What is a program? What is a programming language? How do programs and people
fit together?
[x] 🥚 Data in, Data Out: You understand that computer programs are used
to transform data, and can explain a JS program from this module in terms
of the data that goes in and the data that comes out.
🥚 Three Audiences: You can explain how a single file of code is used to
communicate with 3 different audiences:
[x] Developers: You can explain how code formatting, comments, logs and
variable names make it easier (or harder!) for a developer to understand
a program.
[x] Computers: You can explain how a computer follows your instructions
to store, read and modify data in program memory.
[x] Users: You can explain how the computer creates a dynamic user
experience by following different executions paths depending on user
input.
[x] 🥚 Tracing Variables: You can complete a trace table for a program
that uses only variables, and can check your work using the "trace"
button.
Go in depth on JavaScript you need to know for writing interactive text-based
programs in the browser. Along the way you will learn how each language feature
works in small programs.
🥚 JavaScript Syntax: Given a program, you can identify these parts of
JavaScript syntax:
[x] Primitives
[x] Operators
[ ] Identifiers
[x] Keywords
[x] Checks
[x] Blocks
[x] Function Calls
🥚 Listening and Reading: You can read code out loud, and understand your
classmates when they read code to you. You don't need to understand how a
program works to master these learning objectives!
[x] Listening You can exactly re-write a program that a classmate has
read
[x] Reading You can read a program out loud and guide your classmates to
re-write exactly the same code without them seeing the program. Every
indentation, semi-colon, comment and spelling in their program must be
identical to yours.
🥚 Static vs. Dynamic Analysis: You can explain and use these two ways of
studying a program, each can help you understand different aspects of your
code. To help understand this concept, the options panel in Study Lenses is
organized into static and dynamic study options:
[x] Static: Studying the text in a code file without running it. Some
static study methods are creating a flowchart, analyzing variables,
filling out a trace table, and drawing on code.
[x] Dynamic: Running code and studying the computer's behavior. Some
dynamic study methods are running code and reading console logs, using
the trace button, and stepping through in the debugger or JS Tutor.
[x] 🥚 Tracing Execution: You can complete a "steps" trace table for all
JS language features in Just Enough JavaScript, and can correct your table
using console output from the "trace" button.
[x] 🥚 Analyzing Variables: You can list all the variables in a program,
and answer these 5 questions for each variable:
Where is the variable declared?
What is the variable's scope?
Is the variable initialized with a value?
How many times is its value used (read) in the program?
How many times is the variable assigned a new value?
What types are assigned to this variable during the program's execution?
[x] 🥚 Completing Programs: You can successfully fill in blanks for a
program when the missing words are provided, including distractors.
[x] 🐣 Translating Pseudo Code: Given a program written in Pseudo Code,
you can translate it to working JavaScript.
[x] 🐣 Comparing Programs: You can compare two programs with similar code
and explain if they have the same behavior or not. If they do not, you can
explain how they behave differently and why.
[x] 🐥 Constructing Programs: You can reconstruct a program's lines and
indentation, successfully ignoring distractor lines.
Learn how to understand a larger programs by finding connections between the
details and the big picture. By the end of this chapter you will know how to
read a new program and do a simple code review.
[x] 🥚 Stepping Through: You can pause a script in a your browser's
debugger, arrange the debugger, collapse extra panels, and step through a
script written with Just Enough JS. At each point in execution you can
make a prediction of the next line before executing, and can check your
prediction using the scopes panel.
[x] 🥚 Imperative Programming: You can explain what the Imperative
Programming paradigm is, and can explain how you know the programs in
Welcome to JS are Imperative.
[x] 🥚 Program Goals: You understand that a full JavaScript program can be
explained as a series of smaller goals, and can write names for the goals
in a simple working program.
[x] 🥚 Logging: You can tracing specific aspects of a program's execution
and log them to the console.
[x] 🐣 Tracing Backwards You can trace backwards from a program's output
to it's input.
[x] 🐣 Naming Variables: You can analyze how a variable is used in a
program and give it two names:
Generic: You can give a generic name to a variable based on how it is
used in the program.
Specific: You can give a specific name to a variable based on how it's
used and the program's domain (the program's specific data and use-case).
[ ] 🐣 Describing Programs: You can read a program and describe it with
comments using to the methodology from /describing-programs:
Zoom Out
Zoom In
Find Connections
Describe Goals
[ ] 🐥 Code Review: Given a working program you can review the code for
clarity, correctness and style.
[ ] 🐔 Same Behavior, Different Code: You can study simple programs with
the same behavior (data in, data out) but different source code and
explain how the differences matter for each audience.
Learn to modify and write larger programs in JavaScript. You'll cover many of
the hidden skills necessary to develop quality software and to work
collaboratively on a code base.
[x] 🥚 Linting: You can find and fix simple linting errors in JavaScript
programs.
[ ] 🥚 Program Life Cycle: You can explain the two phases of a program's
life cycle.
Creation Phase
Execution Phase
[x] 🥚 Fixing Errors: You can use the structured comment to describe an
error in your program, and can make several educated guesses at how to fix
the error.
[x] 🐣 Fixing Bugs: You can use the structured comment to describe and fix
a bug in small programs.
[ ] 🐣 Modifying Programs: You can make small changes in a program to
change its behavior without breaking it.
[x] 🐥 Refactoring: Given a working program, you can make changes to the
code without changing the program's behavior.
[x] 🐥 Writing Programs: Given a description of a program's behavior
(user story + test cases), you can plan goals for the program and write
code to pass the tests.
🐔 Reverse Engineering: Given a working program with unreadable code, you
can:
[ ] Give the program a name.
[ ] Describe the program's behavior with a user story, acceptance criteria
and test cases.
[ ] Plan goals for the program.
[ ] Develop your own working program with the exact same behvior.
🐔 Imagining Programs: Given an empty page, you can imagine and develop
your own programs using Just Enough JavaScript. This includes:
[ ] A title.
[ ] A description with a user story, acceptance criteria and test cases.
Learning Objectives
1. What is Programming
What is a program? What is a programming language? How do programs and people fit together?
2. Just Enough JavaScript
Go in depth on JavaScript you need to know for writing interactive text-based programs in the browser. Along the way you will learn how each language feature works in small programs.
3. Understanding Programs
Learn how to understand a larger programs by finding connections between the details and the big picture. By the end of this chapter you will know how to read a new program and do a simple code review.
/describing-programs:4. Developing Programs
Learn to modify and write larger programs in JavaScript. You'll cover many of the hidden skills necessary to develop quality software and to work collaboratively on a code base.