Javascript: a language that I closely associated with Java years ago while first learning programming; I soon learned they were quite different and not that closely related at all.
My main experience with Javascript before this semester has been occasional use in basic web development tutorials, projects for associating buttons with actions, generating random numbers, and keeping track of time (The setInterval function doesn’t seem to have the most accurate timekeeping, though).
Up until recently I’ve associated Javascript with code execution on the client side. Javascript also had some associations with the, “Web development is not real programming,” mindset along with languages like html/css and php, but learning about its uses in popular frameworks has further opened up my mind to its potential. Learning about frameworks like server-side-executing Node.js has me excited to delve deeper into understanding Javascript.
I do not have much experience debugging in Javascript, so that is something I would definitely like to research more intensively in the future.
The Javascript related assignments really helped me review my knowledge of the language. Keeping track of the time taken to complete the practice WODs helped me prepare for the pressure of the in class WOD. I actually had some experience with FreeCodeCamp before this semester but had skipped over most of the Javascript section since I had taken similar tutorials in the past. Going through those lessons took a decent amount of time, but definitely was good practice.
I was worried about the complexity of the algorithms we would need to generate on the fly to solve the problems within the WOD. Would I be able to problem solve under that pressure? However the general ease of solving the practice WODs helped to assure me that I would be able to get through the in class WOD and accustom me to that pressure. I was able to learn my way around jsfiddle, so once I figured out the interface and general work environment and workflows my times went from just barely finishing before the final moments to finishing fairly quickly.
Overall, learning Javascript in ICS 314 has been a positive experience and I look forward to future classes!