Posts

A function in Javascript follows a set of statements to calculate certain values and give us the output we are looking for. Most of the work in a program is done through functions. These functions allow the creators to easily create and reuse their code. There are a couple of qualifications a function must have to work, A function must have a name, be given zero or more pieces of information, and as a result, returns a value. To begin a function you start with the function keyword and place your function name right after it. Functions are run solely based on what they are being told to do through the code. Arguments in a function contain the values that are being passed through that function. These arguments are used to output the final result. Essentially these arguments contain the data attached to the function call. The images below are a great example of arguments in a function: 

The parameters are the names of the variables that are included in the function definition. In this example, “a” and “b” are the variables that are included in the function. The argument here is assigning values to the variables stated in the parameter. “a” is being assigned the value of two, while “b” is being assigned the value of two as well. So the output of the function would be four, as it is adding both of the assigned values together.  The function call in the example is the “add(2, 2)” placed at the bottom of the image. This is giving those values to the variables in the function definition. 

Learning JavaScript other languages for web-programming is essential because it is the only language that can be understood by web browsers. When we write simple programming in-class in Visual Studio Code, our changes can be seen immediately when we open a new tab with the VS Code extension—“Alt” + “B” takes me directly to a page where I am prompted to answer a question as soon as I have saved my code changes to add my new “prompt” line. JavaScript is everywhere on the web, and with the advent of Node. js, is increasingly used on the backend to process user input information and engagement.

Additionally, although JavaScript is derived from Java, its syntax is relatively easy to learn compared to other programming languages like C. Not to confuse simple syntax with weak strength, one of JavaScript’s big advantages is that it is very powerful while also compatible with other languages, making it easy for users to embed it into a web page or another programming language’s script. For those interested in pursuing web development or user design, JavaScript is the top programming language in the world to learn, with the unique position as the most widely-adopted browser language, fully integrated with HTML/CSS.

Unlike regular data, “big data” is used to refer to large scale of data available that has yet to be sorted through. Data has been arriving in increasing volumes and with more velocity, with over 90% of all data ever having been created in the last 3 years, and big data refers to the overarching amount of data available in different and sometimes incompatible forms. “Data” on the other hand, is information that has been sorted and translated into a form that is efficient for movement or processing.

Companies use Big Data to gain insight and collect information in order to improve operations, provide better customer service, create personalized marketing campaigns and take other actions that, ultimately, increase revenue and profits. As Big Data continues to grow at an exponential rate, I can it being difficult to manage due to humans not being able to sort it as fast as it is coming in. This is where computing systems and AI can become especially important—computers are much more equipped to sort through information for key details at faster speeds than humans. Furthermore, in order to achieve deep learning (a machine learning technique that teaches computers to do what comes naturally to humans), big data is necessary to isolate hidden patterns and to find answers without overfitting the data.

In Javascript, a variable is a name of a location that holds data. You use the word let keyword to declare the name you are giving your variable. For example, you would write something like “let MyBook =”. You are now giving your variable a name, the name being MyBook. Now you have to initialize your variable to a value. A value in Javascript is created by assigning it a name. All pieces of data provided in Javascript are considered to be values. Values can be numbers, functions, and, text. Values need to be easily identified and reusable. You can initialize your variable by giving it a value. For example, you would write let MyBook = “I Love Reading”. Now the variable has been given a value. When you run this code, “I Love Reading” is the output. When naming a variable, there are some rules. The variable name must start with either a letter, underscore, or the $ symbol, but they can never start with a number. Once the first character is placed you can incorporate any character you want to finish the name. No spaces are allowed in the name but you are allowed to include anywhere from one to one million characters if you want the name. 

There are arithmetic operators in Javascript. These operators allow for certain mathematic actions to be taken when used in the code. Some of the common ones we use are:

addition +

subtraction – 

multiplication *

division /

modulus %

When using these arithmetic operators, we have to remember that Javascript uses the PEMDAS rules, which state which part of the equation is to be calculated first. For example in the equation (9*3)+1, the parenthesis would have to be calculated before the 1 is added.