misc – Page 5 – Less Focus

Platform of the Browser

An interesting Hacker News story made it’s round today, declare TypeScript Victorious.

Honestly I thought TypeScript was JS for Java developers.

However Angular 2.0 adopted it, which was interesting… I tought because Angular 2 was so different than Anagular 1.0, that it’ll die.

Learning Python currently and this reminds me of the Python 3, Python 2 shift… maybe they will co-exist…

Maybe technologies never win, lose or die… The TIOBE Programming Language Popularity index. If “Java” won… why is there still C, C++, C#, Python, PHP etc. developers?!?

Why isn’t all web-apps written in Java Spring Framework?

Why Do New Languages Start?

It’s to solve a problem that was a previous pain in old languages, tools & frameworks.

So this brings us back to the state of Front-End JavaScript Frameworks.

TypeScript dominance and Angular popularity made me re-accessed the current landscape.

What’s winning or has won, Angular, React, Ember?

So lot’s of people said React won… but yeah Angular still pretty popular… but can both React AND TypeScript win? I’m thinking TypeScript is synonymous with Angular 2.

Web Browser as a Platform

Just how there are many Programming Languages for Desktop/Server development, and there’s many frameworks on top of those languages, there are different “Languages” & Frameworks for client-side web applications.

Only difference is that instead of compiling to machine code or virtual machine code (Java, Python) these Client-Side Languages compiles to JavaScript.

JavaScript is the Browser equivalent of Assembly. Projects like ASM.js and Dart’s abandonment of browser integration in favor of JS compilation.

What’s wrong with JavaScript?

JavaScript is horrible. It was made in 48 hours. The actual “features” of the language is huge, but the actual features you should use is small.

What’s worse is that different web browsers translate the same code (Things like DOM manipulation) differently… Your webapp might work fine in Chrome and Firefox but semi-works in Safari and doesn’t work at all in IE. BUT your app needs to work on all of the above.

It’s a pain to get your app working in all these Web browsers…

That’s why Libraries and Frameworks for Client-Side JavaScript is so popular… it removes lots of crap we have to deal with.

So What JS Language and Framework Wins?

Different strokes for different folks.

Also since all these languages compiles to JS you can often use a combination. Ember with TypeScript, React with CoffeeScript, etc.

They will all co-exist I’d imagine like how Java co-exist with C#, co-exist with C++, Python etc.

Maybe your use case is different, and you require different framework. You are a solo-developer who’s just coding a personal project for fun, vs a team of hundreds with strict product specs.

Don’t get pressured to code differently just because a stack seems more popular. If a language/framework is popular enough, go forth.

What is the first thing you need to understand as a new Web Developer?

I think the first thing you need to understand as a new Web Developer is that you can do it!

As in, it’s just code. And Code is just Text. And you can read. so you Can Code.

Basically, web development is mostly transparent. 98% of everything can be quickly de-mystified. You can go to any cool website you see, view the source, and figure out how they did it.

Or you can just Google how to do it, and there’s usually numerous free resources on how to do it.

But the idea I want you to get through to you is that, it’s not magic, it’s known and you can know it too.

How I’m learning about Online Business

My two resources I’m using to learn about online businesses.

1. Fizzle.co – I love their podcast. It’s always entertaining. I think they were the first group of people that seem pretty honest & earnest about teaching this sometimes easily slimed topic of online business / making money online.

2. 30×500 – Mainly cause Amy Hoy is a programmer, and she sees things from a programmers perspectives… what she (and partner Alex Hillman) says rings true to me.

Fizzle, Choosing a Topic

So I am doing the Fizzle.co course.

Stage #1, Choosing a Topic. (Direction)

I will be writing 5 blog posts about my top 4 topics….

WebDev
Programming Career
Online Business
Self-Mastery

It is all about the Market

Words are powerful.

I’m doing the Fizzle course right now. I’ve been a member for a while, but was always stuck at stage 1… coming up with a Topic.

Basically I know how important a target market is… they are the base of your business. They determine what products you create. If you choose an unprofitable market, your business is toast, no matter how good the idea is.

There was a story I heard, I forgot from who…. maybe Brian Tracy or a some prolific copywriter/marketer…

They asked the prolific marketer: There’s two people, competing to sell lemonade, and each person can have 1 advantage, this could be a box to stand on the shout, “Great Tasting Lemonade”, or a huge sign… what would he pick as an advantage.

He said this, I’d pick one thing, a thirsty crowd.

It’s all about the market.

What to Blog About?

So I was just thinking, since I am going to be blogging everyday now.

What should I blog about?

So I concluded with, I should write the Post, that if I died today, I’m glad I wrote it.

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I would say if I died today, I want to past on lessons to my Sons, that would apply to other people as well.

I would say to them, you were born naked – Steve Jobs

You can choose to be happy, you aren’t married to the circumstances of your life, life is what you make it.

Don’t just follow your dreams, but choose to be happy while pursuing your dreams. Don’t let your happiness be based on results. Base your happiness on what you put into your actions. Be happy with the work that you did today.

Go to sleep in peace, with knowing you were a good person today. If you wasn’t than be sure to be a good person tomorrow.

Whatever you do, don’t settle for being sad or miserable… life’s too short, choose to be happy.