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Notes from previous [[Frontend Web Development]] classes.
Notes from previous [[Frontend Web Development]] classes.


=== Series 2 ===
==== Class for 2013-03-04: CSS3 ====
We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We went 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 them look good in less capable browsers.


==== Class for 2012-05-14: Working from mockups (CSS3 edition)
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP1nxrI_3WU 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/series3/class18/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-05-07: Working from mockups ====
==== Class for 2013-02-11: Mobile websites ====
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 took [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class17/blog.zip this blog] and turned it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We also talked about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.


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=OjEJrNgrJVw Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class17/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-04-30: CSS floats ====
==== Class for 2013-02-11: 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 took an entertaining (in my opinion) look through [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class16/html.zip this page containing every currently valid HTML element]. Many of them are considered "HTML5", but that's just because they're new.


==== Class for 2012-04-23: CSS positioning ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or9Y1facTtc 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/series3/class16/html.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-04-16: CSS selectors and the box model ====
==== Class for 2013-02-04: More useful jQuery plugins ====
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.
Our final jQuery-focused class touched on a number of other common plugins that are found in the wild. We took a closer look at Bootstrap and jQuery UI, and looked at plugins that make your page look super snazzy:
* [http://jqueryui.com/demos/datepicker/ Datepicker (jQuery UI)] - fancy datepickers appearing near your input fields
* [http://jqueryui.com/demos/accordion/ Accordion (jQuery UI)] - collapse and unfold lists of elements
* [http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/javascript.html#scrollspy Scrollspy (Bootstrap)] - change navs to highlight where you are scrolled on a page
* [http://jquery.malsup.com/cycle/ Cycle] - make easy slideshows
* [http://harvesthq.github.com/chosen/ Chosen] - style dropdowns


==== Class for 2012-04-09: the basics ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35CJx9lkGyE 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/series3/class15/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


=== Series 1 ===
==== Class for 2013-01-28: Sign-up forms ====
We continued working on [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class13/lecture.zip our site] and added a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We used the [http://bassistance.de/jquery-plugins/jquery-plugin-validation/ jQuery Validation plugin]. This is a very common request from clients and it comes in handy to know all the tips and tricks of forms and validation, and what new HTML5 elements can provide.


==== Class for 2012-03-26 ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tv6uPMmQNY 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/series3/class14/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-03-12 ====
==== Class for 2013-01-14: Menus and modals ====
Verbatim notes for my personal use:
We went back to the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class13/noiseco.zip "professional" site we'd put together a number of weeks ago] and added more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We first made a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We did this by introducing [http://jqueryui.com/ jQuery UI] to make common web development tasks easier. We also add some dropdown functionality to our menus using pure CSS, but this can be done using jQuery UI or [http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/ Bootstrap] as well.


What to do:
'''No video for this class. :('''<br>
* Always start with HTML
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class13/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
* 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:
==== Class for 2013-01-07: AJAX ====
* Use inline style tags
We talked 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 added AJAX functionality to [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class10/lecture.zip our app we've been building on]. We used this [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class9/tweet.php.zip PHP file] to test it out.
* 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:
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS-uoDnslh8 Lecture video]'''<br>
* Starting with the basics makes cross-browser testing easier
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class12/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
* Makes your site more modular - can switch stylesheets or remove behavior on-the-fly
* Makes development in teams easier


Drawbacks:
==== Class for 2012-12-17: File transfer ====
* App- or game-like sites might be hard to support
We talked about file transfer - not only uploading files using FTP, but using the web browser to get and send information via forms and other methods (an overall talk about HTTP GET/POST).
* Supporting all browsers off-the-bat might slow down productivity
* Can't use cool new CSS3/HTML5 stuff in production yet


Schedule:
We downloaded and installed [http://filezilla-project.org FileZilla] and signed up for a [https://nearlyfreespeech.net NearlyFreeSpeech.NET] hosting account.
* Create a simple site with an HTML5 sectioning elements
* 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 ====
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohL0FRC9us8 Lecture video]'''<br>
[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class15/examples.zip Download the CSS3 examples I created in-class.]
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class11/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


Other great resources:
==== Class for 2012-12-10: jQuery, cont'd ====
* [http://simurai.com/tagged/lab Simurai's lab]
We continued learning about jQuery by focusing on [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class5/answer%20sheet.zip the example we saw last week]. We're added functionality to it that made it seem more like the real thing.
* [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 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMKdZ0IlD48 Lecture video]'''<br>
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.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class10/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-02-20 ====
==== Class for 2012-12-03: jQuery ====
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.
We introduced jQuery, a JavaScript library that makes web programming a whole lot easier.


==== Class for 2012-02-13 ====
'''No video for this class. :('''<br>
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].
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class9/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2012-02-06 ====
==== Class for 2012-11-26: JavaScript, cont'd ====
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].
We continued discussed JavaScript basics: arrays, iterators, loops, creating functions, and the debugger.


==== Class for 2012-01-30 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_4Z33l0lnY Lecture video]'''<br>
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].
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class8/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


We took all of this and turned it into [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class10/answersheet.zip this site].
==== Class for 2012-11-12: JavaScript ====
We talked about JavaScript: making webpages interactive through client-side code. We used the console, which is part of the browser's developer tools, to demonstrate the basics of the language.


==== Class for 2012-01-23 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP6_pd25-Ps 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/series3/class7/lecture.zip 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 2012-11-05: Working from professional mockups, cont'd ====
We continued putting our professional-looking site together from [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class5/lecture.zip where we left off].


==== Class for 2012-01-16 ====
As a reminder, here is the [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup.png mockup] and its [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/mockup_annotations.png annotated version]. [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class5/assets.zip Image assets can be found here].
[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 ====
[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/class11/index.html Here is the code that the mockup was based off of] - a good way to check your work. It might differ slightly from what we did in class.
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].


==== Class for 2011-12-12 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvC4ZLFpbtE Lecture video]'''<br>
Consider downloading [http://filezilla-project.org/ FileZilla] for a head start.
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class6/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


Here's a simpler mockup we used for the 7:30 recap:
==== Class for 2012-10-22: Working from professional mockups ====
[[File:Frontend_Web_Mockup_2.png|thumb|none]]
We worked 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 2011-12-05 ====
'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to3-VjUPU64 Lecture video]'''<br>
We turned a mockup into HTML and CSS. This is the mockup we used:
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class5/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
[[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.
==== Class for 2012-10-15: 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 learned about floats by taking a look at some examples, then took a [http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series2/class4/mockup.png mockup] and created a site from it.


[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/Frontend%20Mockup%20class%20December%202011.zip Here is the "answer sheet" for the above mockup.]
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJeN9P8x1VE Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class4/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''


==== Class for 2011-11-22 ====
==== Class for 2012-10-08: CSS positioning ====
Two articles worth reading for a thorough understanding of CSS positioning:
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://www.alistapart.com/articles/css-positioning-101/
 
* http://www.alistapart.com/articles/css-floats-101/
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTL_YDz3zmo Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class3/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
==== Class for 2012-10-01: CSS selectors and the box model ====
CSS selectors are probably the most complex part of the CSS language, so we looked at them further in-depth. We also talked about the box model, the display concept that makes words and containers on the web look like they do.
 
'''No video for this class. :('''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class2/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
==== Class for 2012-09-24: the basics ====
We covered the very basics:
* Explaining "frontend" vs. "backend"
* 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 frontend web development as a job and career
 
'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87aEOpelzQ Lecture video]'''<br>
'''[http://jeffreyatw.com/static/frontend/series3/class1/lecture.zip Lecture materials]'''
 
----
 
[[Frontend_Web_Development/Notes/Archive|Notes archive]]

Revision as of 09:07, 7 March 2013

Notes from previous Frontend Web Development classes.

Class for 2013-03-04: CSS3

We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We went 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 them look good in less capable browsers.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-02-11: Mobile websites

We took this blog and turned it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We also talked about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-02-11: HTML5 elements

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

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-02-04: More useful jQuery plugins

Our final jQuery-focused class touched on a number of other common plugins that are found in the wild. We took a closer look at Bootstrap and jQuery UI, and looked at plugins that make your page look super snazzy:

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-01-28: Sign-up forms

We continued working on our site and added a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We used the jQuery Validation plugin. This is a very common request from clients and it comes in handy to know all the tips and tricks of forms and validation, and what new HTML5 elements can provide.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-01-14: Menus and modals

We went back to the "professional" site we'd put together a number of weeks ago and added more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We first made a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We did this by introducing jQuery UI to make common web development tasks easier. We also add some dropdown functionality to our menus using pure CSS, but this can be done using jQuery UI or Bootstrap as well.

No video for this class. :(
Lecture materials

Class for 2013-01-07: AJAX

We talked 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 added AJAX functionality to our app we've been building on. We used this PHP file to test it out.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-12-17: File transfer

We talked about file transfer - not only uploading files using FTP, but using the web browser to get and send information via forms and other methods (an overall talk about HTTP GET/POST).

We downloaded and installed FileZilla and signed up for a NearlyFreeSpeech.NET hosting account.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-12-10: jQuery, cont'd

We continued learning about jQuery by focusing on the example we saw last week. We're added functionality to it that made it seem more like the real thing.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-12-03: jQuery

We introduced jQuery, a JavaScript library that makes web programming a whole lot easier.

No video for this class. :(
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-11-26: JavaScript, cont'd

We continued discussed JavaScript basics: arrays, iterators, loops, creating functions, and the debugger.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-11-12: JavaScript

We talked about JavaScript: making webpages interactive through client-side code. We used the console, which is part of the browser's developer tools, to demonstrate the basics of the language.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-11-05: Working from professional mockups, cont'd

We continued putting our professional-looking site together from where we left off.

As a reminder, here is the mockup and its annotated version. Image assets can be found here.

Here is the code that the mockup was based off of - a good way to check your work. It might differ slightly from what we did in class.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-10-22: Working from professional mockups

We worked 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.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-10-15: 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 learned about floats by taking a look at some examples, then took a mockup and created a site from it.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-10-08: CSS positioning

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.

Lecture video
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-10-01: CSS selectors and the box model

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

No video for this class. :(
Lecture materials

Class for 2012-09-24: the basics

We covered the very basics:

  • Explaining "frontend" vs. "backend"
  • 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 frontend web development as a job and career

Lecture video
Lecture materials


Notes archive