Chapter 1: Introduction to programming
13 tasks, 1 challenge, 1 summary
Let’s learn the basics of JavaScript by looking at variables, operations and data types. We will also write our first program.
13 tasks, 1 challenge, 1 summary
Let’s learn the basics of JavaScript by looking at variables, operations and data types. We will also write our first program.
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</span></span></li></ol></aside></div><div class="page-content__right"><div class="chapter-description"><h1 class="chapter-description__title"><span>Chapter 1: </span>Introduction to programming</h1><div class="chapter-description__content chapter-description__content--theory"><div class="chapter-description__left"><span class="chapter-description__info">
13 tasks, 1 challenge, 1 summary
</span><p class="chapter-description__text">Let’s learn the basics of JavaScript by looking at variables, operations and data types. We will also write our first program.</p><div class="chapter-description__controls text-container"><a class="button button--green button--large button--wide" href="/continue/javascript-programming/intro">
Start </a><br><span class="chapter-description__controls-text"></span></div></div><div class="chapter-tasks"><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/start-programming"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">1. Career start</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/calculations"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">2. Making the program a bit more complicated</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/console-log"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">3. Console log</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/data-types"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">4. Data types</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/complex-data-types"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">5. Complex data types</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/unknown-data"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">6. Unknown data</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/variables"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">7. Variables</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/declaring-assigning"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">8. Declaring and assigning variables</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/operations"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">9. Operations</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/operations-order"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">10. Operations order</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/more-operations"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">11. A few more operations</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/brekkie-meter-1"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">12. Release of Brekkie-meter v0.1, part 1</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/brekkie-meter-2"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_arrow"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">13. Release of Brekkie-meter v0.1, part 2</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Task
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/summary"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_synopsis"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">14. Summary of “Getting to know JavaScript”</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Summary
</span></a></div><div class="chapter-tasks__item"><a class="chapter-tasks__link" href="/courses/javascript-programming/intro/muffit"><span class="chapter-tasks__icon"><svg aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="/img/sprites/general.svg#chapter_shield"></use></svg></span><span class="chapter-tasks__title">15. First program: MufFit v0.1</span><span class="chapter-tasks__type">
Challenge
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