Learning Javascript

[James Heaver]

Hey,

I know this is off-topic, but it was suggested I ask here, and it's so
I can play around with tiddlywiki so...

Anyway, I was after some advice and suggestions on how to learn
javascript as a non-programmer. Any books or anything you guys would
recommend?


Cheers for any advice
James

[SteveM]

James,

Here's a site I've been working through.

http://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

There are others free online if you do a search. I don't think I
would buy a non e-book for programming. Having a textbook up on the
screen is easier to work with. And frankly, it's often easier to find
an answer to a problem with a google search. So you may not need a
text at all.

SteveM

[James Heaver]

Thanks for the tip, Steve.
I'll have a look through that.



James

[SteveM]

James,

Great. Hope it helps. One thing that is not apparent on the linked
page is that the site offers tutorials in a bunch of languages.
Select the Home link to review those.

Steve

[FND]

> http://www.w3schools.com/js/default.asp

W3Schools doesn't really have a great reputation:
http://tinyurl.com/6pt83j
(http://zofbot.zoffix.com/cgi-bin/db.pl?search_term=w3schools&search_on=commands&db_section_css=on&db_section_html=on&db_section_js=on&db_section_dom1=on&db_section_dom2=on&db_section_perldoc=on&sort=1&number_of_matches=all&search=Search)

However, it should suffice as a (very) basic introduction.

-- F.

[alex]

I think that there is a great 'situated learning'[1] opportunity to
learn javascript though tiddlywiki.

In addition, I think that tiddlywiki is a good tool for supporting
situatied learning.

Alex


"Situated learning was first proposed by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger
as a model of learning in a Community of practice. At its simplest,
Situated Learning is learning that takes place in the same context in
which it is applied. Lave and Wenger (1991) argue that learning should
not be viewed as simply the transmission of abstract and
decontextualised knowledge from one individual to another, but a
social process whereby knowledge is co-constructed; they suggest that
such learning is situated in a specific context and embedded within a
particular social and physical environment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situated_learning

[SteveM]

Alex,

Great point. I never learned any programming or quantitative modeling
until I was dumped into projects that required them. And frankly,
that's the most enjoyable way to learn. I haven't thought about that
and TW, but now that you've brought it up, I'll read through a JS
tutorial for syntax and other basic elements and then move right to TW
and get to work.

SteveM

P.S. I wish somebody would dump me into Germany. I've been studying
that language for years and still have not got it down.

[Mat]

Just starting out myself.
Saw the following video recommended by someone. A book is mentioned
within;
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/111593

The guy on the vid is very negative to pretty much all books, but the
"least bad one" is;
Javascript - the Definitive Guide
by Flannigan or similar.

Best

/Mat

[James Heaver]

That was a very interesting video. It felt like I was learning loads,
but we'll see when I start trying to apply it - as you'll see form my
other post - it wasn't enought o help me hack around with
ReminderMacros.

I've got that book on order, maybe it will help.


My next question - workspace
without getting into a religious debate - what tools should I look
into for hacking around with tiddlywiki?
do I jsut need to pick a side in emacs v vim or are those both more
heavyweight than I need?
are there other tools I should look into?




James

[FND]

> without getting into a religious debate - what tools should I look
> into for hacking around with tiddlywiki?

That's been discussed a number of times - take a look here:
http://www.tiddlywiki.org/wiki/Dev:Code_Editors

-- F.