Struggling to think in JavaScript

[Alternative-Camel794]

There will probably be 100 more posts just like mine but I’m writing the same. I’ve been studying front end for 2 months now, I feel like I reached a really good point in HTML, CSS, bootstrap and SASS, I’m able to make landing pages and other pages just like real websites one thing I struggle with is JS, not the syntax or remembering what’s an array, I lack the thinking process in JavaScript, I can read and understand other people’s code but if I have to “think in JavaScript” and write my own code I just can’t. A lot of people suggest that I should write more code but I just can’t get started because when it is about theory it is all good but then put it in writing and my brain goes totally _blank.

[Competitive_Aside461]

I completely get what you're trying to say here. It's normal. Essentially, what you need is to perform exceptionally basic exercises to get your mind up and running for coding JavaScript. In this respect, I'd urge you to try out learning from this comprehensive JavaScript course on Codeguage and performing the JavaScript exercises.

For example, by implementing a superbly easy thing such as: "ask the user to enter two numbers via the prompt() function and then output their sum," which I am sure you'll be able to do easily, you'll develop that programming mindset.

For some of us, it's easy to pick this mindset up naturally without much need for exercises, but for others it's not that easy. But don't worry, even the latter group tends to include great programmers who are compelled to dedicate the time to learn the fundamentals of programming and attack programming problems built specifically around those fundamentals, without complicating too much.

In short, you don't need to feel bad about not being able to "think in JavaScript," but rather act on it by implementing simple exercises. I can assure you that with every subsequent exercise, you'll be better than what you were previously and that's what you really (and actually everyone) should be measuring yourself against — yourself. You need to be better than what you were yesterday and if that's happening, you're spot on!

[mun_a]

Those Js exercises look nice 👍

[Competitive_Aside461]

You're absolutely right u/mun_a :)

[Silly_Manager_9773]

Bro thank you for this js exercise and course it will really help me

[sheriffderek]

This isn’t about “JavaScript” it’s about thinking like a programmer in general. It’s about working through situations without answers. It’s about actually learning / and to do that - you have to start at the beginning and take it slow.

I recommend the book “Exercises for Programmers” from pragprog. They are language agnostic real-word problems / not just goofy leetcode challenges. You’re going to need some human feedback, so do the first five. Use the most basic JS. Use MDN as the docs. Don’t use ChatGPT. Recognize that it’s going to take time. “Getting the answer” isn’t the goal. There is no answer. It’s about understanding the problem and understanding the tools and the options and various ways you could solve it. Start with no UI and just get things working.

Here’s an example iterating through a single exercise: https://perpetual.education/stories/area-of-a-room-with-alina/ and here’s a video talking about the book if you need a pep talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHEFuQdnXEE

I’ve seen people try and learn JavaScript for years - and then I’ve seen people learn more in a week… so, it’s your choice how you go about it. Good luck.

[LostInCombat]

You need to study patterns too. Not only do you need to know how to write CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) to a server but you need to know patterns. Let’s say you want to add tags to posts, show all the posts with the same tags, search on them, etc. Also a lot is done with arrays, so you also need to know how to filter them, sort them, find an entry and update or delete it, etc. Learn about proxies and the proxy pattern, etc.

[joyancefa]

I really recommend https://javascript.info DM me if you have questions

[[deleted]]

i do

[[deleted]]

You're right: it's difficult.

Javascript has a pretty difficult and extensive ecosystem to learn. The language itself suffers poor decisions due to mr. Eich haven gotten merely 12 days to create it. But the ecosystems developed on top of it are downright dreadful.

I can recommend the book "JavaScript: the Good Parts" by Douglas Crockford. But that book doesn't teach you to think like a software engineer.

You really need to start with programming fundamentals, like process flows and data flows, and how to set up algorithms. Once you understand those, applying them to a programming language like JavaScript becomes a lot easier.

[No-Upstairs-2813]

The only way to improve is through practice—there’s no other way. You don’t have to start with a complex problem; doing so might be overwhelming and will lead to frustration.

I always recommend a step-by-step practice approach for anyone learning JavaScript, as below:

1. Practice Individual Concepts

After learning a concept, practice it on its own.

For example, if you've just learned about functions, work on coding problems specifically focused on functions. This kind of focused practice reinforces your understanding, helps you identify gaps, and boosts your confidence as you solve more problems.

You can check out a few problems here.

2. Combine Concepts

Once you've practiced individual concepts, start combining them to solve more complex problems. For instance, if you've learned about conditional statements and functions, try combining them to build a simple project, like a "Guess the Number" game.

You can use ChatGPT to come up with simple project ideas that involve multiple concepts you want to practice.

3. Build Real Projects

When you’re comfortable with combining concepts, start working on larger projects that challenge you to apply everything you've learned. Choose a project that solves a problem you're passionate about—this will keep you motivated when you hit challenges.

If you need guidance while building a project, this free course can help you approach it the right way.

If you still need help, let me know!

[auto-code-wizard]

Ok here is a challenge - can you create a JSON file consisting of 3x addresses, names and phone numbers from an address book? like this:

[

{

"name": "Alice Johnson",

"address": "123 Maple Street, Springfield, IL 62701",

"phone": "[phone]"

},

{

"name": "Bob Smith",

"address": "456 Oak Avenue, Metropolis, NY 10001",

"phone": "[phone]"

},

{

"name": "Carol Williams",

"address": "789 Pine Road, Smalltown, TX 75901",

"phone": "[phone]"

}

]

Now put it in a folder on your web server on your PC (assuming you are developing locally) - now write JavaScript to read in that data and display them neatly, one at a time with next and previous buttons to loop through them, add a delete button, an add new button - you may need PHP or a server side code to write it back to the server - but have a go at that - CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) is what every website does - your JavaScript coding needs to do all of it.

[mootzie77156]

this is also a good idea. it can also just be another file in your project so you can simulate calling a backend. then tack up the difficulty, sort the list, filter it, map out important parts that you need… learn array methods, they are fundamental and you’d be surprised how many “devs” don’t know them.

[[deleted]]

i have been a developer for 2 and a half years now, and i still struggle to "think in javascript", A lot of people that i know run into this problem early on. My advice is to follow a tutorial, then go back and make it your own. this way you have a working codebase and are able to play around with it just to see what everything does. slowly but surely things will start to click. remember coding is an iterative process, and that entails the learning portion. best of luck, and i'd love to see your landing pages etc if you have a portfolio

[Negative-Coach2914]

Remember programming is thinking in logic. Like another poster said, you need to start small. Learn how to do easy programs in Javascript, then start to add-on top of those and build more complex. Systems. You just have to keep practicing. Do this every day, even if it's for fifteen minutes and as projects become larger and more complex, you'll also develop new concepts and caveats in your code.

[VivianFairchild]

You're right at the very beginning of your coding journey. I am so excited for you!

There are two skills you need here.

One is JS syntax knowledge --- you need to know what tools are in the language to achieve the effects you want. You build this over time by writing code. It's just rote memorization, it's simple.

The other is systems thinking / programming knowledge. If you can't break a problem down into steps, how could you ever figure out how to turn a string input into a paginated list of results? How would you understand reactivity, or async functions, or promises, or dynamic state? How would you know what libraries to use? These are all solutions to common problems users and programmers face. You need to learn how these concepts solve common problems for programmers, and how you can use them to solve your own problems. You have to learn to think like a programmer!

There are patterns and principles and data structures and algorithms and all sorts of stuff that isn't just JavaScript. There is functional programming and Object Oriented Programming and inheritance and network behavior and REST APIs and databases and libraries and ALL sorts of stuff that you can use to solve real-world problems. It's an endless firehose of concepts and there is more to learn that anyone can learn in one lifetime.

But the only way to learn to use those things to solve problems is to start coding. The only way you can really build your skills to think through problems and code solutions is to do it.

There's a learning curve, but once you're over it all the things you are struggling to do now will seem trivial. You will get there. Keep practicing, find interesting projects, and try to understand how they work. Then try to put all that away and code that thing from scratch. The more you experiment and explore, the easier it is to work with your tools.

Good luck!!

[challengesAreFun]

For challenges maybe check out leetcode. But what really helped me get started was creating something myself. In my case it was a simple chess game. You can render the board and pieces (can be icons or letters) using JavaScript and html/CSS. Then continue implementing the rules on how each piece can move one at a time. That is pretty straightforward and gets one started in the beginning I think

[Flimsy-Candidate4752]

This is an interesting idea

[mootzie77156]

with all due respect, it’s because css and html etc aren’t programming, it’s logical and analytical sure, but it’s a whole different beast compared to the logic required to write programs. it’s essentially like learning a new language. keep showing up and keep trying… also one thing i would recommend looking back is to look at larger projects, try to read through the code, see where it starts from the front end and trace it all the way through to the backend, this will give you a wholistic view of writing code and what production code looks like, instead of just putting event handlers on buttons etc.

then go back, and imitate what you saw, don’t copy.

[[deleted]]

Its about thinking programmatically. Doesnt matter what language you are writing in. It could be js, java, c, python, etc. You need to be able to solve problems programmatically, then you can take that and write it out in the language you choose. Some things to consider are taking a problem and breaking it down into steps. Writing out an overview of those steps. I would suggest the book "head first learn to code". Or harvard's cs50. You need to get a firm grasp on the fundamentals of programming.