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Nothing to do this Bank Holiday evening? Learn how to code Javascript

Sure you’ve nothing else to be doing.

shutterstock_131651264 (Not actually what Javascript looks like, but you get the idea) Shutterstock / visivastudio Shutterstock / visivastudio / visivastudio

Updated at 3pm

TECHNOLOGY, AS YOU might have noticed, is all around us.

And behind all of that is code. Lines and lines of code.

While learning how to write this code is something on the Junior Cert curriculum, it can still remain a bit of a mystery to most adults.

There’s where a new app called Lrn comes in.

The app (currently only available on iOS) is aimed at giving users a quick and easy crash-course in Javascript.

photo158120965215202011

This language is used for programmes ranging from games and instant messaging to processing credit card payments.

Before you get too excited, Lrn isn’t the be-all-and-end-all to learning how to master Javascript. It offers a simple introduction to how the language is structured, but relies on you filling in blanks in the code.

photo158120965215202010

The positive is that it does this in a simple and accessible way; it doesn’t overwhelm the user.

It’s a good place to start for someone starting from scratch.

The lessons will cost you a few shillings, so if you’re looking for a free, more in-depth way of learning code you could always head over to the Code Academy.

Read: Want to learn to write code? Here’s how… >

More: 12 of the best places in Dublin to get a decent cup of coffee >

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51 Comments
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    Mute Mick Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:55 AM

    Technology never seems to work when your trying to comment on a Denis o’brien article

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    Mute Jane Black
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:58 AM

    Not this s. t again….

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    Mute Veronika Hladová
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:37 AM

    Coffee is a diuretic and is bad for you

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    Mute Niall Lonergan
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 3:49 PM

    Denis O’ Brien is a national hero.

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    Mute Christopher Gardiner
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 6:54 PM

    Yes Mick I agree, Must be a glitch on the Journal.

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    Mute The Dublin Cynic
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:06 AM

    Downloads app, Opens app, Closes app, resumes stalking on Facebook.

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    Mute Paul Harvey
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:48 AM

    Won’t be going to Topaz. Free speech?

    185
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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:54 AM

    Careful Paul he will name you next!

    108
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    Mute Seamus Banna
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:57 AM

    Jaysus lads, it’s a bank Holiday can’t ye give it a rest? Normal service can resume tomorrow.

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    Mute Mark Fitzmaurice
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:01 AM

    Does he own the journal or what? ?

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    Mute Robin Basstard
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:30 AM

    Who’s afraid of the big bad uncle Denis… The Journal.ie

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    Mute Ray Farrelly
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 11:00 AM

    Free speech is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 11:28 AM

    Well Mark if you are meida organisation you are either A)Owned by him or B)Sued by him

    54
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    Mute Eddie Munster
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:33 PM

    I don’t understand why no one can comment on Denis o b … Just gos to show …

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    Mute Jon Gripper McKee
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:32 AM

    Go outside, get some exercise and some social interaction. Hospital wards up and down the country are choked up with overweight, anti social IT nerds. Don’t become one.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:58 AM

    Parklife!

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    Mute Search Eagle
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:34 PM

    ” Hospital wards up and down the country are choked up with overweight, anti social IT nerds.”

    ???????????

    Are they?

    Funnily enough I spent a lot of time at my job pacing around the room.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:53 PM

    pretty sure that most hospitals are full of people who are unaware of what javascript is.

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    Mute Monkable P
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 2:00 PM

    What a ridiculous comment Jon, you’ve really bought into an outdated stereotype. People in IT aren’t unsociable, not the great majority anyways, nor are the majority overweight, though it can be hard to find time to get enough exercise in sometimes. That doesn’t necessarily mean IT people are choking up hospital wards, no more so than mustache wearing exercise nutters.

    And given the investment this country has in the IT sector and the number of staff required your advice is bordering on nonsense, do become an IT nerd, it’s a career of constant learning (ie never boring) and brings a good salary (ie cha-ching!).

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 4:11 PM

    Do not feed the trolls

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    Mute Paudi Onail
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 5:01 PM

    ah but a lot of gamers ARE overweight inc. their programmers, 24/7 nerding over games.
    though IT in general – no.

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:53 AM

    It would have been on the curriculum if the minister and the unions hadn’t pressured the minister to make the short courses an optional afterthought.

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    Mute Chris Mansfield
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:11 AM

    I’ve worked in IT for nearly 20 years an I’m completely opposed to putting programming languages on the school curriculum.

    I’d far prefer to see a strengthening of Maths, formal study of logic and a language-neutral introduction to algorithms.

    Languages change all the time and there’s no point teaching specific skills to 15 year olds if they are going to be outdated by the time they hit the job market 7 or 8 years later.

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    Mute Alan White
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:17 AM

    Chris, everyone should learn MS-DOS

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    Mute Gearoid O Ciarain
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:28 AM

    I so much agree . Schools should not specialise on what is popular at the moment. They should concentrate on a general education which can be brought to bear on specific skills later. Most of what IT specialists learned in College is probably now obsolete. Schools must stick to ‘basics’

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    Mute Mark Fitz-Gerald
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 11:12 AM

    True Chris. Remember “Fortran 77″ or “Open Prolog”? Very useful to us now!

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 11:24 AM

    Going on rant with this one. The ‘basics’ in Irish schools consist of hours upon hours of religious indoctrination. In Ireland you can go to Sunday school (CoderDojo) not for religious instruction to learn coding. I agree with you in relation to strengthening of Maths, formal study of logic and a language-neutral introduction to algorithms, Chris, but feel this can be served through an actual language. Sure languages change but the skills are transferable if done correctly and do not become ‘obsolete’. The computer science facutlies of our Universities are massive and the numer of courses considerable. Yet some would support the scenario where students are expected to select a course involving programming without ever having tried it. This is the reason the drop out rates for computer science are very high – students opt for it without being exposed to it. Students who have succeeded in computer science have done so despite the Irish school curriculum rather than because of it. Many primary schools have been using Scratch to introduce students to programming at a young age to great success. The short course was an oppotunity to develop this further. I am sure that at third level it must be difficult that you have to teach to the lowest common denominator and assume the students know nothing about programming. In other countries you can assume they have studied in school and hit the ground running. I believe every student should be exposed to the basics of programming and those that enjoy should be given the opportunity to study Computer Science as an option at second level.

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    Mute Dave Davis
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 12:05 PM

    I have to agree and disagree here. The first language that I learned properly was JS. I learned C first in college. Took a few years off. When I went back and learned python, I realized that language really doesn’t matter, it’s what’s beneath that is really important. I had to go back, at the age of 30, and study maths again so I could really get the most from programming. The problem as I saw it is that when we were learning functions and calculus and even quadratic equations in secondary school, we were never taught how they were applicable in the real world. The teachers simply didn’t know. I think that if you have a basic language like JS taught in schools alongside maths, students can see the application of the math that they’re studying instead of it being an exercise in passing exams. I hated maths in school, now, I can’t get enough of it because I can see how it can benefit me. How many times have you heard “how can I use this in the real world” from a student? Why not show them?

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    Mute Dave Davis
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 12:05 PM

    Journal app doesn’t obey line breaks in comments. Super frustrating. Apologies for the wall of text.

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    Mute David Murray
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 12:09 PM

    Couldnt disagree more. Programming is a “basic” skill…..basic in the sense that if you understand the logic and structure, the actual language you program in is irrelevant. More transferable, usable and valuable than some existing spoken languages. If we are serious about being a high tech knowledge econony then I think basic programming understanding for all is essential….and school is the perfect place to learn it.

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    Mute David Evans
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 12:14 PM

    For future reference, Dave. If you start a new line (return key) followed by a “space” that will create a new line for you.

    Like so.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:50 PM

    have been wondering about that for a while

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 4:10 PM

    Thanks David!! Trying it out now

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    Mute William lynn
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 5:55 PM

    I 100% agree, no point teaching a language. they need to teach the foundations of computer science first. JavaScript is like learning how to do a heart transplant without learning about the heart first

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    Mute Scorpionvenomm
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:50 AM

    Ha Java on a bank holiday Monday hmm id say try Python first

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    Mute Mark Railton
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:14 PM

    If you read it properly you would see it’s javascript and not java, 2 completely different languages

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    Mute Goldberg
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:40 AM

    If I’m feeling dangerous I dabble in assembler

    20
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    Mute David Cagney
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 4:44 PM

    I dream in M68000

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    Mute Goldberg
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:13 AM

    Java is for bad programmers – cobol is a much more sophisticated language

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:35 AM

    RPG leaves COBOL in its wake.

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    Mute Monkable P
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 2:03 PM

    Ouch, it must pain you that us “bad” Java programmers were on average the fourth highest paid last year eh?

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    Mute Conor Power
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 4:11 PM

    Plebs, I use assembly.

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    Mute funkybuscuits
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 9:58 AM

    as

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    Mute Ben Coughlan
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 1:29 PM

    .js on its own would be pretty pointless actually..

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 6:23 PM

    I tried Visual Basic years ago in college and found it tough, programmers deserve every penny they get.

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    Mute Richard Carroll
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    Aug 3rd 2015, 10:57 PM

    Time to traverse the DOM

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