Preparing for Coding Programs : simplebooklet.com

table of contents 01 03 02 CODESMITH AT A GLANCE 05 WELCOME TO THE GUIDE Let your passion for coding and your personal learning style lead your journey 10 LEVEL 0 NEVER CODED Start your software engineering career with the basics of JavaScript HTML 13 Do you know the differences between entry level roles and senior roles Find out the types of problesm you solve in each role LEVEL 1 BEGINNER Form a deep understanding of essential concepts such as variables data types 15 Learning to code doesn t only involve your programming knowledge develop strong technical communication skills to get accepted into a coding program or land that dream job LEVEL 2 UPPER BEGINNER Test your understanding by using fundamental concepts in unusual ways 19 LEVEL 3 INTERMEDIATE Master more advanced syntax and nail down complex topics 23 page 32 page 33 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms The guide was created by Codesmith a center of software engineering excellence LEVEL 4 UPPER INTERMEDIATE Truly understand the idea of closure to prepare for building web apps 28 MASTER DEBUGGING Quality debugging and creative problem solving skills are essential to be a top tier programmer 29 LEVEL 5 ADVANCED Learn asynchronous JavaScript as its one of the most powerful tools in web development 32 JUNIOR VERSUS ELITE PROGRAMS Find out what type of coding program best fits your goals and skillset 33 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION Sharpen your technical communication skills for coding programs job interviews 37 BEYOND CODING PROGRAMS Good engineers know how to code great engineers have developed problem solving and debugging skills Think more creatively about the challenges you are trying to tackle to find efficient solutions page 28 C o desm i th C o de smi th What to expect as a graduate in the software engineering workforce

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03 Codesmith At a Glance Codesmith grads work at over 120 companies across the USA A s a center of software engineering excellence the Codesmith team creates an elite JavaScript program offering residents innovative lectures on the most complex and modern concepts and a lifelong network of dedicated engineers While building a tight knit community of engineers is critical to the Codesmith experience the success of our graduates speaks to the quality of the projects built in the program and the core curriculum Codesmith residents go on to work at a variety of companies ranging from the largest tech companies to new startups focused on blockchain crypto and machine learing Average Salary of New York Graduates 113k Average Salary of Los Angeles Graduates 105k 25 hired into senior developer roles 70 hired into mid level roles A key part of the success of our graduates is the program s emphasis on project building most notably the production project Open Source Developer Tools Built By Codesmith Residents Reactide 8000 Github Stars 3rd on Top 25 Most Amazing React js Projects React Sight 2000 Github Stars featured on the 2017 Companies where Codesmith grads work puter science fundamentals and valuable interview prep for your technical interviews for coding programs or junior developer roles CSX Our free online learning platform with 100 s of hours of video lessons challenges and more Codesmith and our committed team are excited to share this insider s guide to help you reach your software engineering goals Enjoy C o desm i th C o de smi th Top 25 Most Amazing React js Projects WebDSP Featured on the main stage at the Google I O Annual Developer Conference At the core of this program is the curriculum teaching all aspects of engineering Front end development Back end development Computer science fundamentals New technologies such as machine learning Technical communication Project management It is no secret getting appected to Codesmith is challenging but we are constantly creating new resources to help you along the way CS Prep An accelerated remote course designed to give you a rundown of JavaScript and com Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Codesmith at its core is a 12 week advanced JavaScript program located in Los Angeles and New York City We aim to not only build excellent coders but to foster a community of high achieving problem solvers 04

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05 Created by the Codesmith Team Why are you pursuing a coding program Before starting your personalized journey be sure to think about what motivates you and which kind of program will help you reach your desired outcome T Daniel K Google When selecting who will be admitted into the program they focus not just on the person s technical skill but on their communication skills empathy and culture fit The 12 week program is very demanding and the level of support that I felt from the staff and my fellow students was what allowed me to grow as much as I did in the program 06 Susan T Thrive Market What exceeded my expectations How Codesmith taught us how to learn new topics in general and how to solve any problem not just the ones we were given Codesmith prepared us to deal with uncertainty rapidly pick up new material and have confidence that no matter what challenge we may encounter we d be able to push through and solve it C o desm i th C o de smi th he coding program space in 2018 can be overwhelming to say the least There are so many differing opinions and hundreds of resources and programs to sort through Even once you decide on a language to learn there are many other factors to consider location price outcomes hours difficulty and the list goes on and on This guide will help you specifically map out a preparation plan to a web development program teaching Ja vaScript the language most commonly used on the web For the sake of this guide we ll be focusing on JavaScript Web Development programs Its a great choice JavaScript has been the most popular language for the past 6 years and we don t see that slowing down anytime soon Today JavaScript is used to create websites servers mobile apps games desktop apps and even interactive toasters through the Internet of Things Focusing on this language sets you up for a wide variety of career opportunities We ll help you create a personalized study plan with resources at every step of the journey so you spend your Codesmith Graduate Spotlight Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Welcome to the Guide time learning to code rather than waste time using and paying for unhelpful platforms To develop an appropriate plan for your preparation you must first understand your goals We recommend taking a moment and thinking deeply about these questions 1 Why are you interested in a coding program 2 What type of learner are you Knowing why you re interested in a coding program is essential for creating a preparation plan Coding programs result in graduates at incredibly varied levels Are you aiming for a senior mid level or junior development job If you re shooting for a certain type of software engineering position or industry you need to make sure the program you are applying for prepares its grads to follow this path You also need to think deeply about what experiences you want to have during your coming program Are you motivated by learning the newest technologies building impactful open source projects or having face to face interactions with other students every day Your answers to these questions will point you toward the perfect program for you The learning style between programs differs greatly with the most obvious difference being inperson vs online We recommend being incredibly honest with yourself if online learning works for you Additionally some programs

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07 can do a lot more hand holding and can be tutorial focused where others really challenge their students to struggle through challenges in order to gain a deeper understanding they can take with them after the program If you re someone who gains a lot from tutorials versus overcoming blocks individually less walkthroughs this should help you shape your decision You want to select a program to prepare that prioritizes your learning style and will push you to the outcome you want Many other questions are important to think through hours per week finances location etc but the most important thing to understand is your mo 08 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms We outline what we expect you to know at each level and the best resources to grow from your starting point tivation and desired goal Now that you ve thought through your drive a bit more the next step is making sure you re prepared to succeed at the type of program you re shooting for We organized our guide into levels of JavaScript experience so feel free to skip to the level you think applies to your knowledge In each level we outline what we expect you to know and the best resources to grow beginning at that starting point Completing all the recommended resources doesn t necessarily guarantee you acceptance to the most elite programs but it will help you put your best foot forward Advanced programs like Codesmith require additional skills beyond pure JavaSrcript knowledge Be sure to pay close attention to other practices such as technical communication which will help you take your understanding to the next level C o desm i th C o de smi th

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09 Level 0 Never Coded E veryone s journey to a coding program begins somewhere and never having coded before is a great place to start At this level of experience you re able to carefully select your preparation path to make sure you re building up to the type of coding program that will put you in the best position for your desired outcome When just beginning to learn a language you should focus on the fundamental syntax of a the language paying close attention to the new vocabulary you will be using to describe aspects of JavaScript Challenge yourself to not use plain English but to begin developing your internal computer science glossary We recommend you start by diving into these resources on their beginner JS tracks Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms At this early stage in your coding path we recommend focusing on understanding the fundamentals of writing code The most important piece is persevering and practicing Ideally do so with some friends or at a free Codesmith workshop live online or in person Nearly 50 of Codesmith s accepted students start their journey without a computer science degree or background as a developer and are admitted in under one year You ve got this 10 Codecademy Intro to JavaScript The combination of walkthrough tutorials and small challenges to test understanding make Codecademy a great place to start your JavaScript learning C o desm i th C o de smi th Code School JavaScript Road Trip Part 1 Code School combines challenges and videos on the console variables js files and a very beginner introduction to HTML This resource will help you grasp the larger ideas and how things tie together

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11 W3 Schools W3 schools is your go to place for tutorials and syntax breakdowns If you re ever questioning the breakdown of a concept this should be the first place you visit MDN MDN web docs provide all the information you need to know on Ja vaScript HTML and CSS They provide great background information walkthroughs and tutorials 12 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Team Treehouse JS Basics Treehouse is a very friendly way to start coding They ll give you a great backstory on why things are important with an extensive introduction that s perfect for those just starting out In additional to mastering syntax and following tutorials becoming an expert googler is key to your success as an engineer A wonderful aspect of the technology industry is the amount of support you can find online The three resources you should become familiar with are Stack Overflow If you have an error you can t seem to crack or something isn t working the way you think it should be likely someone else has experienced this and asked about it on Stack Overflow Come for the wealth of help and stay for the sassy comments We encourage you to look up every concept you come across on W3 and MDN and read the documentation behind it This will give you the reasoning behind why these concepts are important and a couple examples to base the concept on Gathering the background information before moving into challenges is a great way to learn code Another important part of learning to code is to surround yourself with others on this same path WelearnJS Slack Great for connecting with other learners over a variety of topics and resources Another important part of learning to code is to surround yourself with others on this same path Code Community Slack One of the largest open source focused slack teams in the world Great for learning more about the newest projects and hearing news from the community Once you have a firm grasp on what JavaScript syntax looks like and where to go for help you re ready to move onto Level 1 C o desm i th C o de smi th The CSX Slack An engaging group to find pair programming partners ask JavaScript questions to mentors and connect with the supportive Codesmith community Users chat about all things tech from around the world

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got them down and the best way to do that is through repetition repetition repetition 13 Level 1 Beginner You are learning variables data types control flow conditional statements arrays HTML and CSS basics At Level 1 you re still making sure that you have a complete grasp on the fundamental JS building blocks Repetition is key here and pay close attention to how HTML CSS and JavaScript work together to make up much of our modern web Pushing through these blocks are best done at in person online Codesmith workshops where you can ask questions when you come upon them and really push your skills forward H Freecodecamp Take advantage of the freecodecamp forums for questions and dive right into their intro to JS HTML CSS and a bit of jquery It uses a friendly in browser text editor so is a great place to start I really liked how lengthy it was I was able to continually grow and see my progression over time Luis Codesmith Graduate Engineering Fellow C o desm i th C o de smi th aving a complete grasp of the fundamental concepts in JavaScript is imperative for your long term growth and that starts with having a deep understanding of variables data types conditional statements and arrays The best resources to cement this knowledge are ones that enforce repetition It may seem silly at first to work through challenges that test these same concepts over and over again but since these are the building blocks to web development you want to be sure you ve JavaScript the Easier Parts Part 1 This Codesmith workshop covers all primitive data types mathematical operators and the order of operations understanding and utilizing variables and controlling complexity with if else conditions It also has pair programming through challenges that test your understanding and ability to communicate on these concepts Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms CSX Precourse Unit The Precourse to the Codesmith JavaScript learning platform covers the fundamentals in depth It s a great way to walk through each concept and test your knowledge with the precourse self assessment at the end You also have access to mentors in the CSX slack to help you with any questions you may come across 14

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15 Level Up Tutorials How to make your first website A great resource for getting your first site online with no prior experience with HTML or CSS necessary Starts slowly going over the basics of HTML and CSS and then really ramps up and covers everything you d want it to Ben Codesmith Resident There s an enormous number of resources out there for JS beginners and these are just a few of them Many junior programs will purely test these fundamental concepts on your technical interview Level 2 Upper Beginner You are working to master for loops objects array and object manipulation type coercion functions and execution contexts so be sure to look at what the program you re shooting for requires If they don t have it listed directly on their website review the resources they recommend for preparation and try to attend an info session to have the chance to ask questions like this It s rare for web development programs to test your HTML and CSS upon entry but be sure to ask if that s something you need to brush up on Once solving problems focused on data types control flow arrays and the HTML CSS basics become second nature you re ready to move on to Level 2 Upper Beginner While many Codesmith applicants start attending Codesmith workshops at Level 0 or 1 Level 2 is where you should attend regularly You ve become comfortable with the basics and you re ready to dive deeper into how JS works and solve more complex problems At Codesmith we prioritize applicants showing both how to make something work and why it works so make sure you pay special attention to the why U pper beginner is a stage on your journey to a coding program that can take awhile to move through and so cut yourself some slack if you re not moving on as fast as you would like to Functions are the most important thing to learn in JavaScript Every library you work with whether on the frontend or backend is completely composed of functions Michael K Software Engineer at Leaf Group Codesmith Graduate C o desm i th C o de smi th This is because you re working with computer science concepts that will come heavily into play in more advanced JS work such as for loops objects array and object manipulation type coercion functions and execution context With this set of concepts you ll want to focus on resourc es that first introduce you to these concepts and then portray them in unusual ways to really test your understanding It s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you fully understand a concept when you re only seeing it in one setting For example you may understand the basics of for loops but seeing them used with expressions beyond looping to the end of an array may be foreign to you You may understand how to iterate through an array but using Array forEach or Array 16 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Codecademy Learn HTML Similar to their JavaScript resources Codecademy is great for learning HTML They break things down into easy to manage tutorials including both instructions and problems to make sure you ve grasped the concepts

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17 CSX Functions Execution Context Unit This unit will give you a strong foundation on code execution memory and the call stack With a combination of high quality videos and challenges CSX is meant to really test your understanding This is a fantastic more advanced resource to use after you ve been introduced to the concepts to test your understanding here JavaScript The Easier Parts Complimenting CSX Functions Execution Context JavaScript the Easier Parts covers the anatomy of for loops how to understand arrays and objects nesting loops and how to create functions Although you may have attened during Level 1 its common to see repeat students in Codesmith s events The step by step lecture and challenges will help you build the foundation to work through problems on your own with the support of the wonderful community JS The Weird Parts This 11 5 hour course covers it all but it s especially thorough for those look ing for a strong introduction to JS It s built for people with minimal knowledge and includes both starter and finished source code to help your understanding He breaks it down in a way that assumes nothing you go in with no background and earn how things work under the hood Luis Codesmith Gradute Engineering Fellow Shayhowe Learn to Code HTML CSS If you re looking to start at an introductory level and end with your first web page this is the best place to do it Shayhowe does a really good job building you up and leaving you with a greater understanding and a finished product you can be proud of JavaScipt30 JS30 by Wes Bos is a fantastic resource for combining basic HTML CSS and JavaScript with a focus on building projects Good intro to JS while challenging you to make something every day Much more exciting than just challenges Ben Codesmith Resident Featured Course CS Prep A course both flexible structured In the Upper Beginner phase you may start to waver from your dedicated learning schedule and feel you need some structure Luckily Codesmith offers a remote live online course designed to jumpstart your coding journey CS Prep will help you develop a deep yet intuitive understanding of JavaScript covering core concepts and engineering best practices Current Codesmith Resident and CS Prep graduate Adam says my goal was to get myself immersed in all areas needed to be able to take the Technical Interview as part of the Codesmith admissions process but I really got so much more than that The other students of this class were exceptional and you could tell they were extremely involved and interested and they too were learning a lot of this stuff for the very first time as well It makes it so much easier to work with people as they are helping each other along Apply to CS Prep to accelerate your learning journey prepare for important interviews and connect with other engineers 18 C o desm i th C o de smi th Watch Code Practical JS Come for the explanations and stay for the detail showing you how even the most basic parts of JS relate to building full scale applications If you re lost on how the things you re working with now relate to what senior engineers do spend some time in this course A Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms map isn t in your skill set You may know the differences between how to loop through an array versus an object but are yearning for a deeper understanding of why you need to loop through them differently You might be aware of type coercion but wondering why it s a thing in the first place and how it could ever be useful

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19 You are learning hoisting ES5 and above the call stack callbacks and higher order functions The Codesmith interview will focus on many intermediate concepts specifically higher order functions because they are such a crucial part of development with JavaScript The best preparation is to attend JavaScript the Hard Parts and pair program There are even candidates who have attended the workshops for 45 weeks While you may not become that regular learning by collaborating is the best way to grow as a developer We ve had applicants admitted at this level who show great potential and drive C how this works leads gives you access to JavaScript frameworks libraries and reactive website really taking your building capabilities to the next level Understanding the concept of hoisting is also a huge accomplishment at this stage in your journey This concept is key in understanding how JavaScript is executing your code an understanding that will allow you to make smart decisions when structuring CSX Callbacks Higher Order Functions Excellent instruction videos go under the hood of why functions like map reduce and filter are powerful tools and keep our code DRY don t repeat yourself Then test your knowledge of these concepts with in depth challenges JavaScript The Hard Parts Callbacks High Order Functions This is one of the most popular JS MeetUps in Los Angeles and New York City because of the focus not only on how but also why JavaScript works the way it does You ll then test the theories with time spent pair programming through challenges with an incredibly supportive community People come back week after week to the same workshop because they keep picking up new things each time The 20 C o desm i th C o de smi th ongratulations you ve made it past the beginner phase welcome to Intermediate We describe the intermediate phase as having a grasp on hoisting ES5 and above most importantly is ES6 the call stack as well as callbacks and higher order functions JavaScript truly gains its power when it s used as a functional language and understanding beyond ES6 ES7 ES8 etc that introduce even more useful features turning JavaScript into a fairly robust language For more info on ES6 check out this article Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Level 3 Intermediate your code and determining things like whether a function declaration or function expression is more appropriate for your use case or to properly track down errors where variables don t have values when expected them to At this point you might also have some knowledge of syntax that s been released post ES5 What is this ES5 business you ask ECMAScript is a specification on how a programming language should be written and what kinds of features should be included in it Most people learning JavaScript these days usually start out with using ES5 5th edition of JavaScript syntax this is where your handy function and var keywords come from ES6 significantly expands on JavaScript features and introduces new syntax that allow us to change the way we write JavaScript for the better ES6 gives us features like arrow functions new keywords to declare variables let and const and even new ways to handle asynchronous activity in JavaScript Promises These are just a few features there are also versions of the language

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21 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms CS Prep CS Prep is a structured program that teaches core JS concepts and engineering best practices It will help you develop a deep yet intuitive understanding of JS and prepare you for advanced coding program technical interviews There are two paths live online 2 weeks of instruction and self directed 4 weeks with 1 hour week mentorship I must admit I was skeptical about Paired Programming Mostly because I did not know what it was and did not imagine anything nearly as dynamic as the driver navigator relationship I really enjoyed that experience and I learned a lot even while covering the basic concepts presented in that set of challenges CS Prep is proving to Codesmith Graduate Spotlight CALLBACKS ARE IMPORTANT FOR UNDERSTANDING EVENT BASED AND ASYNCHRONOUS PROGRAMMING IN JAVASCRIPT I USE THESE ALL THE TIME TO TRIGGER CERTAIN ACTIONS ON CLICK EVENTS ON THE FRONT END OR EMITTED FILE EVENTS ON THE BACK END Derek M Software Developer at RED Interactive Agency Codesmith Graduate greatly exceed my expectations Joel CS Prep Graduate funfunfunction YouTube Higher Order Functions In a great youtube series on functional programming Mattias Petter Johanasson MPJ goes into what higher order functions are with live coding on how to use them Entertaining more advanced content He s very personal breaks it down and shows lots of examples Ben Codesmith Resident Hulu I was free to ask for help and work with others on what I had trouble with and at the same time others could always come to me with their questions as well And that was important because the program was dense and without that kind of community I couldn t learned what I did and I wouldn t have been able to built what I did Bita D UNITE US The Codesmith team will go above and beyond to provide the highest quality education and help you find an amazing job with an amazing salary The hours will be long but the people you will spend your days with are amazing both personally and professionally C o desm i th C o de smi th JavaScript isSexy Excellent walkthrough of how to manage different scenarios with callbacks and higher order functions No video or challenges but really great descriptions Eloquent JavaScript Chapter 5 Higher Order Functions Incredibly thorough walkthroughs with tons of detail especially focused on why functional programming is important For some this resource can be a bit dry but others incredibly informative worth a shot Many more beginner programs will test your understanding on Intermediate concepts for their technical interview Make sure you re well versed on the importance of high order functions resources at every step of the journey so you spend your time learning to code rather than waste time using and paying for unhelpful platforms Brandon D 22 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms record is 41 times can you beat it

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23 Level 4 Upper Intermediate The Codesmith interview will test concepts from this level especially closure At Codesmith we value compact and readable code which in JavaScript is primarily accomplished through closure On the Codesmith technical interview you re able to look up anything you d like we re as much assessing your debugging skills as your JavaScript skills so make sure you re comfortable with reading documentation Codesmith applicants with exceptional problemsolving skills have been accepted at this experience level CSX Closure Scope Execution Context Unit This unit in CSX really pushes you to know closure in depth while giving you all the tools to get there You ll come out of it having a full understanding of classic closure functions like once memoize and event password protected functions Paired with the in person online workshop below you re sure to master this difficult concept 24 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms You are working on closure and basic object oriented programming in JavaScript including prototype chain and prototypical inheritance C losure is probably the most misunderstood feature of JavaScript yet one of the most powerful The concept makes up a core part of the Codesmith interview and of developer interviews in general Closure allows us to understand professional grade functions like once memoize and even password protected functions Closure is also what enables us to build iterators in Javascript a brand new ES6 feature and are really useful for writing asynchronous code the part of JavaScript that powers web apps By introducing the execution context and variable environment we will be able to understand classic closure functions like once memoize and even password protected functions OOP offers a developer the chance to encapsulate their code and reuse large pieces of functionality throughout the program Xavyr M Engineering Fellow Codesmith Graduate C o desm i th C o de smi th JavaScript the Hard Parts Closure Scope and Execution Context In this interactive workshop led by Codesmith CEO and Frontend Masters instructor Will Sentance covers these concepts that 80 of JavaScript engineers do not understand but are at the core of every single successful application Cement your knowledge with pair programming through challenges after you re introduced to why closures function the way they do

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25 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms You Don t Know JS Scope and Closures Kyle Simpson s book and github repo is a go to place for all sorts of JS concepts but his bit on closures and scope is especially informative He ll conversationally walk you through how closures work and why they are important with in an in depth look at a common closure scenarios PythonTutor PythonTutor lets you visualize your code running line by line much in the way Codesmith s JavaScript The Hard Parts workshops do on the whiteboard Chrome DevTools 101 Debugging JavaScript When you get an error in your code Chrome Devloper Tools are your friend In this intro course you ll learn about inspecting elements pausing code execution and how to analyze your errors to debug your JavaScript quickly JavaScript the Hard Parts Utilize the dedicated pair programming time By working through problems with a partner where you are expected to explain your strategy before coding you can expect to discover new approaches to prolems as well as develop a more organized problem solving approach 26 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms LeetCode Similar to HackerRank LeetCode is great for preparing for algorithms and technical interview questions Frequent contests with rewards will keep you pushing your skills to the next level A lot of challenges with more edge cases than Codewars really good for challenging your mind to think of new ways to view the concepts you re testing yourself on Jake Codesmith Graduate One of the best ways to improve problem solving is to work through coding challenges These will also improve your readiness of interviews where these types of questions are popular during interviews Codewars Codewars is one of the best sites for coding challenges A really cool feature of Codewars is that you also get to see the best solutions voted on by the community HackerRank HackerRank is known for its tough algorithm questions Many companies use it for their interviews and it s a great place to practice more advanced ways of problem solving Great for doing lots of algorithm challenges and is definitely more advanced which helped me prepare for more advanced coding program interviews Alyssa Codesmith Graduate C o desm i th C o de smi th

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27 28 At the upper intermediate level you will have probably had quite some experience debugging your code This in itself is quite an important skill Often times our first pass at writing code is not necessarily the best way of doing it or perhaps our first pass doesn t work at all This is completely normal even seasoned developers face this issue on a daily basis However stellar debugging skills are one of a few things that differentiate an experienced developer from a novice This is the skill that s responsible for pushing you forward in times of struggle As soon as you get stuck you immediately start walking through your application logic logging values to the console and carefully examining your data flow Once you ve investigated the issue further you find yourself looking at documentation on methods or libraries that aren t working quite the way you expected them to and then coming back to your code with your new found knowledge to implement a fix for what wasn t working This skill plays a large role in your journey to becoming an autonomous problem solver Developers who have truly honed this skill can jump into any codebase or tackle any problems that they ve never seen before with confidence since they have a refined workflow around breaking things down and connecting the dots through debugging At this stage you might also be putting a lot more thought into problem solving strategies This is the portion of your workflow where you allow the problem you re faced with to digest a bit and think of a game plan before moving in any given direction Having a structured workflow around coming up with strategies can vastly accelerate the speed at which you move through problems Before each challenge you re now asking yourself What does it mean to succeed in solving this problem Once you ve answered that question you then move on to examining your inputs determining what your outputs should be and creating actionable pseudo code based on a strategy you ve formulated to get from your input to your output Once you ve got your pseudo code written the actual code flows naturally This process once refined coupled with solid debugging skills and sprinkling in some domain knowledge will make you a truly autonomous problem solver a force to be reckoned with Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Take it up a knotch Master debugging C o desm i th C o de smi th

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29 Level 5 Advanced Web Developer at CNN Money Codesmith Graduate You are learning basic recusion basic asynchronous JavaScript and building a strong technical communication skillset At level 5 you already have many of the pieces you need for admission to Codesmith Now make sure you have refined your technical communication by pairprogramming or completing a mock interview with a fellow Codesmith applicant Complete your application schedule your interview and best of luck A synchronous JavaScript is perhaps the most powerful part of web development It lets us write performant code to speak to a server to interact with APIs and many more features that are available to JavaScript It s a complex topic covering concepts like the eventloop callback queue and promises Codesmith does not interview candidates for the program on asynchronous JavaScript However it is a significant part of Week 2 of the program and questions on asynchronous JavaScript are the most typical questions Codesmith graduates receive in mid or senior software engineering interviews so it s a crucial topic to understand CSX Recursion Unit Recursion is a crucial concept in computer science and this CSX unit goes incredibly in depth so you can be sure to understand it With solution videos for the majority of challenges that walk you through the logic rather than just the solution this is the best resource to test and grow your recursion knowledge 30 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms BUILT ON PROMISES FOR TIMING PURPOSES AND IS ONE OF JAVASCRIPT S STRENGTHS TO NOT HAVING TO HALT CODE EXECUTION TO WAIT FOR AN OPERATION TO FINISH Jeffrey M Recursion A Deep Dive Recursion is definitely a concept best learned with pair programming and the ability to ask clarifying questions This engaging workshop will start slow and make you grasp the underlying concepts and then test your knowledge with guided challenges through some of the most common technical interview questions on recursion C o desm i th C o de smi th CSX Asynchronous JavaScript Unit In this unit you ll be walked through async the backbone of web development You will work with timeouts and practice some of the most crucial async chal

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lenges to understand and to truly grasp the concept 31 Jake Archibald s Blog Microtask Queue This post is Google Developer Evangelist Jake Archibald s excellent overview of the microtask queue and promises Choosing the right program for you Most coding programs can be divided into two major tiers junior programs and elite programs Within these tiers programs are not exact equivalents but have somewhat similar admission requirements curriculum structure and graduate outcomes You ll need to do the research on each program s specifics pay special attention to graduate reviews and decide for yourself which program is right for your path Elite Programs Many beginner and intermediate programs will test your understanding on basic programming concepts for their technical interview Make sure you re well versed on functions objects and arrays The admissions process expects you to have an understanding of beginner and some intermediate programming concepts including functions variables objects and arrays These programs will typically give you a foundation in basic web technologies such as HTML CSS and web development frameworks such as Angular or React Intermediate programs may also include more backend technologies such as Ruby on Rails or Node but will typically not go under the hood of concepts or introduce computer science concepts Students will have the opportunity to build a portfolio of projects in the core web development stack of technologies Flatiron School is an example of a beginner level pr Founded in NY and now part of WeWork Flatiron teaches web development technologies including Angular and Ruby on Rails The admissions process expects you to have an understanding of beginner and some intermediate programming concepts including functions variables objects and arrays Upper Intermediate and advanced programs expect a level of experience with programming although the admissions process and expectations very significantly by program While Codesmith may require the most advanced level of preparation of any program the admissions process is still designed to value your potential as a software engineer Expect to include concepts like closure JavaScript runtime and spend extra time focused on excellent technical communication in preparation for the Codesmith interview Checkout resources like JavaScript the Hard Parts and CSPrep to help prepare For programs like Fullstack Academy App Academy and Hack Reactor you should expect to understand higher order functions and have strong problem solving experience These types of programs may cover some of the basics but will typically focus on more intermediate to advanced concepts Hack Reactor and Codesmith particularly will also emphasize strong problem solving training Some programs also provide a Hiring event at the program notably Codesmith and Fullstack Academy Look out for new technologies being introduced into these programs Hack Reactor recently introduced Blockchain and Codesmith introduced Machine learning C o desm i th C o de smi th Junior Programs 32 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms JavaScript The Hard Parts Asynchronous JavaScript This workshop is the definitive guide to understanding asynchronous Java Script under the hood covers the event loop callback microtask queues browser APIs and promises In this incredibly descriptive workshop you ll break down async piece by piece so you truly understand the gravity of the concept and its relation to all things web development You ll leave the workshop being able to tackle challenging async problems with ease

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33 34 C o desm i th C o de smi th While writing code with proper syntax is necessary your ability to communicate technical ideas and challenges is critical to becoming a software engineer Prepare for coding school interviews and job interviews by perfecting your technical communication T Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Technical Communication echnical communication is by far the most overlooked skill when it comes to determining success in this field of work Let s establish one thing before moving forward great software is not built by great engineers it s built by great teams As engineers we deal with highly technical concepts on a daily basis and the vocabulary that comes with these concepts is quite bewildering making it diffi cult to properly communicate your thoughts to another developer on your team Additionally you ll likely have to convey your thoughts to non technical team members as well If you can do this effectively and couple this skill with your technical expertise you re guaranteed to be a highly valued asset on any team In fact Codesmith doesn t accept applicants who cannot demonstrate decent technical communication skills even if they are a JavaScript wizard Technical expertise is definitely not the only skill required to be truly successful you ve got to function in team settings as well To reach this level of communication you should internalize a few things Get the vocabulary right At Codesmith we aim for perfect technical clarity in our communication If we re discussing a piece of code we ll get into all the relevant details on what s happening when it s run from start to finish all the while using the exact terminology ex function expression vs function declaration or parameter vs argument When you get to this level no one who is familiar with the vocabulary will misunderstand you Consider your audience If you re speaking to another developer on your team they ll likely have an understanding of the tech stack your team uses and the vocabulary that comes with it How

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35 Self Recording If you don t have access to others in your learning journey or want to spend extra time outside of pairing to practice your technical communication recording yourself is a good way to do this In a sense you re taking on the Navigator and Driver roles when you re doing a recording You should challenge yourself to sudo code and lay out the approach you are going to implement to solve the problem You should then implement your code slowly and talk aloud line by line what you re doing and why you re doing it that way The best way to grow from this exercise is to play back your recording and analyze your performance Were there times you were unclear Were you using the technical term rather than plain English Did you skip a step in your explana tion Asking yourself these questions and rerecording after giving yourself feedback is an awesome way to work on your technical communication Teaching Mentoring Now that you ve got some experience under your belt you now have the opportunity to teach and mentor others with less experience than you This is an extremely powerful learning tool Hang on learning Aren t we talking about teaching The answer is yes to both Often times you believe you understand something until you try to explain it to someone else Before you know it you ve caught yourself in a nonsensical rant Teaching and mentoring others is a great way to sharpen not only your technical communication but also your understanding of technical concepts At Codesmith this is as much a responsibility as an opportunity Remember great software is built by great teams and there s no better way to foster great teams than by establishing a culture of mentorship and collaboration Every resident accepted to Codesmith s immersive program shows great promise in this aspect raising the level of all other residents in the program and really bringing out the best version of themselves in the process 36 C o desm i th C o de smi th CSX Pair Programming Unit Pair programming is the best way to practice your technical communication As the Navigator you re required to walk your partner through your ideas methodically with an emphasis on explaining each step This focus on accurate and descriptive communication can t be reached as a solo coder and does wonders for your ability to explain concepts and walk others through your ideas The best way to get pairing practice is to attend a Codesmith workshop in person or online if you re unable to attend in person Each workshop is a mix of lecture and time spent pairing with mentors you can ask questions to Pairing will push you much further in the depth of understanding you have on a concept than just coding yourself would You have to have clear reasoning on why you re instructing your partner what to implement and to be able to back that up with conceptual evidence Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms ever if you re speaking to a nontechnical team member or even a more junior developer you may need to explain what s happening in other ways in order for them to create a working mental model of the situation Context is everything Regardless of who you re communicating with start by probing their understanding of the situation This allows you to formulate a narrative that gives your audience the complete picture of what s happening For example you might be discussing how a certain function behaves but what the other person might not realize is that this function is part of a larger workflow Making sure they have all the context they need is key in order to be a great communicator

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37 38 Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P r g ra ms Th e 2 01 8 2 01 9 G ui de to Prepa r i n g fo r E li t e C o din g P ro g ra ms Beyond Coding Programs So you finished your coding program now what There are several routes to persue post graduation so be sure to educate yourself and find a role that aligns with your skillset and your personality A not have yet developed the under the hood principles but have good knowledge of how to implement some web technologies They may not yet have developed computer science foundations to write more performant or efficient code Around 5 of Codesmith graduates receive offers as junior developers A mid level developer is able to take any new feature or task and implement a solution to it even they have not seen the technology before They have autonomous problem solving skills and a knowledge base on the core web technologies under the hood important computer science concepts and stack of web development like React and Node Around 70 of Codesmith graduates receive offers as mid level developers A senior level developer is able to take any new feature or task and empower a team to implement it through clear empathetic and high quality technical communication Additionally senior developers may typically have greater responsibility for larger technical decisions around architecture or technologies chosen Around 25 of Codesmith graduates receive offers as senior developers Lead engineers are responsible for the overall architectural direction of a platform including judgments on technologies and managing challenges such a technical debt the burden of managing and upgrading code written at an earlier date Lead engineers not only manage architecture but also lead mentorship ongoing training and dynamics of the team C o desm i th C o de smi th n entry level developer typically has the foundations of good problem solving skills or may have built some projects in the web development stack but is not yet able to take on a full feature and will typically work on smaller basic tasks including HTML CSS and will be focused on learning the core technologies of the team A junior developer is able to work on features in areas of technology that they have directly worked with before They may

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Preparing for Coding Programs

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