JavaScript from Zero to Proficiency (Beginner): JavaScript from Zero to Proficiency, #1

A step-by-step guide to learn JavaScript.

Patrick Felicia

JavaScript From Zero To Proficiency

(Beginner)

––––––––

Copyright © 2018 Patrick Felicia

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher (Patrick Felicia), except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either expressed or implied. Neither the author and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

First published: July 2018

Published by Patrick Felicia

Credits

Author: Patrick Felicia.

Technical Reviewer: Jose Luis Soler Dominguez

Patrick Felicia is a lecturer and researcher at Waterford Institute of Technology, where he teaches and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students.  He obtained his MSc in Multimedia Technology in 2003 and PhD in Computer Science in 2009 from University College Cork, Ireland. He has published several books and articles on the use of video games for educational purposes, including the Handbook of Research on Improving Learning and Motivation through Educational Games: Multidisciplinary Approaches (published by IGI), and Digital Games in Schools: a Handbook for Teachers, published by European Schoolnet. Patrick is also the Editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Game-Based Learning (IJGBL), and the Conference Director of the Irish Symposium on Game-Based Learning, a popular conference on games and learning organized throughout Ireland. He has also published books on coding with C# through the creation of games.

Jose Luis Soler Dominguez is a senior lecturer and PhD researcher at Florida University (Spain). he has a wide experience in the software development area (first as a coder and after as project manager) and Business Intelligence Consultancy. He is currently lecturing about Game Design, Game Technology and Serious Games.

Books from the same author

Unity 5 from Zero to Proficiency (Foundations): In this book, you will become more comfortable with Unity's interface and its core features by creating a project that includes both an indoor and an outdoor environment. This book only covers drag and drop features, so that you are comfortable with Unity's interface before starting to code (in the next book). After completing this book, you will be able to create outdoors environments with terrains and include water, hills, valleys, sky-boxes, use built-in controllers (First- and Third-Person controllers) to walk around the 3D environment and also add and pilot a car and an aircraft.

Unity 5 from Zero to Proficiency (Beginner): In this book, you will get started with coding using JavaScript. The book provides an introduction to coding for those with no previous programming experience, and it explains how to use JavaScript in order to create an interactive environment. Throughout the book, you will be creating a game, and also implementing the core mechanics through scripting. After completing this book, you will be able to write code in JavaScript, understand and apply key programming principles, understand and avoid common coding mistakes, learn and apply best programming practices, and build solid programming skills.

Unity 5 from Zero to Proficiency (Intermediate): In this book, you improve your coding skills and learn more programming concepts to add more activity to your game while optimizing your code. The book provides an introduction to coding in C# t. Throughout the book, you will be creating a game, and also implementing the core mechanics through scripting. After completing this book, you will be able to write code in C#, understand and apply Object-Oriented Programming techniques in C#, create and use your own classes, use Unity's Finite State Machines, and apply intermediate Artificial Intelligence.

Unity 5 from Zero to Proficiency (Advanced): In this book, which is the last in the series, you will go from Intermediate to Advanced and get to work on more specific topics to improve your games and their performances. After completing this book, you will be able to create a (networked) multi-player game, access Databases from Unity, understand and apply key design, patterns for game development, use your time more efficiently to create games, structure and manage a Unity project efficiently, optimize game performances, optimize the structure of your game, and create levels procedurally.

Support and Resources for this Book

A companion website has been set-up for this book, it includes several code solutions and samples for each of the chapters in this book.

To avail of this content, you can open the following link:

http://learnjavascriptforbeginners.wordpress.com/

This site also provides you with the opportunity to subscribe to a newsletter, to obtain exclusive discounts and offers on new books, and to also receive a free copy of this book in the pdf format.

Why should you subscribe?

Be the first to be notified of new resources available.

Receive regular updates and tutorials on JavaScript.

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This book is dedicated to Helena & Mathis

Preface

This book is part of a series entitled JavaScript from Zero to Proficiency. In this book series, you have the opportunity to learn JavaScript programming from scratch and to become proficient in this popular scripting language.

In this book entitled "JavaScript from Zero to Proficiency (Beginner)" you will discover how to quickly get started with JavaScript; you will learn about how to use variables, functions, conditional statements and you will also write your first scripts.

What you Need to Use this Book

To complete the project presented in this book, you only need a text editor such as Notepad, Notepad+ or Sublime and a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox.

In terms of computer skills, all the knowledge introduced in this book will assume no prior programming experience from the reader. Although this book includes scripting, you will be guided step-by-step. So for now, you only need to be able to perform common computer tasks such as typing, and opening and saving files.

Who this Book is for

If you can answer yes to all these questions, then this book is for you:

Are you a total beginner in JavaScript programming?

Would you like to get started fast with JavaScript concepts?

Although you may have had some prior exposure to JavaScript, would you like to delve more into JavaScript and add interactivity to your pages through scripting?

If you can answer yes to all these questions, then this book is not for you:

Can you already easily code in JavaScript?

Are you looking for a reference book on JavaScript?

Are you an experienced (or at least advanced) JavaScript programmer?

If you can answer yes to these three questions, you may instead look for other books in this series. To see the content and topics covered by these books, you can check the official website: http://www.learnjavascriptforbeginners.wordpress.com.

Improving the Book

Although great care was taken in checking the content of this book, I am human, and some errors could remain in the book. As a result, it would be great if you could let me know of any issue or error you may have come across in this book, so that it can be solved and the book updated accordingly. To report an error, you can email me ([email protected]) with the following information:

Name of the book.

The page where the error was detected.

Describe the error and also what you think the correction should be.

Once your email is received, the error will be checked, and, in the case of a valid error, it will be corrected and the book page will be updated to reflect the changes accordingly.

Supporting the Author

A lot of work has gone into this book and it is the fruit of long hours of preparation, brainstorming, and finally writing. As a result, I would ask that you do not distribute any illegal copies of this book.

This means that if a friend wants a copy of this book, s/he will have to buy it through the official channels (i.e., through Amazon, lulu.com, or the book’s official website: www.learnjavascriptforbeginners.wordpress.com/.

If some of your friends are interested in the book, you can refer them to the book’s official website (http://www.learnjavascriptforbeginners.wordpress.com/) where they can either buy the book, enter a monthly draw to be in for a chance of receiving a free copy of the book, or to be notified of future promotional offers.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction