Developer Fred Boyle has issued a challenge to developers around the world: take the month of May to code a small project with an unfamiliar programming language or framework. It's kind of like a National Novel Writing Month for tech types -- a chance to just hack away at something new for the sheer fun of it, and learn something in the process.
So, this month, I'm challenging myself to build a web app. Not a static website, not a blog, but an APP! Something I can play with, rather than just look at or read.
This week I spent a lot of time reading up on building interactive pages with Javascript, which I have to bashfully admit is still a foreign language to me. I've worked with jQuery, sure, but I've always been too intimidated to work directly with Javascript. Not this month! This month I'm putting my fears aside and digging into Javascript, for real.
I'll post a quick progress report every Friday this month to let you know how I'm doing, and on June 1st I'll show you what I built. I promise. Even if I'm kind of embarrassed by it.
Want to Challenge Yourself?
I'd be so thrilled if you joined me!
If the idea of building an app or writing a program is intimidating, how about a mini-challenge? Ask yourself, "What is one thing I've always wished I could do with my blog (or website)?". Once you've answered that question, seek out the language you'd need to learn to do that one thing, and read a beginner's tutorial on the language.
Just finding the right language to learn can be a challenge on its own. There's a couple of different ways you could figure out what language you'd need. You can ask me. You can ask Google. Or, you can look for clues in the page source of a site that does what you want to do. If you want to take a shortcut, you can use BuiltWith to find out what technology is behind the site you'd like to emulate.
After you've found your language, seek out a beginner's tutorial or a good book on the subject, and try it out! There's nothing like the nerdy thrill of writing your first "Hello, World!" in a new language. Try it! You may be surprised by how very addictive it is.
Are You In?
Let me know in the comments, or let the world know on Twitter using the #codechallenge hashtag!
