About This Course

ABOUT THIS INTERACTIVE BOOK

You can use many computer languages to get started with coding. What you find in this book is an introduction to the big ideas and practices of coding, using two coding languages: Scratch and JavaScript block format, via MakeCode. You can learn more about both languages in the next section, “What’s New in the Second Edition.” The skills you build by coding projects in this book can be used in every other programming language.

Getting Started with Coding, 2nd Edition is put together as a series of projects and related big ideas in coding. Each project is presented as steps for constructing both graphic design and code, start to finish. The big ideas connect a project with the skills you’ll perform over and over again when coding. Best of all, projects can be customized to bring to life the craziest ideas your imagination can concoct!

Here’s what you need to do the projects in this book:

• • A computer with a relatively modern version of a web browser (Safari, Chrome, or Firefox), or a tablet running Mobile Safari or Mobile Chrome. (Note that Internet Explorer is not supported.)

• • An Internet connection.

• • (Optional) A USB port on your computer and a micro:bit kit for transferring the electronics programs in this book to a physical board. A complete micro:bit kit retails for less than $20.

As you work through each project, keep in mind the following writing conventions:

• • Code and web addresses are in monofont. If you’re reading this as an ebook, you can click web addresses, like www.dummies.com, to visit that website.

• • The highlighted text draws your attention to the figures.

• • For each project, I give you step-by-step instructions. Instructions read “Drag an X into the Y” or “Click the X category and then click Y.” Or I may simply tell you to click a link or a tab. Follow the instructions in order.

• • Optional enhancements are given in each project so that you can customize your work to showcase your own creative ideas!

• • Finally, every project wraps up with a last look at the project’s big ideas in coding. The big ideas consist of concepts that lay the foundation for your future work in computer science.

That’s all there is to it!