Category: Coding
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A Bootstrap CSS Coding Assignment
In my Web Programming for Non-Programmers course, we’re halfway through the term. The students have worked with vanilla CSS and have been introduced to Bootstrap this week. Here’s this week’s assignment. The topic of this site, “AI Prompt Lessons”, is a site that I’m actually working on. This design is a very rough first version […]
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How can I resolve my doubts about learning to code?
That voice in your head Is this for me?Can I do this?Iโm not good at this. Itโs natural to have doubts. But what are doubts? Do doubts really exist? Or, are doubts simply beliefs you have developed about yourself? Perhaps, these beliefs are based on a past experience with a similar topic with which you […]
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Why did I learn to code?
I never expected to ever teach programming or to even make a living as a software developer. It was the furthest thing from my mind as an English major in college. Even as I was learning about web technologies, I still thought coding was beyond my reach. Coding, in my mind then, belonged to the […]
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The No Code Movement
The no code movement views technological advances in software and artificial intelligence (AI) as opportunities for promoting user-friendly interfaces as alternatives for hand-coded programming. That sounds great! Well designed tools allow people to focus on getting things done with software rather than being concerned with the details of coding. But what if the tool is […]
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Learn JavaScript by Backwards Design
The focus on learning syntax of a programming language is one of my fundamental problems with the method that programming is often taught. I’m going to talk about an approach that works backwards from the desired result. This approach describes how to structure a course based not on the content you want to cover but […]
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What is GitHub?
GitHub has become a key tool in not only my web development process but also in my life and work. You definitely don’t need GitHub in order to create web sites, but it can really help you stay organized and productive. GitHub, as the name suggests, is based on what was once a little-known set […]
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How to Write Comments in JavaScript
All programming languages have the capability for the programmer to add comments into the code. Comments, unlike the other parts of the code, are intended for humans. Writing good comments are an important part of coding. Comments provide notes on what the code is doing. Some professional programmers will say that good programming does not […]
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Task list for initial prototype implementation
#4 in a series What do you need to do? The prototype shows you what you need to do. You then need to convert that into a list of tasks that you need to accomplish. You can write the list as any kind of document. Don’t get stuck on figuring out the most fantastic task […]
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Prototyping a website on zoonotic diseases
(#3 in a series) One aspect that I personally value in web development is creativity. A site that takes an uncommon approach stands out. Of course, a lot depends upon what your client wants and what your users expect. For this type of site, though, we can be a bit experimental. Consider the limitations of […]
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Brainstorming structure & content
After developing your motivation for learning to code, you want to brainstorm about the structure and content of your site. Core concept A website that examines zoonotic diseases, particularly from bats to humans, for a general audience. Thoughts on paper My first approach is simply to jot down ideas on paper. Write down any random […]