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JavaScript

How to Learn JavaScript Properly

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·February 24, 2013

Learn JavaScript Properly (For Beginners and Experienced Programmers)

This study guide, which I also refer to as a course outline and a road map, gives you a structured and instructive outline for learning JavaScript properly. In fact, you will find two study guides below, one for absolute beginners and the other for experienced programmers and web developers.

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You do want to learn JavaScript. I presume you are here for that reason, and you have made a wise decision. For if you want to develop modern websites and web applications (including an internet startup), or if you want a high-paying developer job ($75K to $250K+), JavaScript is undoubtedly the best web-development language to learn today, unless you want to develop native iOS or Android apps exclusively. And while there exist ample online resources to teach you JavaScript, finding the most efficient and beneficial method to learn the “language of the web” can be a frustrating endeavor. This study guide streamlines and simplifies the process; it has proven successful in helping thousands, and thousands more read and follow it each day.

Study Groups
People have started study groups for this study guide. You can find such groups on Reddit here and here, and other places, including Code Crew Meetup.

What You will Learn

You will learn the JavaScript language (up to advanced-intermediate,

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Understand JavaScript Closures With Ease

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·February 2, 2013

Closures allow JavaScript programmers to write better code. Creative, expressive, and concise. We frequently use closures in JavaScript, and, no matter your JavaScript experience, you will undoubtedly encounter them time and again. Sure, closures might appear complex and beyond your scope, but after you read this article, closures will be much more easily understood and thus more appealing for your everyday JavaScript programming tasks.

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This is a relatively short (and sweet) post on the details of closures in JavaScript. You should be familiar with JavaScript variable scope before you read further, because to understand closures you must understand JavaScript’s variable scope.

What is a closure?
A closure is an inner function that has access to the outer (enclosing) function’s variables—scope chain. The closure has three scope chains: it has access to its own scope (variables defined between its curly brackets), it has access to the outer function’s variables, and it has access to the global variables.

The inner function has access not only to the outer function’s variables, but also to the outer function’s parameters. Note that the inner function cannot call the outer function’s arguments object, however, even though it can call the outer function’s parameters directly.

You create a closure by adding a function inside another function.
A Basic Example of Closures in JavaScript:

function showName (firstName, lastName) { var nameIntro = "Your name is ";

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JavaScript Objects in Detail

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·January 27, 2013

JavaScript’s core—most often used and most fundamental—data type is the Object data type. JavaScript has one complex data type, the Object data type, and it has five simple data types: Number, String, Boolean, Undefined, and Null. Note that these simple (primitive) data types are immutable (cannot be changed), while objects are mutable (can be changed).

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What is an Object
An object is an unordered list of primitive data types (and sometimes reference data types) that is stored as a series of name-value pairs. Each item in the list is called a property (functions are called methods).

Consider this simple object:

var myFirstObject = {firstName: "Richard", favoriteAuthor: "Conrad"};

Think of an object as a list that contains items, and each item (a property or a method) in the list is stored by a name-value pair. The property names in the example above are firstName and favoriteAuthor. And the values are “Richard” and “Conrad.”

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Learn Backbone.js Completely

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·January 14, 2013

(More Than Just a Complete Backbone.js Tutorial)

Duration: 25 to 30 hours
Prerequisite: JavaScript knowledge of 5/10

Below, I provide you with a comprehensive study guide that I myself have used (indeed, I have refined it for this article) to learn Backbone.js properly. This study guide should take just about 30 hours to complete.

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After I learned Backbone.js, the first application I built was an eCommerce web application for a client—a startup. I built the entire app, including the shopping cart, with Backbone.js and Node.js.

Backbone.js Is Friendly
Backbone.js is neither difficult to learn nor difficult to use, and the time you will spend learning to use this serviceable framework will be well worth it, for you will learn how to use one of the most popular front-end frameworks and learn how to build modern web applications on the front end. In addition, you will see your market value as a JavaScript developer rise, since Backbone.js developers are in high demand.

Before we Continue
I should note that Angular.js and Ember.js are robust and feature-rich front-end frameworks that offer more than Backbone.js, and they allow you to develop applications with less code than Backbone.js. Nonetheless, I still think developers should learn Backbone.js first, particularly because it is easier to learn and provides you with a solid understanding of what a JavaScript framework is and how a JavaScript framework functions.

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JavaScript is Super Sexy

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·September 6, 2012

JavaScript is super sexy, mature, and stateful; it has an attractive frontend and a firm, kick ass backend. It is svelte and versatile, and its functions are dynamic.

It is affectionate to both hardcore pros and virgin noobs; it is even inviting to those who lack the prominence of programming know-how or the prestige of a CS degree. Yep, even you can get down with JavaScript, no matter who you are—designers love JS, developers love JS, hackers love JS, and Code Academy has thousands signing up for a date with JS.

Attractive Frontend Package
JS has an irresistibly sinful frontend with a mocha aroma that underscores its passion. It has a node, it is angular; it has a spine and a backbone for its curvy corners; its agility is a knockout; and it can impress with its thick sproutcore that recently shaved to a desirable, lithe ember. Also impressive are its jade smile and its robust jQuery abs, which make for exciting fun when it does express, if you prefer it that way, or when it bootstraps with arduino, for the adventurous type.

JS is agreeably the future, particularly with the advent of HTML5 and the simultaneous, ironic ‘dysfunction’ of Flash. As the chosen language of the web, it will be hot for some time to come, this is evidenced by its recent ubiquity, meteoric rise, and modernizr upgrade.

JS Has Secrets

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