Microsoft has released a new self-paced and free curriculum for total beginners to both programming and web development.
Web-Dev-For-Beginners, which is hosted on GitHub with links to You Tube videos, is a collaboration among many developers across the Microsoft stack; Project managers, Cloud, AI and JavaScript advocates, each one working on different bits of the curriculum which comprises of a total of 24 lessons.
It teaches HTML,CSS and JavaScript, the latter without the use of any frameworks. This is done to avoid introducing yet another complexity to the project, that of having to learn the intricacies of a separate framework, while keeping the focus on learning the language itself. It's a good approach that follows the newest trends which encourages people to break out of frameworks and going for plain vanilla Javascript.
The really starts from zero with a very brief 01-"Introduction to Programming Languages and Tools of the Trade" where it explores the notion of programming and what programming languages are. It then jumps into code management with an 02-"Introduction to GitHub", and continues with 03-"Creating Accessible Webpages".
All that is considered by the instructors as perquisites to beginning to write code,which is what happens beginning with unit 4,JS Basics-JavaScript Data Types. From then till the end at unit 24 is all code which involves creating applications and games:
05-JS Basics-Functions and Methods. Learn about functions and methods to manage an application's logic flow Functions and Methods
06-JS Basics-Making Decisions with JS. Learn how to create conditions in your code using decision-making methods Making Decisions
07-JS Basics-Arrays and Loops. Work with data using arrays and loops in JavaScript Arrays and Loops
08 Terrarium HTML in Practice. Build the HTML to create an online terrarium, focusing on building a layout Introduction to HTML
09-Terrarium-CSS in Practice. Build the CSS to style the online terrarium, focusing on the basics of CSS including making the page responsive Introduction to CSS
10-Terrarium-JavaScript Closures, DOM manipulation. Build the JavaScript to make the terrarium function as a drag/drop interface, focusing on closures and DOM manipulation JavaScript Closures, DOM manipulation
11-Typing Game-Build a Typing Game. Learn how to use keyboard events to drive the logic of your JavaScript app Event-Driven Programming
12-Green Browser Extension-Working with Browsers. Learn how browsers work, their history, and how to scaffold the first elements of a browser extension About Browsers
13-Green Browser Extension- Building a form, calling an API and storing variables in local storage. Build the JavaScript elements of your browser extension to call an API using variables stored in local storage APIs, Forms, and Local Storage
14-Green Browser Extension-Background processes in the browser, web performance. Use the browser's background processes to manage the extension's icon; learn about web performance and some optimizations to make Background Tasks and Performance
15-Space Game-More Advanced Game Development with JavaScript. Learn about Inheritance using both Classes and Composition and the Pub/Sub pattern, in preparation for building a game Introduction to Advanced Game Development
16-Space Game-Drawing to canvas. Learn about the Canvas API, used to draw elements to a screen Drawing to Canvas
17-Space Game-Moving elements around the screen. Discover how elements can gain motion using the cartesian coordinates and the Canvas API Moving Elements Around
18-Space Game-Collision detection. Make elements collide and react to each other using keypresses and provide a cooldown function to ensure performance of the game Collision Detection
19-Space Game-Keeping score. Perform math calculations based on the game's status and performance Keeping Score
20-Space Game-Ending and restarting the game. Learn about ending and restarting the game, including cleaning up assets and resetting variable values The Ending Condition
21-Banking App-HTML Templates and Routes in a Web App. Learn how to create the scaffold of a multipage website's architecture using routing and HTML templates HTML Templates and Routes
22-Banking App-Build a Login and Registration Form. Learn about building forms and handing validation routines Forms
23-Banking App-Methods of Fetching and Using Data. How data flows in and out of your app, how to fetch it, store it, and dispose of it Data
24-Banking App-Concepts of State Management. Learn how your app retains state and how to manage it programmatically State Management
As far as the deliverables of the course go,
by the end, students will have built a typing game, a virtual terrarium, a 'green' browser extension, a 'space invaders' type game, and a business-type banking app, and will have learned the basics of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS along with the modern toolchain of today's web developer.
It's pretty much a complete class that it includes nice sketches, supplemental videos quizes, step-by-step guides on how to build the projects, knowledge checks, challenges and assignments which should be enough to get your journey started.
After going through it, you'll be looking for the next steps. The instructors advise that you continue with "Beginners Series to: JavaScript", which a number of videos is included into this curriculum and then with "Beginner Series to: Node.js". We've got them both covered in Learn JavaScript and Node.js With Microsoft.
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