believe I now have a good understanding of the fundamentals of Javascript.
However, I feel lost in terms of where to go next. People say build projects, but where do I start? How do I plan? Even though I know the fundamentals of Javascript, I still feel there is a lot to learn. I feel like I will only truly start understanding Javascript once I start putting projects together but I cant think of any.
Also, codeacademy, freecodecamp and these other online course websites dont seem to really teach DOM manipulation. Is there any online coding sites, similar to the ones mentioned, which will allow me to practice DOM manipulation?
I would be hufely grateful if people who have developed their understanding in Javascript can give me some advice based on how they did it.
I am just sitting here staring at my laptop and going back and forth. I cant really seem to figure out what to do next, now that I have gained a basic understanding of the core concepts of Javascript. Please guys, help!
This is not a very good question, but I still would like to try and explain.
Questions you need to ask yourself
Frontend or backend js?
I assume frontend based on the "DOM manipulation" part, but there is also Node.js for the backend with it's own unique API to use and interact with the operating system.
Do I want to use libraries and/or frameworks
Depending on your needs and preferences you will come in touch with these things, they all have their own learning curve, on top of learning js. Libraries are mostly just function in order to help you. However frameworks like Vue and Angular require a way of writing your code that is like it's own language. (opinionated)
What version(s) of js and browsers do you want to support?
Javascript has evolved over time and the javascript engines in browsers as well. Older IE browsers will be harder to support without the help of a library like jQuery.
Now about the learning part and where you can practice.
There are probably thousands of great sites to practice, however I will give you my favorites.
The stackoverflow documentation on javascript (top navigation on this page)
I will get hate for this: W3Schools
To read the docs on Mozilla
interactive on both codeschool and codeacademy
JSFiddle for practicing in a closed environment
https://bento.io/topic/javascript
https://learnxinyminutes.com/docs/javascript/
http://www.allitebooks.com/ for specific ebooks
Have a look at what frameworks are popular nowadays and why. If they suit your needs. Learn them one or two at a time but not more, so you won't mix them all up in the end. Try to at least understand OOP in javascript even if you don't intend to use it later. Anyone feel free to expand this answer because it is hard to cover it all myself.
I started to work as a UX designer and until recently have been prototyping using visual tools like Axure or Balsamiq mockups.I've always been drawn to coding though and want to become more code-oriented in my prototyping skills.
I'd like to know your opinion on choosing the right development path in my particular situation. Briefly:
What I know:
HTML + CSS, Bootstrap 4 basics, basic coding concepts (like variables, functions, classes etc.) I recently started to learn vanilla JS basic concepts.
What I want to be able to do
rapidly prototype (in order of importance!) 1. apps(!), 2. dashboards(!), 3. mobile apps, 4. web sites
have intermediate understanding of code and ability to modify it
create dynamic, animated graphs (d3.js?)
(important) dynamic animations of UI elements
Goals:
First of all I want to plan my coding schedule for next 4-5 years in advance. I understand there is no best tool and perfect path, that's why I want to follow "good enough" path.
I don't necessarily look for the newest and shiniest technology. For my purposes it needs to be efficient today and shouldn't die in a few years.
Questions:
I think it's a good idea to keep learning JS to say intermediate point,until I'll get into frameworks/libraries. That's the usual advice, but on the other hand, I only need code as far as prototyping is concerned, maybe results would come faster if I skip to frameworks directly?
If my goal is just prototyping is it still bad idea to learn jQuery afterwards? I see a lot of bad reviews recently. Should I consider (and why) any other frameworks/libs like React? In other words are there any advantages of say React over jQuery for my purposes?
Can I still use css frameworks with JS Frameworks? The concept of latter is to complicated for my now and I wonder if they can be useful for prototyping purposes or it's just a tool for professional developers (so many options, so many tools!).
Thanks!
I think it's a good idea to keep learning JS to say intermediate
point,until I'll get into frameworks/libraries. That's the usual
advice, but on the other hand, I only need code as far as prototyping
is concerned, maybe results would come faster if I skip to frameworks
directly?
Often frameworks have a clear documentation of their functions and methods and therefore I think jumping into a framework directly would spare some time. On parallel learning JS is quite important in order to recognize JS formats and modify your requirements. I would just focus on a framework with a specific goal. Try to implement it and if you encounter some errors just google it, you will definitely find some stack overflow questions.
If my goal is just prototyping is it still bad idea to learn jQuery
afterwards? I see a lot of bad reviews recently. Should I consider
(and why) any other frameworks/libs like React? In other words are
there any advantages of say React over jQuery for my purposes?
It is never bad to learn jQuery. A lot of external libraries are build based on jQuery. I would really recommend this book: "Jon Duckett-
JavaScript & JQuery" which will help you understand the basics of jQuery. I do not see any advantages of React over jQuery. Perhaps some other people have different thoughts about that.
Can I still use css frameworks with JS Frameworks? The concept of
latter is to complicated for my now and I wonder if they can be useful
for prototyping purposes or it's just a tool for professional
developers (so many options, so many tools!).
Sure, JS Frameworks often only focus on creating dynamic content or establishing functionality within your prototype. It does not really influence your CSS. You can easily use for example node.js in combination with bootstrap CSS .
What are the best resources on Design Patterns catering specifically to web development with JavaScript and JQuery?
I'm particularly interested in information on programming my own libraries, reusable components, widgets, etc. and the merits of various techniques (for instance in the case of components/widgets comparing those employed in jQuery UI vs. rolling your own).
I'm also curious about the intricacies of JavaScript as a programming language, and the finer points of object-based programming with JavaScript.
Big fan of Douglas Crockford and the Yahoo video series. Looking for additional examples.
One very instructional thing you might do is read over the jQuery source code. It's a treasure-trove of interesting and efficient coding techniques. You might then broaden your horizons by reading over the source for Prototype or some other library.
The nice thing about reading good code and trying to understand it is that it's really real; it is the good code, so you bypass a layer of rhetoric.
Similar to Pointy's answer, you should take a look at these two videos, which help you understand the source code of JQuery (it might be difficult for some to dive into the code from start to finish):
10 things I learned from the jquery source
11 more things I learned from the jquery source
Paul Irish, a member of the JQuery team, goes through some very interesting design patterns in the JQuery source in a humorous way. I think he picks some really interesting spots, which really gives you a lot of usable knowledge you can use elsewhere.
It's probably the resource that has given me the most knowledge about a particular field in the shortest time. It's just really valuable.
This guy has some really good stuff as far as the "intricacies of JavaScript as a programming language" part of your question is concerned:
http://devlicio.us/blogs/sergio_pereira/default.aspx
e.g.
http://devlicio.us/blogs/sergio_pereira/archive/2009/02/09/javascript-5-ways-to-call-a-function.aspx
The comp.lang.javascript group on Usenet is an excellent resource: pretty much everything related to browser scripting has been discussed there and is available in the archive, and some of the regulars, while not always the most polite, are incredibly knowledgeable.
The question is: Is it bad to learn how to do special effects, table sorting, etc, using jQuery instead of learning the bits of code that bring that alive with pure javascript?
I have previously addressed a similar problem in a question, but I missed adding this extra inquiry!
Yes you can. Doing it in JQuery isn't bad. Everyone uses some sort of Javascript library. I love JQuery. Your odds of making things that work in all browsers go up quite a bit, you get the UI done quicker, etc.
Though having a bit of Javascript knowledge is good, because when things go wrong you want to be able to debug the problem.
JQuery.com has lots of good tutorials.
You really should use jQuery; it will allow you to spend more time adding features instead of trying to make your code work in every browser (Note that even jQuery is not a silver bullet; you'll still have some cross-browser headaches in any non-trivial web app, especially if you need to support IE6).
There's no point in turning your back on new tools and libraries just to "stay close to the metal".
If you're afraid of lowering your value in your boss' eyes, look at it a different way. Would you prefer to hire a programmer who spends all of his time working around browser bugs, or a programmer who uses jQuery and finishes his projects faster because of it? Remember that managers are trying to ship products and make money, not simply hire elite programmers.
Personally I was recommended to learn JS before learning jQuery. But started off with jQuery, and can make pretty much with it without to much JS experience. What you do need to know of JS you can just google it and learn it when needed ;)
jQuery is fantastic for us that doesn't take the time to learn everything about JS
Personally, until the beginning of this year, I used to limit my use of javascript to only helping aid the user with things like web forms.
However, after playing around with jQuery for no more than a few days, I realised how much easier it made achieving javascript effects and functionality. Now I pretty much use jQuery on most web pages, a lot of the time, just to add nicer UI effects.
A background knowledge of raw javascript will never go amiss and you will almost certainly still have to mix it in with your jQuery scripts, but when you run into troubles, nearly every problem I've had, had a solution already posted on Stack Overflow or just on Google.
Not a very technical answer, but as an intermediate programmer, and javascript newbie I've had no problems learning to work with jQuery. The documentation and community are very helpful.
I think you should set yourself a goal of knowing javascript well enough to be able to author a plugin if you need it in your favorite framework. While using a framework is almost always the right way to go, there will be times when you can't find a plugin that does exactly what you need. At that point you need to know javascript well enough to be able to adapt a plugin to your needs or write your own.
I am a .NET webdev using ASP.NET, C# etc... I "learned" javascript in college 5+ years ago and can do basic jobs with it. But I wonder if it is useful to become proficient in it.
Why should I learn Javascript?
Is it more advantageous then learning JQuery or a different library?
Yes, definitely learn Javascript before you learn one of the libraries about. It's the whole walk-before-you-can-run thing.
Make sure you add these sites to your bookmarks:
Mozilla's developer site: This contains the reference to the Javascript API in Mozilla. This will help you make sure you're writing code that Firefox understands.
IE's site in Microsoft Developer Network: The same, for IE.
W3's reference of DOM for HTML: In most web applications today, the Javascript code manipulates the DOM, which is an internal keeping track of the objects displayed on screen (but you already knew that, right ?) This is the reference to the DOM API. It is language neutral, which means it does not target Javascript, but these methods exist in Javascript too.
Douglas Crockford' site: Doug Crockford is THE MAN when it comes down to Javascript. The articles in his page are a must read. Because Javascript has closures and first-class functions, he believes it is closer to Lisp and Scheme than to other languages. And he teaches you how to greatly improve your code with these language features.
Yahoo Developer network: You may also want to check this. I'm not a regular visitor to this site, though, so I can't really say much about it.
Yes, absolutely you should learn JavaScript if you are doing web development. I highly recommend JavaScript: The Good Parts, by Doug Crockford. And, JQuery is a great framework to use (this site uses it) -- it kind of depends on what you are trying to do -- YUI and ExtJS are also very nice.
The answer is simple.
Hands down yes. There's a reason that Google have made such a big fuss about the V8 JS engine for Chrome, why Mozilla are working on TraceMonkey for Firefox and why Webkit have been working on Squirrelfish for a while (now Squirrelfish extreme). It's because JS is becoming more popular by the day.
Javascript is one of those languages that spending a few hours learning will probably teach you 99% of what you will ever really use. I would imagine you are at the point in your learning of javascript that you know more than enough now and just learn one or more of the frameworks now.
I would recommend brushing up on your non-frameworked javascript first. Refreshing/learning basic concepts of dom manipulation and what not. Like learning how to build a linked list, stack or queue in C++ before learning how to use the STL (standard template libraries).
In addition to brushing up on straight javascript, it might be good to get into a framework that doesn't abstract and change the way things work so much, for instance Prototype. You code with it very much the same way you code with straight javascript. Read through the Prototype code, learn how to make classes, and do some fancy stuff. From experience, I can say reading through the Prototype.js helped me learn alot.
After messing around a bit, then I'd say go for jQuery. If jQuery didn't, literally, change the way you write code I'd say go for it first, but learning how to build classes and js inheritance and what not can be a very important lesson for someone who wants to become fluent in JS.
Learning javascript is recommended for any web application developer. Why?
You will better understand the possibilities, limitations and dangers related to developing a web application
It is a boost for your career, if you are working on a web application that has a user interface.
However, learning javascript is usually a trade-off between a programming language and another. You should consider whether javascript is relevant for your career or project.
Unless you want to really get into javascript, I think you'd be better off learning enough JS to leverage one of the tried and tested javascript libraries out there.
One thing nice about JavaScript is that it is quite different from mainstream languages such as C#, VB.NET or Java. Learning it, especially if you have occasions to use it, will give you another insight on programming, and that's always good. I think it's worth learning it.
If you are doing web development then at some point you are going to get exposed to Javascript or ECMAScript at some point in your career for any one of a number of reasons. At a minimum you should know enough Javascript to be able to be able to validate user input; however, the web is moving in the direction of using more an more Ajax so you should also know enough Javascript to properly leverage one of the major libraries out there such as jQuery.
As some of the other users have noted, you can learn most of what you need of Javascript on a day to day basis in a single day or a couple of afternoons. If you want to get more advanced with Javascript then you are going to have to invest much more time in learning the language but odds are that unless you seek out this type of work that you are not going to encounter something that a preexisting library doesn't already exist for.
If all you want is to do some simple UI-effects and the like, I suggest you just pick a library and go for it!
Using libraries eliminates all the flawed implementations of JavaScript and provides you with an API which is the same across all browsers. And if you're working together with others it is also a great way of implementing code-standards and best practices.
Learning a second programming language is always good.
By the sound of it, JavaScript is a language that you use, to it will be of practical use too. As a web dev, it has been recommended to me in a review that i learn at least basic JavaScript.
A library such as jQuery is essential for web development thse days, so you could learn that too.
I don't think a lot of deliberate learning makes sense (but of course you need some basic knowledge), but I also think after some years of web development you'll become pretty proficient in the language anyway :)
If you are a webdev then yes, you should be proficient with Javascript. Javascript is a major part of making web apps as interactive as desktop apps.
With that being said, learn to use one of the cross-browser compatible libraries like JQuery, Prototype, etc. We do not need to have any more single browser crud created using Javascript, just because any real man/woman rolls their own.
A few things to learn in Javascript:
1. Basic syntax
2. The various flavours of function declaration.
3. Passing functions around and how to use passed in functions.
I recommend Jeremy Keith's books: DOM Scripting and Bulletproof Ajax. After you become more fluent in JS I would recommend a JS library(I use jQuery, but that is not important).
JS is important to learn. You cannot use a framework without the proper understanding of how it works. That is doing things backwards.
i thing you should have a good knoloedge base of language specification and DOM (Document Object Model). it means,you shoud know how find/create "page object" an edit properties. Also you should have an idea of "object oriented" javascript tecniques, which the starting point of a lot of framework. you don't need learn specific framework if you don't use it. simple keep in mind generic base concept!
I'll go with the opposite answer most are putting out there. Learning javascript as a developer these days is almost pointless. The language is similar enough to java/C# that it's syntax and semantics shouldn't be lost on you.
What you should learn is jQuery.
As you use jQuery you'll pick up the most common things you'll ever need from javascript anyway.
If you're involved with the Web in anyway then the answer is "Yes, always". Maybe an embedded or system's programmer could get by without JavaScript, but not a webdev.
Most of the libraries are designed to alleviate some of the pain of interacting with a multitude of browsers. They will not abstract away core JavaScript functionality.
Yes, you should learn JavaScript. Sooner or later you will need to use it!