ECMAScript 3.1 (and Harmony) for dummies

# Keryx Web (17 years ago)

I am in charge of developing DOM Scripting courses on behalf of the Web Standards Project Educational Task Force[1].

Our first courses should be launched in the spring of 2009 and probably no college or university will begin with the DOM Scripting courses. They will probably first be put to use in 2010.

By then we will have a significant share of browsers implementing most of ES 3.1 (right...?) and these courses will probably have a lifespan of a few years in addition to that. I am therefore trying to be forward looking in competencies students should get.

What I've not seen anywhere is a nice wrap-up of what is going to be included in ES 3.1. There are some bits and pieces floating around on blogs and this list - and of course the spec. But that weighs in at 225 pages. Is anyone in the process of writing some kind of "for dummies" aka executive abstract or presentation on ES 3.1? If so, please let me know.

Also, if anyone could take a look at my planning from a ES 3.1/Harmony POV that would be appreciated.

Lars Gunther

www.webstandards.org/2008/05/16/edutf-report-highlights-curriculum-project

Hi

I am in charge of developing DOM Scripting courses on behalf of the Web 
Standards Project Educational Task Force[1].

Our first courses should be launched in the spring of 2009 and probably 
no college or university will begin with the DOM Scripting courses. They 
will probably first be put to use in 2010.

By then we will have a significant share of browsers implementing most 
of ES 3.1 (right...?) and these courses will probably have a lifespan of 
a few years in addition to that. I am therefore trying to be forward 
looking in competencies students should get.

What I've not seen anywhere is a nice wrap-up of what is going to be 
included in ES 3.1. There are some bits and pieces floating around on 
blogs and this list - and of course the spec. But that weighs in at 225 
pages. Is anyone in the process of writing some kind of "for dummies" 
aka executive abstract or presentation on ES 3.1? If so, please let me know.

Also, if anyone could take a look at my planning from a ES 3.1/Harmony 
POV that would be appreciated.


Lars Gunther

1. 
http://www.webstandards.org/2008/05/16/edutf-report-highlights-curriculum-project/

# Garrett Smith (17 years ago)

On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 7:57 AM, Keryx Web <webmaster at keryx.se> wrote:

Hi

I am in charge of developing DOM Scripting courses on behalf of the Web Standards Project Educational Task Force[1].

Our first courses should be launched in the spring of 2009 and probably no college or university will begin with the DOM Scripting courses. They will probably first be put to use in 2010.

By then we will have a significant share of browsers implementing most of ES 3.1 (right...?) and these courses will probably have a lifespan of a few years in addition to that. I am therefore trying to be forward looking in competencies students should get.

It sounds like you want to know what students need to be competent in.

What I've not seen anywhere is a nice wrap-up of what is going to be included in ES 3.1. There are some bits and pieces floating around on blogs and this list - and of course the spec. But that weighs in at 225 pages. Is anyone in the process of writing some kind of "for dummies" aka executive abstract or presentation on ES 3.1? If so, please let me know.

Also, if anyone could take a look at my planning from a ES 3.1/Harmony POV that would be appreciated.

I don't think "dummies" have any place in programming.

What would be helpful for education:

The "self-hosting" parts will be helpful.

Examples. When compare the JLS, 3rd Ed to ECMA-262r3, the former is just so much more thorough in words and examples. EcmaScript is a smaller language.

Tests are useful for many things, not excluding education.

The w3c is idealistic, but falls short of the ideal. The standards documents they produce are not, unfortunately, reliable sources of information for how to program.

My ideas on education are that it should be hands on, as much as possible. Reading documentation is, at least to me, boring.

On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 7:57 AM, Keryx Web <webmaster at keryx.se> wrote:
> Hi
>
> I am in charge of developing DOM Scripting courses on behalf of the Web
> Standards Project Educational Task Force[1].
>
> Our first courses should be launched in the spring of 2009 and probably
> no college or university will begin with the DOM Scripting courses. They
> will probably first be put to use in 2010.
>
> By then we will have a significant share of browsers implementing most
> of ES 3.1 (right...?) and these courses will probably have a lifespan of
> a few years in addition to that. I am therefore trying to be forward
> looking in competencies students should get.
>

It sounds like you want to know what students need to be competent in.

> What I've not seen anywhere is a nice wrap-up of what is going to be
> included in ES 3.1. There are some bits and pieces floating around on
> blogs and this list - and of course the spec. But that weighs in at 225
> pages. Is anyone in the process of writing some kind of "for dummies"
> aka executive abstract or presentation on ES 3.1? If so, please let me know.
>
> Also, if anyone could take a look at my planning from a ES 3.1/Harmony
> POV that would be appreciated.
>
>
I don't think "dummies" have any place in programming.

What would be helpful for education:

The "self-hosting" parts will be helpful.

Examples. When compare the JLS, 3rd Ed to ECMA-262r3, the former is
just so much more thorough in words and examples. EcmaScript is a
smaller language.

Tests are useful for many things, not excluding education.

The w3c is idealistic, but falls short of the ideal. The standards
documents they produce are not, unfortunately, reliable sources of
information for how to program.

My ideas on education are that it should be hands on, as much as
possible. Reading documentation is, at least to me, boring.

> Lars Gunther