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Notes from previous [[Frontend Web Development]] classes.
Notes from previous [[Front-end Web Development]] classes.


=== Series 2 ===
==== Class for 2014-04-07: The mobile web ====
We'll take [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class17/blog.zip this blog] and turn it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We'll also talk about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings (and why you shouldn't trust them), frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch (and why they're not perfect), and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.


==== Class for 2012-05-14: Working from mockups (CSS3 edition)
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-jU1ALAayA Lecture video]'''<br>
We worked on last week's site, talking about inline versus block, and applied CSS3 features such as shadows, rounded corners, gradients, and semi-transparency. We didn't have time to talk about CSS3 more in-depth, so we'll have another class on it in the future.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class17/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-05-07: Working from mockups ====
==== Class for 2014-03-31: CSS3 ====
We worked off of [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup.png this mockup] and the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup_annotations.png annotated version]. [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/assets.zip Assets were found here].
We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We'll look further into CSS3 with a demonstration of what the new technologies are, how to make the most of them, and how to make sites using CSS3 look good in less capable browsers.


We took all of this and turned it into [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/lecture.zip this work-in-progress site]. We'll be completing it next week.
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZx1h-9YYXA Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class16/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-04-30: CSS floats ====
==== Class for 2014-03-24: HTML5 elements ====
Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We learned about floats by taking a look at some [http://nytimes.com examples (inspect the page)]. We then took a [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class4/mockup.png mockup] and [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class4/answersheet.zip created a site] from it.
We'll take an entertaining (in my opinion) look through [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class15/html.zip this page containing every currently valid HTML element]. Many of them are considered "HTML5" elements, but that's just because they're relatively new.


==== Class for 2012-04-23: CSS positioning ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjtkKkZEAbQ Lecture video]'''<br>
We focused on positioning of elements: spacing them out from other elements using margins, positioning them absolutely on the page, positioning them relatively, fixed and more. [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class3/lecture.zip Lecture materials can be downloaded here.]
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class15/html.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-04-16: CSS selectors and the box model ====
==== Class for 2014-03-17: Sign-up forms ====
We expanded on last week's site to make [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class2/lecture.zip this site], which added complex selectors and margin rules.
We'll continue working on [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class13/lecture.zip our site] and add a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We'll learn about built-in HTML5 validation, but also use the [http://jqueryvalidation.org/ jQuery Validation plugin] to help us where browser support is necessary.


==== Class for 2012-04-09: the basics ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHmOcayp24 Lecture video]'''<br>
We created [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class1/lecture.zip this simple site] to demonstrate HTML and CSS basics.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class14/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


=== Series 1 ===
==== Class for 2014-03-10: Modals and menus ====
We'll go back to the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series4/class6/noiseco.zip "professional" site we put together a number of weeks ago] and add more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We'll first make a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We'll do this by introducing [http://jqueryui.com/ jQuery UI] to make common user controls easier to create. We'll also compare our CSS-only menu with one made with the help of jQuery, explaining the differences between the two.


==== Class for 2012-03-26 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqqCLlciWtc Lecture video]'''<br>
Download the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class18/class18.zip site we walked through]. It's a responsive site with slight jQuery magic and a bunch of semantic HTML and CSS trickery. A good rollup of all the stuff we've learned in the class.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class13/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-03-12 ====
==== Class for 2014-03-03: AJAX ====
Verbatim notes for my personal use:
We'll talk about Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technology that allows us to talk to a server without leaving the page. jQuery makes this extremely easy. We'll add AJAX functionality to [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class11/lecture.zip our app we've been building on]. We'll use this [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series4/class12/tweet.php.zip PHP file] to test it out.


What to do:
If you don't already have web hosting, please sign up for some at [https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/ NearlyFreeSpeech.NET] for free (or very cheap). Also, install the [https://filezilla-project.org/ FileZilla Client].
* Always start with HTML
* Add presentation and behavior next
* Assume nothing about your audience
* Be as semantic as possible
* Use [http://www.html5please.com www.html5please.com]


What not to do:
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmwfupfKztk Lecture video]'''<br>
* Use inline style tags
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class12/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
* Implement security on the frontend
* Expect links to work only with JS - modals, AJAX, etc.
* Tell users to upgrade
* Start with a rich site and then work backward


Benefits:
==== Class for 2014-02-24: jQuery, cont'd ====
* Starting with the basics makes cross-browser testing easier
We'll continue learning about jQuery by focusing on [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class10/lecture.zip the example we saw last class]. We'll add functionality to it that made it seem more like the real thing.
* Makes your site more modular - can switch stylesheets or remove behavior on-the-fly
* Makes development in teams easier


Drawbacks:
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eikIkAlVNlM Lecture video]'''<br>
* App- or game-like sites might be hard to support
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class11/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
* Supporting all browsers off-the-bat might slow down productivity
* Can't use cool new CSS3/HTML5 stuff in production yet


Schedule:
==== Class for 2014-02-10: jQuery ====
* Create a simple site with an HTML5 sectioning elements
We'll introduce jQuery, a JavaScript library that makes web programming a whole lot easier. jQuery is the most popular of many libraries that allow us to interact with the document easily, while also providing us with a few tools that are missing from the base language.
* Add CSS
* Add JS
* Show site without CSS and JS added on
* Show site in IE6
* Install ChromeVox and read through site
* Explain browser "hacks"
* Explain JS feature testing (modernizr)
* Show what not to do
* Show [http://html5boilerplate.com/ HTML5 Boilerplate]


==== Class for 2012-03-05 ====
To learn what jQuery can do, we'll add some scripting to [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series4/class10/assets.zip this sample web app].
[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class15/examples.zip Download the CSS3 examples I created in-class.]


Other great resources:
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvNAepROnes Lecture video]'''<br>
* [http://simurai.com/tagged/lab Simurai's lab]
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class10/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
* [http://css3please.com/ CSS3 Please!]
* [http://caniuse.com/ When can I use...]
* [http://jeffreyatw.com/portfolio Jeffrey's portfolio - see Menorah and Draggy under HTML5 Toys]


==== Class for 2012-02-27 ====
==== Class for 2014-02-03: JavaScript, cont'd ====
We worked on [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class14/blog.zip this blog] and turned it into a [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class14/answersheet.zip mobile-accessible website]. We also talked about user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and talked about the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website development.
We'll continue discussing JavaScript basics: arrays, objects, creating functions, and scopes.


==== Class for 2012-02-20 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHcmLkhMkhA Lecture video]'''<br>
We took a look at a [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class13/html5_elements.zip page containing every currently valid HTML element]. Many of them are considered "HTML5", but that's just because they're new.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class9/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-02-13 ====
==== Class for 2014-01-27: JavaScript ====
We added to the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class11/answersheet.zip site from last class] and [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class12/answersheet.zip added a sign-up form with validation to it].
We'll talk about JavaScript: making web pages interactive through client-side code. We'll use the console, which is part of the browser's developer tools, to demonstrate the basics of the language. This and next week's class can be treated as a general introduction to programming.


==== Class for 2012-02-06 ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNqTmmhEj8k Lecture video]'''<br>
We added to the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/answersheet.zip site from last class] and [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class11/answersheet.zip added modals/submenus to it].
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class8/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-01-30 ====
==== Class for 2014-01-20: HTTP & SFTP ====
We worked off of [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/mockup.png this mockup] and the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/mockup_annotations.png annotated version]. [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/assets.zip Assets were found here].
We'll talk about file transfer: HTTP, which is the method of getting and sending information in the web browser, and SFTP, which is a method of securely uploading files to a web host.


We took all of this and turned it into [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/answersheet.zip this site].
We'll set up free web hosting accounts at [https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net NearlyFreeSpeech.NET], and upload to them using [http://filezilla-project.org the FileZilla client].


==== Class for 2012-01-23 ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8rpnf_BHxE Lecture video]'''<br>
I made accounts on my web hosting, but I suggested students get web hosting space at [https://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/ NearlyFreeSpeech.Net], which will set you up with a pay-as-you-go site. It's free until you start getting a significant amount of traffic.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class7/lecture.txt Lecture materials]'''


Here is the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class8/jQuery.zip source for the previous class's Twitter client], and [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class9/tweet.php.zip a PHP file to respond to AJAX requests].
==== Class for 2014-01-13: Working from professional mockups, cont'd ====
We'll take the knowledge we gained from looking at the CSS box model, floats, and positioning, and work off of [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup.png this mockup] and its [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup_annotations.png annotated version] to make a site that could pass as a professional design (but don't take my word for it). [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/assets.zip Image assets can be found here].


==== Class for 2012-01-16 ====
We didn't exactly finish, but I went ahead and put on the finishing touches. [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series4/class6/noiseco The final product can be found here] (but where we left off can be found in the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class6/lecture.zip lecture materials]).
[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class8/jQuery.zip Highly-commented source for the slideshow and Twitter client we worked on.]


==== Class for 2011-12-19 ====
'''No video for this class. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMeTFrR1rtA Try last series's video.]'''<br>
We modified [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class5/noisetwitter.zip this document] to become an interactive web application: [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class5/answer%20sheet.zip download the full web application here].
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class6/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2011-12-12 ====
==== Class for 2014-01-06: Working from professional mockups ====
Consider downloading [http://filezilla-project.org/ FileZilla] for a head start.
We'll take the knowledge we gained from looking at the CSS box model, floats, and positioning, and work off of [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup.png this mockup] and its [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup_annotations.png annotated version] to make a site that could pass as a professional design (but don't take my word for it). [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/assets.zip Image assets can be found here].


Here's a simpler mockup we used for the 7:30 recap:
'''No video for this class. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y6MxRAPfLs Try last series's video.]'''<br>
[[File:Frontend_Web_Mockup_2.png|thumb|none]]
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class5/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2011-12-05 ====
==== Class for 2013-12-09: CSS positioning ====
We turned a mockup into HTML and CSS. This is the mockup we used:
In the last few classes, we've focused on element measurements and floats. This time, we'll focus on positioning of elements: spacing them out from other elements using margins, and using absolute, relative, or fixed positioning to put the elements anywhere we want on the whole page.
[[File:Frontend_Web_Mockup_1.png|thumb|none]]


Please consider downloading the [http://www.gimp.org/ GNU Image Manipulation Tool (GIMP)], as we might be opening it up to work with this mockup. Photoshop or Fireworks will work swimmingly if you have them, though.
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q453KMiCC2s Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class4/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/Frontend%20Mockup%20class%20December%202011.zip Here is the "answer sheet" for the above mockup.]
==== Class for 2013-12-02: CSS floats ====
Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We'll learn about floats by taking a look at some examples, then take a [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class4/mockup.png mockup] and create a site from it.


==== Class for 2011-11-22 ====
[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class3/answersheet.zip The site's final code (not finished in class) is here.]
Two articles worth reading for a thorough understanding of CSS positioning:
 
* http://www.alistapart.com/articles/css-positioning-101/
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw_U7YZzbW0 Lecture video]'''<br>
* http://www.alistapart.com/articles/css-floats-101/
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class3/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
==== Class for 2013-11-18: CSS selectors and the box model ====
CSS selectors are probably the most complex part of the CSS language, so we'll look at them further in-depth. We'll also talk about the box model, the display concept that makes words and containers on the web look like they do.
 
'''No video for this class. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqQph1vry7A Try last series's video.]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class2/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
==== Class for 2013-11-11: the basics ====
<span style="color:green">'''THIS is the class to attend if you are a complete beginner!'''</span> We are starting the curriculum of this class from square one. We'll cover the very basics:
* Explaining "front-end" vs. "back-end"
* Discussing tools of the trade
* Explaining the separation between structure, presentation, and behavior
* Writing a basic HTML page
* Styling the page with basic CSS
* Explaining the role of front-end web development as a job and career
 
No recap session for this class. Please show up '''promptly''' at or before 8pm, as physical space is limited. Bring a laptop!
 
P.S. This might be the last series I teach for a while. I might take a longer break after the end of the series (in about 6 months). We'll see. But if you've been meaning to attend, this is your chance!
 
'''No video for this class. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmDCjhCuNtU Try last series's video.]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series5/class1/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
----
 
[[Frontend_Web_Development/Notes/Archive|Notes archive]]

Revision as of 11:11, 8 April 2014

Notes from previous Front-end Web Development classes.

Class for 2014-04-07: The mobile web

We'll take this blog and turn it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We'll also talk about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings (and why you shouldn't trust them), frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch (and why they're not perfect), and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-03-31: CSS3

We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We'll look further into CSS3 with a demonstration of what the new technologies are, how to make the most of them, and how to make sites using CSS3 look good in less capable browsers.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-03-24: HTML5 elements

We'll take an entertaining (in my opinion) look through this page containing every currently valid HTML element. Many of them are considered "HTML5" elements, but that's just because they're relatively new.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-03-17: Sign-up forms

We'll continue working on our site and add a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We'll learn about built-in HTML5 validation, but also use the jQuery Validation plugin to help us where browser support is necessary.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-03-10: Modals and menus

We'll go back to the "professional" site we put together a number of weeks ago and add more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We'll first make a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We'll do this by introducing jQuery UI to make common user controls easier to create. We'll also compare our CSS-only menu with one made with the help of jQuery, explaining the differences between the two.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-03-03: AJAX

We'll talk about Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technology that allows us to talk to a server without leaving the page. jQuery makes this extremely easy. We'll add AJAX functionality to our app we've been building on. We'll use this PHP file to test it out.

If you don't already have web hosting, please sign up for some at NearlyFreeSpeech.NET for free (or very cheap). Also, install the FileZilla Client.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-02-24: jQuery, cont'd

We'll continue learning about jQuery by focusing on the example we saw last class. We'll add functionality to it that made it seem more like the real thing.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-02-10: jQuery

We'll introduce jQuery, a JavaScript library that makes web programming a whole lot easier. jQuery is the most popular of many libraries that allow us to interact with the document easily, while also providing us with a few tools that are missing from the base language.

To learn what jQuery can do, we'll add some scripting to this sample web app.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-02-03: JavaScript, cont'd

We'll continue discussing JavaScript basics: arrays, objects, creating functions, and scopes.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-01-27: JavaScript

We'll talk about JavaScript: making web pages interactive through client-side code. We'll use the console, which is part of the browser's developer tools, to demonstrate the basics of the language. This and next week's class can be treated as a general introduction to programming.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-01-20: HTTP & SFTP

We'll talk about file transfer: HTTP, which is the method of getting and sending information in the web browser, and SFTP, which is a method of securely uploading files to a web host.

We'll set up free web hosting accounts at NearlyFreeSpeech.NET, and upload to them using the FileZilla client.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-01-13: Working from professional mockups, cont'd

We'll take the knowledge we gained from looking at the CSS box model, floats, and positioning, and work off of this mockup and its annotated version to make a site that could pass as a professional design (but don't take my word for it). Image assets can be found here.

We didn't exactly finish, but I went ahead and put on the finishing touches. The final product can be found here (but where we left off can be found in the lecture materials).

No video for this class. Try last series's video.
Lecture materials

Class for 2014-01-06: Working from professional mockups

We'll take the knowledge we gained from looking at the CSS box model, floats, and positioning, and work off of this mockup and its annotated version to make a site that could pass as a professional design (but don't take my word for it). Image assets can be found here.

No video for this class. Try last series's video.
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-12-09: CSS positioning

In the last few classes, we've focused on element measurements and floats. This time, we'll focus on positioning of elements: spacing them out from other elements using margins, and using absolute, relative, or fixed positioning to put the elements anywhere we want on the whole page.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-12-02: CSS floats

Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We'll learn about floats by taking a look at some examples, then take a mockup and create a site from it.

The site's final code (not finished in class) is here.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-11-18: CSS selectors and the box model

CSS selectors are probably the most complex part of the CSS language, so we'll look at them further in-depth. We'll also talk about the box model, the display concept that makes words and containers on the web look like they do.

No video for this class. Try last series's video.
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-11-11: the basics

THIS is the class to attend if you are a complete beginner! We are starting the curriculum of this class from square one. We'll cover the very basics:

  • Explaining "front-end" vs. "back-end"
  • Discussing tools of the trade
  • Explaining the separation between structure, presentation, and behavior
  • Writing a basic HTML page
  • Styling the page with basic CSS
  • Explaining the role of front-end web development as a job and career

No recap session for this class. Please show up promptly at or before 8pm, as physical space is limited. Bring a laptop!

P.S. This might be the last series I teach for a while. I might take a longer break after the end of the series (in about 6 months). We'll see. But if you've been meaning to attend, this is your chance!

No video for this class. Try last series's video.
Lecture materials


Notes archive