Interactivity with JavaScript

If you haven't use a traditional programming language before, this first week is key. Before we begin with the how, we will talk about the why, mainly why we want to use JavaScript. The main reason is that it is very easy for JavaScript to work with the DOM. And easy is always a great way to start. Speaking of starting out, it is also always more fun when our code actually does something we can see, so we will jump quickly into different ways we can generate output. It won't be flashy yet, but it will be a great way to get your feet wet with traditional programming. After that we go back to the basics of how a computer uses data. We begin with variables, expressions, and operators.

If you have written HTML code in the past, hopefully you have fallen into the great habit of validating your code -- making sure that you close all of your open tags. There are other rules that you may or may not have been following as well, for instance the importance of using each id attribute only once per page. This is called writing "clean" code. The reasoning and importance of following these rules becomes clear as we begin to manipulate the different components of your webpage based on the the actions of the person interacting with your page. In particular you will learn about the JavaScript Mouse Events and Touch Events. This week's materials will end with a photo gallery example that you can create along with me.

This week we will delve into more complex programming concepts: arrays and looping. Arrays allow you to represent groups of related information. Looping provides efficiency and flexibility to your programs. Using both we will expand upon the photo gallery example.