- When you learn JavaScript for the first time
you typically start with the basics,
variables
then functions,
then more advanced subjects.
But, due to the popularity of JavaScript frameworks,
like React and View,
today the first introduction people have to JavaScript
is often through advanced objects and methods.
For this reason,
I've chosen to turn our course on its head.
We'll start with objects and methods,
then look at other data types and the DOM,
and finally cover methods, functions,
and events at the very end.
This means, as we make our way through the course,
I'll often introduce and use concepts
before I fully cover them,
so you see them in the real context first
and then learn the basics later.
And there's a good reason for this.
Learning JavaScript requires
not just understanding the basic premises
and shapes and formulas of the code.
To really learn this language,
you need to find ways of making it make sense to you.
Think of your mind as a shelf,
like the one behind me.
I could just hand you a bunch of items of information
about how the language works
but then they'd likely just end up being stacked
in front of the shelf
or randomly wherever there's room.
I want to help you to figure out
where each of these learning items go on your shelf.
And that's why you'll be introduced
to advanced examples first.
You see the context
and you'll start asking questions about
why things work that way and why they do what they do.
Then I'll give you the item with the answer
or explanation to each of those questions
and you'll know where to place them on your shelf.
To help strengthen this learning process,
I've added open-ended practice assignments
throughout the course,
so you can practice and play around
with what you've learned immediately.
I encourage you to dive into these practice assignments
and spend some time on them
so you really get a feel for the language.
I've also added ample references
to the official JavaScript documentation at MDN Web Docs,
both in the course,
in the exercise files,
and in a downloadable document.
As you start working with JavaScript,
reading and referring to the MDN Web Docs
will become part of your process,
and as you move through this course,
I want you to check out the links I provided,
explore the examples they provide,
and make this documentation part of your learning journey.
That way, when you come out the other end of the course,
you've already established a documentation based practice
that will serve you as a robust platform
for your continued learning.
So,
if you feel lost at any point,
that's all part of the learning process.
I encourage you to stop the movie and watch it again,
or go check out the linked MDN documentation
for the current subject,
or skip to the next movie
to see if there's an explanation coming,
or dive into one of the practice assignments
to explore the problem and find a solution
that makes sense to you.