Day 250 - 260: Plotting The Way Forward and Lots of Classes

All right, I've managed to get far enough ahead in class that I have several days of free time.  And that means I'm going to finally go over some introductory Node.js courses.

Before I started, though, I went over how to tell if a number is a prime or not, and here's what I've got, and it works:

var isPrime = true;

function isItPrime(number) {
for (var i = number - 1; i > 1; i--) {
if (number % i === 0) {
isPrime = false;
return isPrime;
}
}
return isPrime;
}


isItPrime(22);

I tried it with several different number.  I'm getting much more comfortable with algorithms, I can really see my growth in that area, and I'd like to start doing one or more algorithms a day from now on, to be ready when it's time for interviews.

Okay, a lot happened today.  I need to learn ES6, and I need to go over new features such as arrow functions, classes, and the spread operator.  Also, I'm reading a book on React, and it says (again) that I've got to become very familiar with ES6 as well as the map, reduce, and assign methods.

I had a meeting with a senior developer who was kind enough to meet up to chat with me, and thanks to his guidance, I've not got a 100% plan to get to where I can monetize my web dev skill set as soon as possible.

Here's the plan:

1.  Complete everything the boot camp assigns, to an A level, this means I'll learn the full stack, with PHP and Node.js on the back end, along with several other technologies.
2.  While this is going on I'll keep my algorithm skills sharp and continue to create projects for my portfolio.

So far so good, not much of a change from before, but now...

3.  I will master React.  React mastery will get me my first job, as in mastering React, I can bring value to the team I join from day 1.  That's the plan anyhow, there's many other routes that could be taken, but that's the plan.

Nonetheless, I do want to be a full stack developer, so I'll learn the back end with as much vigor as before, it's just that I want to master at least one technology so well that someone will hire me for my knowledge of it, and that technology, now that I've already got a fair grasp of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, API's, etc., is React.

Strategically, based on my current skill set and the Austin, TX job market in specific, and the job market, in general, this is the best move. 

Ok, this entry is for ten different days of coding, including many classes since May 31st (it's June 19 now).  I worked on these things in this time:

mapael.js
raphael.js
firebase
nytimes API
flickr API
user input validation
modals

So now we're finally beginning on the back end, with Node.js (we did firebase also, but that's back-end-lite, although I like using it a lot).

All right, let's start, I'm diving deep into Node.js for now, but with the understanding that React is what will get me hired, and it's what I should try to achieve mastery in for now, once I've got a nice web dev gig, then I can expand my mastery into Node.js, for example, or PHP, or other technologies!


SUMMARY OF CODING SKILLS 

Books:                                                                                               Status
"Head First HTML and CSS," by E. Robson & E. Freeman                      Complete

"A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript," by Mark Myers                          Complete

"HTML and CSS," by Jon Duckett                                                        Complete

"JavaScript and JQuery," by Jon Duckett                                            Complete

Team Treehouse (Front End Web Dev Track Complete):                    Status

How to Make a Website                                                                     Complete

HTML                                                                                                Complete

HTML Forms                                                                                      Complete

HTML Tables                                                                                     Complete

HTML Video and Audio                                                                       Complete

CSS Foundations                                                                                Complete

CSS Basics                                                                                         Complete

CSS Layout Techniques                                                                      Complete

CSS Layout Basics                                                                              Complete

CSS Selectors                                                                                     Complete

Responsive Layouts                                                                            Complete

CSS Flexbox Layout                                                                            Complete
Framework Basics (Bootstrap and Foundation)                                    Complete

Git Basics                                                                                          Complete

Console Foundations                                                                          Complete

Introduction to Programming                                                              Complete

JavaScript Basics                                                                               Complete

JavaScript Loops, Arrays, & Objects                                                   Complete

AJAX Basics                                                                                       Complete

JQuery Basics                                                                                    Complete

Interactive Web Pages With JavaScript                                               Complete

Object-Oriented JavaScript                                                                Complete 

Accessibility                                                                                      Complete

Website Optimization                                                                        Complete

Front End Performance Optimization                                                  Complete

Aesthetic Foundations                                                                        Complete                 

Design Foundations                                                                            Complete  

Adobe Photoshop Foundations                                                            Complete

Adobe Illustrator Foundations                                                      66% Complete

Other Courses:                                                                                     Status

HTML and CSS (Codecademy)                                                               Complete

Introduction to Web Dev (The Odin Project)                                         Complete

Web Dev 101 (The Odin Project)                                                    33% Complete

Free Code Camp (FCC)                                                                           Status

1. Get Started with Free Code Camp                                                     Complete

2. HTML5 and CSS                                                                                 Complete

3. Responsive Design with Bootstrap                                                      Complete

4. Gear up for Success                                                                          Complete
5. jQuery                                                                                             Complete
6. Basic Front End Development Projects                                              Complete
7. Basic JavaScript                                                                                Complete
8. Object Oriented and Functional Programming                                    Complete
9. Basic Algorithm Scripting                                                                   Complete
10. JSON API's and Ajax                                                                         Complete
11. Intermediate Front End Development Projects                                  Complete

12. Intermediate Algorithm Scripting                                                     Complete

13. Advanced Front End Development Projects                                       Complete

14. Claim Your Front End Development Certificate                              Complete

The Coding Boot Camp at UT Austin                                              Status (starts 4/19/2016)
Week 1-6: Mastering the Browser (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery)          Complete

Week 7-10: API & JSON (RESTful API"s, parsing JSON, AJAX)                    Complete

Week 11-14: Server Side (Node.js, MySQL, MongoDB)                             In Progress

Week 15-18: PHP (WordPress, CodeIgniter, Laravel) 

Week 18-21: Full Stack Coding
Week 22-24: Final Project


My Web Dev Portfolio: www.adamcamacho.com
CodePen Projects: http://codepen.io/Adancode/

GitHub Projects: https://github.com/Adancode

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcamacho1
Team Treehouse Profile: https://teamtreehouse.com/adamcamacho
Free Code Camp Profile: http://www.freecodecamp.com/adancode

Hours Spent Coding During This Blog Entry: 50

Total Hours Coding: 1,370

Day 245, 246, 247, 248, and 249: UT Bootcamp Class

All right, I've been super busy with school (the coding boot camp at UT).

Today I arrived to class early (as usual) at 2 p.m.  Class starts at 6:30 p.m., but I like to study before class at the Tea Haus, a coffee shop next to class.

I made a few modifications to my X-Men RPG game, and I also downloaded the Heroku toolbelt so I could use Heroku on my new computer.  Also, I set up my GitHub so I could connect to my code on this new computer.

I'll spend a few hours after class today tweaking the X-Men game to make the math work for the game (to make every character be able to win or lose).

Ok, it's the 30th now, I've been doing great, the Boot Camp is great, I finished the X-Men project, then a quiz project that used JavaScript timers, and also the project after that, which uses an API.  

Here's a screenshot of the quiz:

And a screenshot of the API project:

I like the quiz project as a basic portfolio piece, I designed it to be very corporate-looking, and I'm happy with the way it turned out.  As far as the API piece, I whipped it up really quick to meet the project requirements, and I don't intend to use it as a portfolio piece, since I already have nicer API portfolio pieces, so it's time to get back to focusing on the material that we'll be covering in the future (Node.js, for example).  I have about 3 days of free time until class on Thursday, but tomorrow I'll be chatting with a senior dev that works remote.

I'm really happy, I now know two people whose first web dev jobs were remote positions, so it's not outside of the realm of possibility that I may be able to work in Austin for several months after I graduate, and then, once I feel comfortable in the role, go remote.  That would be ideal, but nonetheless, I'd be willing to take a corporate on-location job if it's in a field I'm really interested in and offers a solid pay package.

We worked on algorithms as well, such as the basic FizzBuzz and more complicated challenges.  Closing out this blog entry, it's going to be a long week, and I've got to take advantage of it to get ahead!

I spent over 8 hours of this entry just tutoring other students, but I'm not counting those 8 hours as coding, since, sure, it's coding, but I prefer to mainly count time when I'm working on my own projects, so as to err on the side of lower hours, instead of padding my hours with meetups and tutoring, which is kind of like a meetup, in that you're not really doing intense learning, but you do pick up things here and there, and you get to network...perhaps if the tutoring gets more challenging later on, i may count it partially or fully.

I'm done with the first 6 weeks of the boot camp, that's 25% of the course finished...I'm so grateful for everything.  My family's healthy and all is well.

SUMMARY OF CODING SKILLS 

Books:                                                                                               Status
"Head First HTML and CSS," by E. Robson & E. Freeman                      Complete

"A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript," by Mark Myers                          Complete

"HTML and CSS," by Jon Duckett                                                        Complete

"JavaScript and JQuery," by Jon Duckett                                            Complete

Team Treehouse (Front End Web Dev Track Complete):                    Status

How to Make a Website                                                                     Complete

HTML                                                                                                Complete

HTML Forms                                                                                      Complete

HTML Tables                                                                                     Complete

HTML Video and Audio                                                                       Complete

CSS Foundations                                                                                Complete

CSS Basics                                                                                         Complete

CSS Layout Techniques                                                                      Complete

CSS Layout Basics                                                                              Complete

CSS Selectors                                                                                     Complete

Responsive Layouts                                                                            Complete

CSS Flexbox Layout                                                                            Complete
Framework Basics (Bootstrap and Foundation)                                    Complete

Git Basics                                                                                          Complete

Console Foundations                                                                          Complete

Introduction to Programming                                                              Complete

JavaScript Basics                                                                               Complete

JavaScript Loops, Arrays, & Objects                                                   Complete

AJAX Basics                                                                                       Complete

JQuery Basics                                                                                    Complete

Interactive Web Pages With JavaScript                                               Complete

Object-Oriented JavaScript                                                                Complete 

Accessibility                                                                                      Complete

Website Optimization                                                                        Complete

Front End Performance Optimization                                                  Complete

Aesthetic Foundations                                                                        Complete                 

Design Foundations                                                                            Complete  

Adobe Photoshop Foundations                                                            Complete

Adobe Illustrator Foundations                                                      66% Complete

Other Courses:                                                                                     Status

HTML and CSS (Codecademy)                                                               Complete

Introduction to Web Dev (The Odin Project)                                         Complete

Web Dev 101 (The Odin Project)                                                    33% Complete

Free Code Camp (FCC)                                                                           Status

1. Get Started with Free Code Camp                                                     Complete

2. HTML5 and CSS                                                                                 Complete

3. Responsive Design with Bootstrap                                                      Complete

4. Gear up for Success                                                                          Complete
5. jQuery                                                                                             Complete
6. Basic Front End Development Projects                                              Complete
7. Basic JavaScript                                                                                Complete
8. Object Oriented and Functional Programming                                    Complete
9. Basic Algorithm Scripting                                                                   Complete
10. JSON API's and Ajax                                                                         Complete
11. Intermediate Front End Development Projects                                  Complete

12. Intermediate Algorithm Scripting                                                     Complete

13. Advanced Front End Development Projects                                       Complete

14. Claim Your Front End Development Certificate                              Complete

The Coding Boot Camp at UT Austin                                              Status (starts 4/19/2016)
Week 1-6: Mastering the Browser (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery)          Complete

Week 7-10: API & JSON (RESTful API"s, parsing JSON, AJAX)                   In Progress

Week 11-14: Server Side (Node.js, MySQL, MongoDB)

Week 15-18: PHP (WordPress, CodeIgniter, Laravel) 

Week 18-21: Full Stack Coding
Week 22-24: Final Project


My Web Dev Portfolio: www.adamcamacho.com
CodePen Projects: http://codepen.io/Adancode/

GitHub Projects: https://github.com/Adancode

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcamacho1
Team Treehouse Profile: https://teamtreehouse.com/adamcamacho
Free Code Camp Profile: http://www.freecodecamp.com/adancode

Hours Spent Coding During This Blog Entry: 33

Total Hours Coding: 1,320

Day 242, 243, and 244: Two Classes, a Meetup, and an X-Men RPG Game

All right, I completed the project, here's a screenshot:

One of the things I encountered in that project was adding event handlers to dynamically generated content.  Luckily, Stack Overflow came through!

So I turned that in 6 days early, which gave me time to tutor some of my fellow students the next day, drive down to South Texas to visit my mom and dad, and then to shop around for a new macbook (I bought a newer, 15" model, it's used, but it's new to me) so I could have more screen real estate when I work on my projects.  Then I had to set up my dev environment again, but I'm not counting that as "coding" for the purposes of tracking my time.

It's been a productive few days, but I've got a fairly bothersome cough and a runny nose, and that's been making the last few days not as pleasant as I'd like.

Hopefully I'll get back to normal soon.   :)

SUMMARY OF CODING SKILLS 

Books:                                                                                               Status
"Head First HTML and CSS," by E. Robson & E. Freeman                      Complete

"A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript," by Mark Myers                          Complete

"HTML and CSS," by Jon Duckett                                                        Complete

"JavaScript and JQuery," by Jon Duckett                                            Complete

Team Treehouse (Front End Web Dev Track Complete):                    Status

How to Make a Website                                                                     Complete

HTML                                                                                                Complete

HTML Forms                                                                                      Complete

HTML Tables                                                                                     Complete

HTML Video and Audio                                                                       Complete

CSS Foundations                                                                                Complete

CSS Basics                                                                                         Complete

CSS Layout Techniques                                                                      Complete

CSS Layout Basics                                                                              Complete

CSS Selectors                                                                                     Complete

Responsive Layouts                                                                            Complete

CSS Flexbox Layout                                                                            Complete
Framework Basics (Bootstrap and Foundation)                                    Complete

Git Basics                                                                                          Complete

Console Foundations                                                                          Complete

Introduction to Programming                                                              Complete

JavaScript Basics                                                                               Complete

JavaScript Loops, Arrays, & Objects                                                   Complete

AJAX Basics                                                                                       Complete

JQuery Basics                                                                                    Complete

Interactive Web Pages With JavaScript                                               Complete

Object-Oriented JavaScript                                                                Complete 

Accessibility                                                                                      Complete

Website Optimization                                                                        Complete

Front End Performance Optimization                                                  Complete

Aesthetic Foundations                                                                        Complete                 

Design Foundations                                                                            Complete  

Adobe Photoshop Foundations                                                            Complete

Adobe Illustrator Foundations                                                      66% Complete

Other Courses:                                                                                     Status

HTML and CSS (Codecademy)                                                               Complete

Introduction to Web Dev (The Odin Project)                                         Complete

Web Dev 101 (The Odin Project)                                                    33% Complete

Free Code Camp (FCC)                                                                           Status

1. Get Started with Free Code Camp                                                     Complete

2. HTML5 and CSS                                                                                 Complete

3. Responsive Design with Bootstrap                                                      Complete

4. Gear up for Success                                                                          Complete
5. jQuery                                                                                             Complete
6. Basic Front End Development Projects                                              Complete
7. Basic JavaScript                                                                                Complete
8. Object Oriented and Functional Programming                                    Complete
9. Basic Algorithm Scripting                                                                   Complete
10. JSON API's and Ajax                                                                         Complete
11. Intermediate Front End Development Projects                                  Complete

12. Intermediate Algorithm Scripting                                                     Complete

13. Advanced Front End Development Projects                                       Complete

14. Claim Your Front End Development Certificate                              Complete

The Coding Boot Camp at UT Austin                                              Status (starts 4/19/2016)
Week 1-6: Mastering the Browser (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery)         In Progress

Week 7-10: API & JSON (RESTful API"s, parsing JSON, AJAX)

Week 11-14: Server Side (Node.js, MySQL, MongoDB)

Week 15-18: PHP (WordPress, CodeIgniter, Laravel) 

Week 18-21: Full Stack Coding
Week 22-24: Final Project


My Web Dev Portfolio: www.adamcamacho.com
CodePen Projects: http://codepen.io/Adancode/

GitHub Projects: https://github.com/Adancode

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcamacho1
Team Treehouse Profile: https://teamtreehouse.com/adamcamacho
Free Code Camp Profile: http://www.freecodecamp.com/adancode

Hours Spent Coding During This Blog Entry: 17

Total Hours Coding: 1,287

Day 239, 240, and 241: First Day Working on Node and RPG Project!

All right, I had to choose whether to dive into React or Node first, and although I prefer to go with React first to really solidify my front end education, the UT Boot Camp will be going into Node heavily before we even touch React, and since my priority right now is excelling in the boot camp and helping my fellow students excel, that means I need to get a good grounding in Node first, so I can be prepared to help my classmates out when the time comes.

Okay, so let's get to it!

I organized my Udacity courses on Node, so those are waiting for me now, but I'm starting off with some Treehouse material, since I've used them before and they're pretty solid, sometimes a bit too much hand-holding, but I'm ok with that right now in regards to Node, since this is my first exposure to it.

All right, so the instructor in the video said that writing an application in Node.js is writing an application in javaScript, but outside the browser.

Also, I'm going through the Eloquent JavaScript book whenever I get a chance to on my new kindle, it's pretty neat.  Here's a function that multiplies the argument entered by every number below it:

function fac(n) {
if (n == 0) {
      return 1;
    }
else {
      return fac(n-1) * n;
    }
}


fac(4);

So that yields 24, as in 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.  24.

Okay, I had to start working on a homework assignment, so I set aside my Node work for now.  Here's what I have so far on the homework assignment:

It's a game where the characters fight each other, and we've got to build it in jQuery.  It's coming along.  

In these last few days I attended two 4 hour classes for the boot camp, read a bit of the Eloquent JavaScript book, explored how the stack works in recursive functions like the one earlier in this post, got started (very briefly) on an introduction to Node.js, and started working on the code for the project pictured above, using jQuery, since that's what we're going over this week.

Tomorrow's Saturday, I'll have class for four hours and then I'll continue my work on this project.

SUMMARY OF CODING SKILLS 

Books:                                                                                               Status
"Head First HTML and CSS," by E. Robson & E. Freeman                      Complete

"A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript," by Mark Myers                          Complete

"HTML and CSS," by Jon Duckett                                                        Complete

"JavaScript and JQuery," by Jon Duckett                                            Complete

Team Treehouse (Front End Web Dev Track Complete):                    Status

How to Make a Website                                                                     Complete

HTML                                                                                                Complete

HTML Forms                                                                                      Complete

HTML Tables                                                                                     Complete

HTML Video and Audio                                                                       Complete

CSS Foundations                                                                                Complete

CSS Basics                                                                                         Complete

CSS Layout Techniques                                                                      Complete

CSS Layout Basics                                                                              Complete

CSS Selectors                                                                                     Complete

Responsive Layouts                                                                            Complete

CSS Flexbox Layout                                                                            Complete
Framework Basics (Bootstrap and Foundation)                                    Complete

Git Basics                                                                                          Complete

Console Foundations                                                                          Complete

Introduction to Programming                                                              Complete

JavaScript Basics                                                                               Complete

JavaScript Loops, Arrays, & Objects                                                   Complete

AJAX Basics                                                                                       Complete

JQuery Basics                                                                                    Complete

Interactive Web Pages With JavaScript                                               Complete

Object-Oriented JavaScript                                                                Complete 

Accessibility                                                                                      Complete

Website Optimization                                                                        Complete

Front End Performance Optimization                                                  Complete

Aesthetic Foundations                                                                        Complete                 

Design Foundations                                                                            Complete  

Adobe Photoshop Foundations                                                            Complete

Adobe Illustrator Foundations                                                      66% Complete

Other Courses:                                                                                     Status

HTML and CSS (Codecademy)                                                               Complete

Introduction to Web Dev (The Odin Project)                                         Complete

Web Dev 101 (The Odin Project)                                                    33% Complete

Free Code Camp (FCC)                                                                           Status

1. Get Started with Free Code Camp                                                     Complete

2. HTML5 and CSS                                                                                 Complete

3. Responsive Design with Bootstrap                                                      Complete

4. Gear up for Success                                                                          Complete
5. jQuery                                                                                             Complete
6. Basic Front End Development Projects                                              Complete
7. Basic JavaScript                                                                                Complete
8. Object Oriented and Functional Programming                                    Complete
9. Basic Algorithm Scripting                                                                   Complete
10. JSON API's and Ajax                                                                         Complete
11. Intermediate Front End Development Projects                                  Complete

12. Intermediate Algorithm Scripting                                                     Complete

13. Advanced Front End Development Projects                                       Complete

14. Claim Your Front End Development Certificate                              Complete

The Coding Boot Camp at UT Austin                                              Status (starts 4/19/2016)
Week 1-6: Mastering the Browser (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery)         In Progress

Week 7-10: API & JSON (RESTful API"s, parsing JSON, AJAX)

Week 11-14: Server Side (Node.js, MySQL, MongoDB)

Week 15-18: PHP (WordPress, CodeIgniter, Laravel) 

Week 18-21: Full Stack Coding
Week 22-24: Final Project


My Web Dev Portfolio: www.adamcamacho.com
CodePen Projects: http://codepen.io/Adancode/

GitHub Projects: https://github.com/Adancode

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcamacho1
Team Treehouse Profile: https://teamtreehouse.com/adamcamacho
Free Code Camp Profile: http://www.freecodecamp.com/adancode

Hours Spent Coding Today: 13

Total Hours Coding: 1,270