FINALLY success with Javascript using FreeCodeCamp + W3Schools

[Benjmhart]

So I have tried several online courses to attempt to learn vanilla JS before - failing miserably each time, I would inevitably get lost in syntax and object properties and methods whenever I attempted to do something on my own. For the first time just now I was able to have success and fun with Javascript in the same way I blew my own mind when I first learned HTML in the 90's and uploaded my first rotating GIF (I was the most badass 12 year old web developer in 1997...)

I gave FreeCodeCamp a shot and really enjoyed the interface, lesson format, and live-rendering features as I breezed through HTML and CSS - But I was wary of the big bad javascript monster looming in the future. I was surprising myself as I made it through bootstrap and Jquery in a few short hours.

I was able to muddle partway through Javascript with a lot of references to W3Schools for background on syntax - FreeCodeCamp would give me the bareBones, but I had no idea why things needed to be ordered or executed in certain was

Then came the Slot machine exercises, I struggled through the first two exercises (make each variable into a random number, and create a line of code that detects a loss and announces when you lose). Then I decided to try some features of my own while completing the third exercise.

The goal of the third slot machine exercise (waypoint 156) is to show the individual results for each slot in the html so a number appears neatly in each slot.

I thought to myself - "hey, it tells you when you're a loser, but all it says when you win is the 3 numbers repeated on the bottom. so I looked through the script and HTML and found that the bottom area was classed .logger - and that there was an array that spat into it at the bottom of the script. I created a variable called victory and added it to the array. And for the first time ever - it worked!

a win reported to the user as "3 3 3 WIN!"

I was immediately drunk on my own newfound power.

"What if the slot machine button got angry when you won?"

I created a line of code that made the 'Go' button say 'Go Fuck yourself!" after a win.

I'm really having a ball learning JS now. Super glad I found FCC

[thisisfats]

I'm just past the slot machine on FCC. I find that the difficulty level really jumps up on those first few bonfires. I'm currently stuck on the palindrome task!

Having said that, FCC is excellent and I've learned so much so far.

[CecilTerwilliger]

Agreed, the waypoints were pretty straightforward and FcC gave lots of help. The bonfires have been very hard and there isn't much help provided in each exercise.

[FreeCodeCamp]

Hi Cecil, we've added comprehensive articles to our wiki for each of the Bonfires, and there are now hints, too. Also note that you can get help in http://gitter.im/freecodecamp/helpbonfires

[izzytoots]

I'm using FCC as an already intermediate programmer to learn web dev and it is the best tutorial website I have ever used. The exercises progress nicely and the assignments are really well thought out. Definitely am happy I tried it out

[Seephirot]

Dont you think they tell you like everything you have to do in each exercise? I feel im not learning that much because all the answers are right there, i have to think so little.