I started learning React.JS and this is what I think so far

Why hello there, fellow reader! It has been quite some time as usual! I have been quite busy again as I continue my venture to learn the basics of web development, conquering EcmaScript (ES) 6 and beyond, as well as reading some other articles based on JavaScript on my own free time. Recently, I have decided on which JavaScript Framework I wanted to try, which is React. React is more of a library than anything else but is treated LIKE it is a framework, which is fantastic.

For a brief history lesson for those who do not know, React was founded by Facebook software engineer Jordan Walke in 2013, and will continually have more recent and stable versions of React as long as time continues or until nobody cares about React anymore. Of course, I do strongly believe that React will stay strong within the development game for a long time, with Vue.JS gradually gaining traction and popularity right behind React. It recently got its updated version on  November 19th of this year.

Let's proceed to the main topic of the day, what do I think of React so far? As I have been learning how to code throughout these past few months, I got a lot of people telling me I should learn React, Vue.JS, Angular, etc., so in essence, one answer too many that left me confused. So I referred to the course that I am taking, which is the Codingphase course, which has a timeline section, and it said to do React. If you haven't read my thoughts on the Codingphase course, I highly recommend that you do after reading this article. So the main thing with React is components, which you write within a JavaScript file. What ultimately threw me off at first is that you leave your HTML file empty, except linking your sources (CSS files, JS Files, Fonts, etc.), because you will be writing your HTML inside the JS files.

Here is an example of how you write your HTML inside the JS file whilst using react:

import React, { Component } from 'react'

import ReactDOM from 'react-dom'

render () {

<div className="hello">

<h1> Hi there! I am considered a component in React.JS!</h1>

</div>

<img src="kirbywave.jpg" />

const app = document.getElementbyId('app')

ReactDOM.render(<App />, app)

That is what an it looks like writing a component in React.JS. Just make sure that you import your React and ReactDOM files and on the bottom of the files, making a const where your Id tag would be in your HTML file and making sure that your DOM renders. The NICE thing is that you do not need to worry about writing your CSS/SCSS in a JS file, because that will stay in its original file. If you take a quick look at the div where className is written, you will not be writing class in your HTML. The reason for this is because class is already a thing in JavaScript and it would confuse the JS file if I recall correctly, if I am wrong about this, please comment and let me know. So instead, we use className and it works just like class in HTML. You can also use <div id="hello"> inside the JS file which is an extremely convenient thing because it won't act out when you set up the id and not give you errors.

I told you the basic history of React, I've shown you an example, and now for my thoughts on it so far. I think it's pretty cool. I was incredibly intimidated by it first because I thought that I was going to be bombarded with complications, but once I've learned how React works, I wasn't so scared any more. Let us also count the fact that it is a JavaScript Framework and if you have some understanding of the fundamentals of JavaScript, your understanding will evolve into a whole different level and you will start becoming better.

I would like to thank you, the reader, for your patience when it comes to me writing blogs and getting them out. My life is pretty hectic and I do the best that I can. If you enjoyed this blog, please share it. Thank you and have a wonderful day.

I Started a YouTube Channel

Hey there fellow reader! Just a quick post to let YOU know that I started a coding YouTube Channel! I know a lot of people do this, but the purpose of my coding channel is to talk about my journey as a web developer and my insights on the industry... Wait a minute... That sounds like a lot of people who use YouTube to talk about things like this.... Hmmmmmm.... Oh well! Well, here the link to my channel if you guys want to give it a look:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-F8vkNG-2n7ZKpRKETZjFA/featured

Why is it Important to Take Notes

Hello there, fellow reader! How are you doing? I hope all is well with whatever it is you're doing. So as this title implies, I am going to talk about taking notes, especially with things like a project that you're working on. Let's say that you're working on a web application or you're following along with a tutorial, then all of a sudden something in your life happens and you have to drop it. Next thing you know, after a while of not doing the project, you come back and look at the project and you think to yourself, "Wait, what did I do? I don't remember what I've done! Oh my God, I'm panicking!!!!!"

Well, THIS actually happened to me as of recent. I had something in my personal life that happened and I was working on one of my first few JavaScript projects, dropped the ball, and now I have to start ALL over again! Not the best feeling, am I right? Well, from this past experience, I have learned that it is crucial to take notes so you can figure out what you did last time before you continue your project and have that anxiety attack because you didn't take notes on what you did!

Major reason to WHY you NEED to take notes, ESPECIALLY for when you work on your projects: you will NOT get lost and TRY to remember what you've done previously! As I've stated, it is a pain and a half to try to remember what you have done before you get distractions.

Second reason why you need to take notes: if you take notes when you're am working on a project, you won't forget where you're at. On top of that, my opinion is that one person can start learning the concept of a coding language a little bit better than just by sitting at their keyboard and typing it. I know these two reasons why are pretty short, but believe me, these reasons are excellent reasons and no matter what, you mustn't falter.

Now, the million dollar question is where the heck do I put my notes on? Anywhere you feel like! Take a notebook, write it down on pen and paper. Your computer/laptop is also an obvious given because you can just open up your word document application, write the notes you need to write and come back to them with a click of your mouse. However, what if you work one or two part-time jobs, and you want to look at your notes while on a rest period? Simple, use Google Drive! Google Drive is a fantastic tool that you can place you notes on and look at them during your rest period without having to worry about whether or not if you've done something that needed to be done for your project.

My point of this blog: notes are fantastic, notes are great, take them! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this blog today, take care!

How My Progress with Learning is Going, A Codingphase Review

Why hell there, fellow reader! It's been quite a bit since I have last written a blog. I have been extremely busy with personal life circumstances and as well as getting back on track with my independent studies for web development!

For the longest time, I have struggled learning web development on my own. Getting many different insights from other people, my brain was scrambled. Go to school, go to a bootcamp. Learn this, learn that. You all know how that goes right? You get steered in so many directions you feel like you're on either a gigantic roller coaster ride like the Superman from Six Flax or the Mad Teacups from Disneyland! It gets tiring and frustrating, fast. During this, I was taking Colt Steel's Web Developer Bootcamp and it was decent, but it wasn't what I was looking for in terms of engagement.... However, I had my eyes on this one particular program for a while, and when I was reading the stories of how people were becoming developers in a matter of months because they followed instructions and worked through blood, sweat, and tears, I felt like it was time for me to go into this program.

I am talking about, of course, Codingphase! It is run by one guy, Joe Santos Garcia, who is a regular guy, rocking hoodies and caps, listening to Jay-Z and other hip-pop artists, and hustling. So some of you may be asking, "Why should I listen to this Joe guy if the blogger described him as such!?" Well, because he has gems. To be honest, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to follow this guy through his ventures ever since he started his YouTube Channel since 2016 for some reason. There have been a lot of people who just say, "Oh, I got a dev job, and you can do this in 30 days!". But in the case of Joe, he gives the harsh reality of how hard it is going to be to learn how to code, how things don't magically happen overnight, etc.

What does Joe teach over on his website? Well, he teaches pretty much everything that you will need to know for web development. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, all of the technologies you will need to get a developer job will be there! Heck, I didn't even think that you could make e-mails using HTML and CSS, but here I am, learning how to build HTML e-mails! I will admit, I am not the best with designing websites, but I have LEARNED how to take a file from PhotoShop or find a mock-up template online and make it into a responsive website, which is a fantastic thing and it actually  makes you learn instead of being stuck in tutorial purgatory!

Like any other Udemy course that you would take, the Codingphase course is a code along, meaning that you watch the videos WHILE you code, which is nice if you tend to pace yourself and wanting to pause the video to understand what is going on. There will be times where you get confused at one point, get distracted, etc., yet you shouldn't lose heart because you can always go back a couple seconds or minutes on the video, overlook your code, and see if you are doing things proper. If not, then you can always start over from scratch... Well, not completely from scratch, because that would be atrocious if you lost track of where you were in the course. I actually do this from time to time to make sure that I am understanding what is going on correctly since, of course, I am a newbie myself.

There will actually be times where you will try to install certain things (such as ParcelJS for example) and things won't work out properly. I've had that issue many times and I had to get help from other people in the Codingphase Discord server. Oh, yes, I forgot, there is a Discord server for Codingphase, and I unfortunately do not have an invite link.

Well, I have rambled on for too long and I have had NOTHING but positive things to say about this course! Also, Joe, if you are reading this, thank you for giving us this course! It is a blessing that I never thought possible. It has given myself and other aspiring developers hope that if they work hard, and not for the love, they, too, can become developers and one day become their own boss.

Thank you for reading.

The pros and cons of College

Hello there fellow reader! It has been over a number of months since I  have posted a blog, and for that I sincerely apologize. A lot has been going on in my personal life and I hope to start catching up on blogs that I want to write!

Today, I want to talk about the pros and cons of going to a traditional educational facility, otherwise known as Community College or University! Like coding bootcamp, Community College and University can be a double-edged sword, whether you know what you are doing or not, it is your responsibility to prepare for what you want to do for the future planned ahead.

The first thing I want to talk about are the pros of going to Community College and University. It is a structured environment, and that will help you stay accountable for your learning progress. You will also have professors to talk to that can become your mentors and help you try to get an internship. Speaking of internships, career services are available so when you are ready to find something that will get you experience for your career, you can go there, look for an internship, and hope for the best that you get a job. You also get to different people of different backgrounds and cultures, which is a great way to make great connections and maybe in the near future, you can work together.

The next thing I'm going to talk about are the cons of going to Community College and University. One thing to look out for is that some, but not all, college professors just come in, open and read out of the book, and pick up their paycheck because they either don't know the subject they are teaching or they just lost their passion for it. I'm not trying to say that they don't care, but not having passionate professors will probably make you feel discouraged. Another thing to look out for obviously is the tuition for schooling, between let's say $50-$100K depending on what degree you are going for. The length to get an associate is 2 years, while a bachelor's is 4 years. If you want to go for a Master's, it's a bit longer, which I sadly do not remember. On top of tuition, there may be times where you will have to take out a student loan, which can equal trouble due to interest rates which increases during your time in school. However, I feel like there may be a way to counteract getting interest on your loans. If you apply for a job that is in your career and that job offers to pay for your tuition, you should be set to go.

Well, I believe that is all I can think about when it comes to the pros and the cons for college. I want to strongly express that yes, having a degree can get you through the HR firewall of getting a job as a web developer, it is NOT required at all. All of the jobs that you see that say degree required is something that is put up by HR, as well as a ridiculous amount of years of experience required to apply for said job. Just apply anyway. Thank you for reading this article and I do hope that you have a fantastic day!