Learn the basics of Computer Science and programming by building interactive programs-including simple animations and games-that run in a standard web browser.
This book uses the ubiquitous and popular JavaScript programming language (not to be confused with the Java programming language) as a basis for teaching, covering the basics of syntax and idioms sufficient to build simple interactive games.
The book hits some highlights of computer science along the way, such as boolean algebra, recursive algorithms, and event-driven programming. All concepts are taught with beginners in mind, including the teacher, making this an excellent choice for homeschoolers: complete explanations are given for every exercise, lab, and test question.
If using this book as a high school text, it is designed to have a workload appropriate for a 1-credit, 1-semester course, for students who have completed (or are taking) pre-algebra.
In that setting, each chapter should take about a week to get through, with plenty of reading and hands-on learning every week. A midterm is provided at the end of weeks 5 and 10. Every chapter has a set of exercises to complete, again, with full solutions provided at the end of the book.
I hope you enjoy what has been a fun book to write. The concepts taught here are sometimes simple, sometimes a bit mind-bending, and always powerful enablers for anyone who wants to learn to do just a little more with the devices we have all around us.
I think it's worth the journey. I hope you do, too.
