What is it about javascript?

[Laser]

Hi guys!

In uni I've been studying java, since october in fact. I simply cant do it, we're talking 4 months and they tried to feed us it gradually, which my uni is meant to be good at (student support and all that), Edge Hill University, google it.

I'm no dumbass, it's not language that's the problem, and its not scripting either. I've got good grades under my belt in spanish and french, and even self-taught some italian, and i created a decent flash website in actionscript2 last year. Javascript goes right over my head, and so does actionscript3, both of which are object-based scripting languages.

I dont think its laziness, i have genuinely tried to learn it. Ive attempted the tasks and tried to go through the tutorials, all to no avail. As soon as i get a task to do with no sample code, i simply dont even know where to start, if i see code i dont have even the faintest idea what to do.

I really want to pin it down to something, so my question is this: what is it about javascript that is stopping me from learning it? Am i just a retard? Dyslexic? Should i be in an institute?

[Magyk]

Is this a rhetorical question?

[Laser]

Is this a rhetorical question?

no, otherwise i wouldnt have posted it here


i genuinely want an answer, perhaps someone who has dealings with the evil javascript or a psychologist to say that i have a mental block on programming because my dad didnt pay me enough attention when i was a baby and tried to forcefeed me cucumber which i hate

[lorax]

Well i'm somewhat confused... are you talking about javascript or java... because you mention both.
I'm going to assume you mean javascript on the client of the web browser (ie: in the script tags of an html document... if that's not the case then some of the arguments and methods will be superfluous although most of the information about the core language is universal)

I actually taught myself javascript several years ago, so I know a little bit about it although it's hard to know what you're having trouble with as there are so many possibilities. A few helpful hints however:

Variables are quite different from other languages in that all variables are all types of variables (kind of like Schrodinger's cat ) Never assume that any variable is a number or a string or an array. If in doubt, you can check the type... although it's probably more efficient just to convert it to the type you want (parseInt(YOURNUMBER,10) for numbers or .toString() for strings i believe)

Google is your friend.... Seriously. Almost everything I have learned has been from google searches... dudes who are pro at javascript run the internet... so that's the best place to look for the answers.

Alert() and or document.write() are REALLY good for debugging. Also if you aren't using firefox... yews FIREFOX (or another good browser ie: not ie... lol) [if you are using firefox and don't have firebug, get it. it can be really helpful if you are delving into more complicated applications such as monitoring the xhr of an ajax app] otherwise any sort of error console is a must in order to know what to put into the alert).

Some random info that might be important:
everything in javascript is a variable... even functions, which sounds weird, but kind of makes sense... it's just a different sort of class like strings, nums, and arrays.

there isn't any built in functions for event handling... unless you're using a library. google some good articles on handling for cross browser implementations.


That's about all the help I can do without any specifics... if it's not classified, and this wasn't any help, i'd be more than glad to look at what you're having trouble with and see if I can halp you out, otherwise I'm sorry that you hate the magnificent language

[shulba]

who reads long post anyway

[Magyk]

who reads long post anyway

wats a shulbar?

[shulba]

who reads long post anyway

wats a shulbar?

a nice bar?

[Magyk]

who reads long post anyway

wats a shulbar?

a nice bar?

wat are youuu?

[shulba]

a lv 50 merc?

[Maximus]

A lot of people are confused and think that Java and Javascript are the same... they're completely different. Laser probably knew that.
I found Java to be pretty straightforward and easy. The old generation of programmers often complains about how easy the kids have it nowadays, with all the protections and features of high level languages, vs C/Ada/Fortran/Cobol etc back in the day.
I've done little in scripting languages; a bit of perl, and some bash scripts for my linux systems. Not knowing a great deal about Javascript, I can't help you much directly.
I know people who create things based on copying examples alone. Pretty much anything you would want to accomplish has probably been done before, it's just a matter of finding it. I understand the importance of really understanding something though; I always prefer to learn something I can take with me rather than getting through the current assignment and being equally clueless the next time I need to solve a problem.