Today's Progress: Started React basics course on Scrimba, 1 hour (7 videos)
Thoughts: Started the React course in preparation for my classes beginning at the end of January. So far I like React but can already tell that it will change my way of thinking about layout and separation of concerns. Curious to find out more.
Today's Progress: Continued React basics course, 2 hours (10 videos)
Thoughts: Great pace of the course, it all makes a lot of sense. Enjoying writing React which is good. Learned the concept of components, more syntax differences (compared to HTML) when using JSX for components, started simple navbar styling in CSS for React component. Managed to get the final 20 minutes of study in, feeling proud of myself.
Today's Progress: Repeated CSS styling of React components section, revision of how to style navbar and footer, how to use flexbox to align items horizontally and add the correct spacing between them, played around with styling, good repetition.
Thoughts: Glad I took the time to revise these topics. Still unsure how to wrap the component sections into a flex wrapper as the main component and the header / footer are in different divs. Going to find out until tomorrow.
Link to work: First static React page with navbar, list and footer, all styled with CSS, not displaying in browser due to dependencies
Today's Progress: Learned how to organise components into their own files and how to import/export them. Then took a deep dive into installing node via nvm, learning more about the commmand line while I was at it.
Thoughts: Feels like not much progress today while it feels like a lot at the same time. Not comfortable installing programs through the terminal yet for some reason, unfamiliar UI. Hoping it will all come together and make sense shortly.
Link to work: not today, theoretical day reorganising code and installing node and nvm
Today's Progress: Today I took a deep dive into node.js in an attempt to understand better what it is and does, after I installed it yesterday via the command line. Trying to get a solid mental model of node.js, nvm, npm. Second half of the coding today was building a Javascript clock from scratch, but I built a timer instead haha. Having another go at this tomorrow.
Thoughts: Feeling a bit discouraged by the vastness of every topic I come across when doing simple repetition, like node.js. Every new term is a whole new world, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Just like starting a project from scratch and then going down the wrong rabbit hole. But that is ok, I will push on and weather the storm of new knowledge, I can do this. Also Revised my resume today.
Today's Progress: Today I:
- learned how to add a collaborator on github (working on a collaborative side project)
- made mindmap of what I know so far including node, npm, npx, nvm, shells
- learned more about foundational knowledge regarding terminal, shells (bash, powershell, cmd)
- installed react app and started my first react app
- continued with my react course
- am making the clock project from yesterday
Thoughts: Going to collect as many pieces of information I can to connect current knowledge in mindmap and expand as I continue on this journey. Excited to finally get started with React, figuring out best way to run a page in a way I can display it here
Today's Progress: Learned about Git, completed video tutorial and practiced git commands, creating directories, cloning repos, staging and committing changes. Big step there. Then moved onto Javascript calculator project and feeling overwhelmed. Considering taking a step back to JavaScript?
Thoughts: Not a great day mentally, really struggling to assess if I am overstretching by going for a React course while expanding JavaScript foundations.
Link to work: Nothing today except for a few command line git screenshots and a half finished calculator
Today's Progress: Learned about APIs, wrote my first fetch(), was super excited when it worked. Sorted through all my notes from studying over the past months for review. Continued on JavaScript calculator collaboration, successfully finished including an addition to the code that makes it a broken calculator (for a challenge entry), learned about modal boxes on the side, just need to finish some formatting tomorrow. Revised git commands. Many hours of coding today, at least 4.
Thoughts: Feeling much better about my progress than yesterday. More and more dots connect and every day I know more.
Link to work: Broken calculator project
Today's Progress: Learned more about APIs, built Bored Bot which suggests random activities and displays a random dog picture to cheer the bored person up. People I know have successfully used it so far, which was fun. Updated my entire Github (all repos), added readme notes, linked to correct Twitter, learned how to properly fork a repo I was a contributor on to display latest version on my Github.
Thoughts: Very productive day, really implemented API knowledge and practiced CSS styling as well as DOM manipulation with JavaScript.
Link to work: Random Activity Bot project
Today's Progress: Learned about servers & clients, requeset/response cycle, request components (URL, method, body, headers), JSON. Practiced slice() again when using part of the array that was requested to build a blog post project. Made some progress in CSS revision (typography - using margin and padding of text elements to balance gaps) and solved remaining issue with current JavaScript project (calculator) - sometimes a bigger resolution image file is the solution, not more css!
Thoughts: Working on different areas at once is helpful to keep me engaged in learning, and often the different sections come together during a project.
Today's Progress: Created first React page with React app, revised React knowledge so far. Attended 2h Intro to Google Analytics seminar, confirmed I am more interested in coding than I am in marketing but good to know more about this side of things as well. Lastly practiced JavaScript concepts, modal and started searchbar that matches against usernames.
Thoughts: Looking forward to adding more JavaScript concepts to my skill base, finding the coding exercises easier slowly but surely. Learning to think a certain way. React is still fun and makes a lot of sense to me.
Link to work: Modal Practice
Today's Progress: Practiced JavaScript, made a searchbar for a username list, practising includes() to search current user input against a user list and change display property pracitising DOM manipulation.
Thoughts: Really tired today from first day back at work after some weeks of leave, feeling annoyed that work is taking up a lot of time and energy during the day. Proud I still stuck with coding today, even if I just got one step ahead, better than none.
Link to work: Searchbar for Username list
Today's Progress: Started reading book about JavaScript, learned what REST API means, revised styling of blog project.
Thoughts: Really tired again after work. Need to find better energy management. Looking forward to the weekend to study more.
Today's Progress: Read Chapter 2 of Eloquent JavaScript. Tried to refactor colour palette generator code using modules. Half succeeded. To be continued tomorrow.
Thoughts: Took some time off over the weekend to avoid burning out. Hard to get back into it due to lacking confidence when it comes to modules.
Today's Progress: Finished Applied Visual Design course. Practised JavaScript and modularising applications.
Thoughts: Back into the swing of things, just needed to find a new rythmn with work.
Today's Progress: Revised JavaScript, really focusing on strengthening the foundations and closing any little gaps there may have been.
Thoughts: Feeling good about reaching out for support. Solved a problem with an issue with a JavaScript program at work that the developer himself couldn't solve, felt good to apply analytical problem solving skills.
Today's Progress: Solved JavaScript coding questions, started a new project to streamline my day job. Started chapter three of Eloquent JavaScript. Learned about XML http requests and control flow.
Thoughts: Going to continue JavaScript revision until the end of the week and then focus back on React.
Today's Progress: Picked a concept to learn about today. Closures vs scope. Learned a lot about both, their differences and how they compare to each other, took notes, studied examples and built my own simple analogies. Learned defition of terms "callback" and "IDE". Started to learn more about network requests, learned about stack, how it works throughout execution of an async function. Continued Chapter 3.
Thoughts: Sometimes it is important to come back to a topic after having picked up a different topic first which helps with understanding of the first concept.
Today's Progress: Today's concept: Promises. Finished API project using fetch() with promises to make 150 network requests at once. Signed up to Leetcode and aiming to solve one problem daily. Practised git commands, pushing updated files to Github. Read about clean code principles.
Thoughts: Productive day! Important to take breaks and come back to a problems.
Link to work: Pokedex Api Project
Today's Progress: Started a new API project to transfer knowledge, team project for a challenge entry. Finished React pre-work for course, repeated starting a React app from scratch, practiced more command line. Learned difference between state and props.
Thoughts: Lots of new information at once this weekend. Happy when I figured out how to adapt code to access different object properties within an API object.
Today's Progress: Learned about promises and practised in current API project (challenge entry). Learned about React class components and state. Started React TicTacToe game.
Thoughts: Spent pretty much all day coding. CSS in the evening was almost like a break, but did enjoy React. Just need to sort all the information in my head.
Today's Progress: Tried to understand promises, callback functions and Async JavaScript better. Practiced git. Working through JS fundamentals with GA prep course, filling in more gaps.
Thoughts: There's a long way to go.
Today's Progress: Found a good resource explaining callback functions. Finished API team project, didn't get everything implemented I wanted but not a bad outcome.
Thoughts: Time to refocus on the course along with fundamentals.
Link to work: Second API project practising promises
Today's Progress: Practiced exercises from Eloquent JavaScript again, JS revision. Attended intro to my General Assembly course starting next week!!
Thoughts: Slow and steady wins the race.
Today's Progress: Only repeated one exercise today (chessboard) but nailed it, just knew what to do and how to build the code block logically without memorising any code etc, it was a great moment. All coming from a lot of trial and error when learning, led to greater understanding. Confident I could replicate this solution any time with varying degrees of reusability of code, could produce intentional variations of the outcome as well.
Thoughts: On the right track.
Today's Progress: Started my first React project by myself with newfound working method of building things through trial and error from scratch, following a tutorial but building it myself through create-react-app. Understood a lot more about import/export, what to name components and the import syntax, how to link a css file in a similar way to a React component. Tying in my knowledge of git and command line and npm with all this too.
Thoughts: Feel like I am building up my understanding of React from the ground up. Feels good, very low amount of frustration today.
###:Day 28: January 31st, 2022
Today's progress: Started building mental model to understand how bundlers like webpack and compilers like babel benefit performance of an application. Repeated three exercises from Eloquent JavaScript Chapter 2, able to debug and solve all threee now (seemed like an impossible mountain two weeks ago). Read article on var/let/const and scope, solidified my understanding.
Read chapter 3 of Eloquent JavaScript. Attempted leetcode problems. Progressed in callbacks & promised section of Frontend Career Path. 🏄♀️
Thoughts: Can see progress in being able to do things I wasn't able to do before. (Complete challenges chapter 2, read through chapter 3 in one go understanding nearly everything). Excited about General Assembly React course starting tomorrow but wondering if my brain is single or multithreaded. Bad attempt at a programming joke! 😏
Also: Coded 28/31 days in January! Success in building a habit 🎉
Today's Progress: Started great React overview tutorial on LinkedIn. First React live class at GA, met classmates, went over coursework, course structure and learned difference between functional and class components as well as npx vs no npx command before react-app
Thoughts: Happy that live classes have started and expanded my initial idea for my final project!
Today's Progress: Had to take a break tonight, earlier today attended Canva live interview on LinkedIn, progressed in UI module and getting hired advice module.
Today's Progress: Second React class, thrown into the deep end! Sink or swim time. Learning about passing props through components and functional and class components. Lots of teamwork. Homework is writing first React App with components.
Thoughts: Felt honestly overwhelmed as confused due to constant switching between class and functional components. Focused on working out how to push homework into remote repository, then going to go over class components again today piece by piece. Break problem into smaller pieces.
Today's Progress: Practiced nested function components. Refamiliarised myself with .map() method. Wrote explanations of concepts back and forth with a fellow student.
Thoughts: The writing back and forth greatly helped my understanding.
Today's Progress: Wrote my first nested dynamic components. Getting used to the React environment.
Thoughts: Slow progress but the concept is setting in.
Today's Progress: Studied with student from new React class for three hours. Built my first standalone React page with nested components, passing in props and rendering images. Using .map() and css styling.
Thoughts: Have to dig deeper into state, but component management significantly improved today.
Link to work: Artist page made with react-app
Today's Progress: Spent all day learning about functional components, state in functional components, why React evolved from class components to functional components, immutable data types. Practiced by creating a to do list in React using functional components.
Thoughts: Need to master the switch from class to functional components.
Link to work: coming soon
Today's Progress: After a month of not updating my GitHub logs due to completing the first 2/3 of a very intensive React course at General Assembly I am back! Lots of progress has been happening since, but yesterday I made my first custom hook to save data in the browser's local storage. This will be useful for the final project of the course I have just started working on.
Thoughts: It felt like I was gone for ages but it really was just a month of intense work on my React knowledge, together with a very intense life month. Busy times happen and it feels good to get back to documenting my progress.
Today's Progress: Started workign on my final project for my course - a website for my artworks with a store. Set up the main components, imported React Router and set up routes and links.
Thoughts: Going to put some work into the styling and get some content happening next.
Today's Progress: Have not logged every day in the last week, however especially today worked on final project. Finished wireframing of my website project, very satisfying and hugely helpful in figureing out what to do and when to do it. Set up more routes, found a way to import images as named exports and passing them as props to the gallery component of my app. Getting more used to the Mac, shortcut to highlight same word throughout page Ctrl + Shift + L. Module not found usually a typo. Made lots of comments on what I plan to implement next time. Also one short video can solve a two day issue really quickly, keep looking for more sources to answers my own questions until finding the right one, getting better at recognising the right sources while I read them.
Thoughts: If a step seems to hard, go back to the next pervious easier step and then have another go at it. Don't underestimate the power of wireframing, suddenly a much clearer concept of both the website and the scope of work being new to project work.
Today's Progress: Worked on daily katas on Codewars the past 4 days, ranked up to 7 kyu in Javascript.
Thoughts: Need to log here more, often forgetting to update my logbook despite daily practice. Planning to go over React concepts alongside Codewars practice.
Today's Progress: Worked on Codewards challenges, studied regular expressions and their application.
Thoughts: Realised how versatile regex is, very useful in terms of search and replace and authorisation.
Today's Progress: Sent out applications. Updated github profile and started work on portfolio.
Thoughts: Excited about making a portfolio page!
Today's Progress: Worked through another codewars Kata, interview practice and started sideproject Javascript random password generator.
Thoughts: Regular exercise is key.
Today's Progress: Continued on Frontend Career Path, started building image carousel in vanilla Javascript.
Thoughts: Much easier to google syntax of what I am trying to do, know what to look for (classList.add, event listener syntax in plain Javascript after learning React, css properties to achieve styling ideas)
Link to work: Work in progres
Today's Progress: Progressedn in Frontend Career Path course, refreshed for of loop application, finished carousel project.
Thoughts: Keep going daily, no matter how long for.
Link to work: Carousel latest version
Today's Progress: Worked through Javascript dicegame with notes. Updated Twitter profile. Finished moduele 4!
Thoughts: Onto Module 5!
Link to work: Click here to view the finished project
Today's Progress: Had an interview and then practised on Codewars with a focus on palindrome algorithms.
Thoughts: Feels good to be able to solve algorithms.
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