Upgrade to Pro
— share decks privately, control downloads, hide ads and more …
Speaker Deck
Features
Speaker Deck
PRO
Sign in
Sign up for free
Search
Search
The Book Nerd's Guide to JavaScript
Search
Angus Croll
November 17, 2014
Technology
14
4.2k
The Book Nerd's Guide to JavaScript
Given at DotJS, Paris on 17th November 2014
Angus Croll
November 17, 2014
Tweet
Share
More Decks by Angus Croll
See All by Angus Croll
Stop being Perfect
anguscroll
11
1.5k
ES6 Uncensored
anguscroll
72
12k
Learning to Fly — Twitter Flight and Mixins
anguscroll
23
4.5k
JavaScript is Literature is JavaScript
anguscroll
21
3.4k
The Politics of JavaScript
anguscroll
122
23k
Parlez-Vous JavaScript
anguscroll
33
6.3k
Break all the Rulez
anguscroll
42
15k
How we Learned to Stop Worrying and Love JavaScript
anguscroll
90
21k
Other Decks in Technology
See All in Technology
kernelvm-brain-net
raspython3
0
550
猫でもわかるS3 Tables【Apache Iceberg編】
kentapapa
2
190
Kaigi Effect 2025 #rubykaigi2025_after
sue445
0
120
AWSを利用する上で知っておきたい名前解決の話
nagisa53
6
800
Part2 GitHub Copilotってなんだろう
tomokusaba
2
780
DynamoDB のデータを QuickSight で可視化する際につまづいたこと/stumbling-blocks-when-visualising-dynamodb-with-quicksight
emiki
0
150
ユーザーコミュニティが海外スタートアップのDevRelを補完する瞬間
nagauta
0
180
試作とデモンストレーション / Prototyping and Demonstrations
ks91
PRO
0
120
フルカイテン株式会社 エンジニア向け採用資料
fullkaiten
0
5.5k
ソフトウェアテスト 最初の一歩 〜テスト設計技法をワークで体験しながら学ぶ〜 #JaSSTTokyo / SoftwareTestingFirstStep
nihonbuson
PRO
1
150
Next.jsと状態管理のプラクティス
uhyo
5
2k
Асинхронная коммуникация в Go: от понятного к душному. Дима Некрасов, Otello, 2ГИС
lamodatech
0
2.1k
Featured
See All Featured
Fireside Chat
paigeccino
37
3.4k
Unsuck your backbone
ammeep
671
58k
Designing for humans not robots
tammielis
253
25k
Refactoring Trust on Your Teams (GOTO; Chicago 2020)
rmw
34
3k
The Language of Interfaces
destraynor
158
25k
Code Reviewing Like a Champion
maltzj
523
40k
I Don’t Have Time: Getting Over the Fear to Launch Your Podcast
jcasabona
32
2.3k
Building an army of robots
kneath
305
45k
Distributed Sagas: A Protocol for Coordinating Microservices
caitiem20
331
21k
Optimizing for Happiness
mojombo
378
70k
Thoughts on Productivity
jonyablonski
69
4.6k
Chrome DevTools: State of the Union 2024 - Debugging React & Beyond
addyosmani
5
600
Transcript
A Book Nerd’s Guide to JavaScript @angustweets
None
Practical, Useful, Mind Numbingly Boring Nonsensical Work of Genius
What can Literature teach us about Programming?
Great literature is the creation of open minds As programmers
our focus can be very narrow
We’re encouraged to follow only one style…
Actual excerpts from: Google Style Guide AirBnb Style Guide JavaScript
Garden
None
None
We’re left with only one way to get from A
to B :(
None
None
Literature is about embracing the entire language
When programmers embrace the entire language we get choices…
None
None
"There are indeed many ways to do the same thing
in JS. That's one of the beauties of the language" - Peter van der Zee (@kuvos)
None
None
(at least until the JavaScript Police get here)
None
None
Perhaps most importantly…
…Open Minds keep JavaScript fun.
This one just follows The Good Parts These two learn
by experiment
As programmers we’re not encouraged to experiment
Yet experiment is what keeps JavaScript alive
“You need a lot of bad code to write good
code” - Substack (dotJS 2014)
‣ if(!!x) ‣ fn && fn() ‣ immediately invoked functions
‣ module pattern ‣ promises
None
I decided to take experiment to the next level…
None
Wait What?
Twenty Five Authors solving Five JavaScript Problems
Hemingway developed the Iceberg Theory
Here is Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory applied to JavaScript…
(weird shit) (Deceptively Familiar Syntax) (weird shit) JavaScript
(weird shit) JAVA!! (Deceptively Familiar Syntax) (weird shit) JavaScript
(weird shit) JAVA!! But Easier!! (Deceptively Familiar Syntax) (weird shit)
JavaScript
(weird shit) JAVA!! But Easier!! (Deceptively Familiar Syntax) (weird shit)
WTF? JavaScript
Generate Prime Numbers
None
// A succession of creatures mount the stairs;! // each
creature's stride exceeds that of its predecessor! var monstersAscendingAStaircase = function(numberOfSteps) {! var stairs = []; stepsUntrodden = [];! var largestGait = Math.sqrt(numberOfSteps);! for (var i = 2; i <= largestGait; i++) {! if (!stairs[i]) {! for (var j = i * i; j <= numberOfSteps; j += i) {! stairs[j] = 'stomp';! }! }! }! ! // Long-limbed monsters won't tread on prime numbered stairs.! for (var i = 2; i <= numberOfSteps; i++) {! if(!stairs[i]) {! stepsUntrodden.push(i);! }! }! ! // Here, then, is our answer.! return stepsUntrodden;! };!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 2 3 Borges vs. Prime Numbers
None
function downTheRabbitHole(growThisBig) {! var theFullDeck = Array(growThisBig);! var theHatter =
Function('return this/4').call(2*2);! var theMarchHare = Boolean("The frumious Bandersnatch!");! ! var theVerdict = "the white rabbit".split(/the march hare/).slice(theHatter);! ! //into the pool of tears...! eval(theFullDeck.join("if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {\! theMarchHare = 1;\! theVerdict.push(theHatter);\! " + theFullDeck.join("theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter]=true;") + "}")! );! ! return theVerdict;! }!
function downTheRabbitHole(growThisBig) {! var theFullDeck = Array(growThisBig);! var theHatter =
Function('return this/4').call(2*2);! var theMarchHare = Boolean("The frumious Bandersnatch!");! ! var theVerdict = "the white rabbit".split(/the march hare/).slice(theHatter);! ! //into the pool of tears...! eval(theFullDeck.join("if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {\! theMarchHare = 1;\! theVerdict.push(theHatter);\! " + theFullDeck.join("theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter]=true;") + "}")! );! ! return theVerdict;! }!
function downTheRabbitHole(growThisBig) {! var theFullDeck = Array(growThisBig);! var theHatter =
Function('return this/4').call(2*2);! var theMarchHare = Boolean("The frumious Bandersnatch!");! ! var theVerdict = "the white rabbit".split(/the march hare/).slice(theHatter);! ! //into the pool of tears...! eval(theFullDeck.join("if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {\! theMarchHare = 1;\! theVerdict.push(theHatter);\! " + theFullDeck.join("theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter]=true;") + "}")! );! ! return theVerdict;! }!
! new Array(5).join('A' + new Array(5).join('a'));! ! >! !
new Array(5).join("A" + new Array(5).join('a'));! ! > "AaaaaAaaaaAaaaaAaaaa"!
function downTheRabbitHole(growThisBig) {! var theFullDeck = Array(growThisBig);! var theHatter =
Function('return this/4').call(2*2);! var theMarchHare = Boolean("The frumious Bandersnatch!");! ! var theVerdict = "the white rabbit".split(/the march hare/).slice(theHatter);! ! //into the pool of tears...! eval(theFullDeck.join("if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {\! theMarchHare = 1;\! theVerdict.push(theHatter);\! " + theFullDeck.join("theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter]=true;") + "}")! );! ! return theVerdict;! }!
eval(“if(!theFullDeck[++theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}if(!theFullDeck[+ +theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}if(!theFullDeck[+ +theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+
+theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}if(!theFullDeck[+ +theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}if(!theFullDeck[+ +theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}if(!theFullDeck[+ +theHatter]){theMarchHare=1;theVerdict.push(theHatter);theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[+ +theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;theFullDeck[++theMarchHare*theHatter]=true;}”);!
eval(“if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {! theMarchHare = 1;! theVerdict.push(theHatter);! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter]
= true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! }! if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {! theMarchHare = 1;! theVerdict.push(theHatter);! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! theFullDeck[++theMarchHare * theHatter] = true;! }! if (!theFullDeck[++theHatter]) {! theMarchHare = 1;!
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
Alice in Prime Numberland
So what did we learn?
Playing is Learning
Self-taught programmers are often the best programmers because they get
to make mistakes
Experiment, Play, Have Fun and Keep an Open Mind.
Fin, merci! @angustweets anguscroll.com/hemingway
Books: http://pixgood.com/classic-book-spines.html/ Montparnasse Tower: http://allparisguides.com Eiffel Tower: Yellow Monster: http://content.mycutegraphics.com/
Green Monster: http://wondersofdisney2.yolasite.com/ White Rabbit: http://www.clker.com/ Mad Hatter, March Hare: http://wondersofdisney2.yolasite.com/ Cow, tree, office buildings: clipartpanda.com/ Grass: imgarcade.com/ Lion cubs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbiddulph/6947067048/ Cheetah cubs: http://www.bhmpics.com/view-cheetah_cubs_playing-1920x1080.html/ ! Image credits