AWS CodePipeline for Static Websites

AWS offers an immense array of features for deploying and managing complex sites. There are however a lot of use cases where you want to quickly setup an easy to use pipeline for deploying static websites (without a build process). I am going to cover how to get started using AWS to setup a basic no-frills web server using an easy-to-use deployment setup via AWS code repository and deployment services. ...

January 28, 2019 · 11 min · 2135 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Arrays - Properties and Methods

We are going to cover some of the most commonly used properties and methods in JavaScript, for working with arrays. There are a lot of other methods which are not covered here, including newer ES6 methods. The goal here is to get you started working with arrays and gaining an understanding of the fundamental ways we can access and manipulate data. The table below summarizes the various methods we will cover in this lesson: ...

January 27, 2019 · 10 min · 2128 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Arrays - Fundamentals

Earlier we looked at datatypes and variables. Arrays take the concept of a variable or binding one step further and allow us to form groups of values within a data structure, which we can then manage in our code. A good use for an array is a list of data. Arrays not only let you group data, but they offer a range of tools or methods to update and manipulate their contents. They are used commonly across different programming languages and have become a routine way of passing around data within applications. ...

January 26, 2019 · 5 min · 1065 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Scope

Scope determines what variables or bindings are available to JavaScript within its current context. For example, if a variable is defined outside of any functions within your code (often referred to as the main call stack), these variables are available to all other code embedded within other blocks and functions. Variables defined in main are often referred to as ‘Global Variables’ because they are globally available throughout your application. But what about those variables that are defined within functions? ...

December 24, 2018 · 4 min · 818 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Call Stack

In earlier lessons, we wrote code without using any functions. Now that you have been introduced to the various ways we can organize our code within function declarations and expressions, it is helpful to step back for a moment to understand the flow of execution within our code. JavaScript uses a call stack to in order to manage this flow, which is essentially a data structure (or to-do list) that keeps track of function calls using a Last In First Out (LIFO) ordering system. Let’s take a look at an example to help explain this concept. ...

December 23, 2018 · 3 min · 601 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Functions

Functions are repeatable blocks of code. They are fundamental to most programming languages and allow you to build applications with reusable code that can be called with different arguments. The best way to explain functions is through an example. Suppose you wanted a quick way to calculate how much your bill would be with tip (assume for this example the bill amount includes tax). → Try it out Create two files called index.html and script.js and enter the code below into each. Alternatively, if you followed along in the previous lesson, use the existing script.js file and replace its content with code below. ...

December 22, 2018 · 5 min · 897 words · icarnaghan

JavaScript Loops

Often in programming, we need to carry out similar instructions a number of different times. Loops help reduce redundant code and let you quickly offload repetitive tasks to the computer. In JavaScript there are several types of loops. In this lesson we are going to examine while, do while, and for loops. While and Do While loops As their names suggest, while and do while loops carry out a number of tasks ‘while’ a certain condition is true. Take for example the need to display a series of numbers each incrementing by 1 until it we reach a certain limit (10). This could be carried out by writing the following code: ...

December 20, 2018 · 3 min · 606 words · icarnaghan

What Makes AWS A Great Choice For Small Businesses?

Even though Amazon Web Services has been around for many years now, several persistent misconceptions abound, particularly among owners of small businesses. For instance, many of them believe AWS is for big players only. Perhaps this perception arises from the fact that many online giants use AWS servers for hosting, including AOL, Reddit, and Netflix. Or perhaps the fact that AWS is the undisputed king of the cloud development world, with $17B sales in 2017 alone, has precipitated this misbelief. ...

December 15, 2018 · 2 min · 320 words · sateljevic

Rapid Reporting and Visualization Development with Watson Analytics

Watson Analytics provides a powerful suite of display and rapid reporting options. This article looks at two distinct datasets from Kaggle, Laptop Price and Mobile Price Classification. By using the display options available within Watson Analytics, the ability to create a compelling story possible. Both sets of analysis are focused around the target variable of price (or price_range), and the details of these datasets have been included below for reference. Laptop Price consists of records of various laptop models, that were last updated six months ago from writing, adding additional laptop characteristics and prices. Mobile Price Classification provides data on mobile phones including price range classifications. Analysis of data quality and cleansing will not be discussed in this article. Rather the focus of building compelling visualizations and telling a story are the priority here. ...

November 12, 2018 · 6 min · 1132 words · icarnaghan

Using JavaScript Fetch API to Retrieve sample JSON data

A while ago I wrote an article called Using jQuery.AJAX() to Retrieve Sample JSON Data. Since this time I’ve been slowly using more and more native JavaScript to get things done, so I thought it was time to revisit this concept using the fetch() API. It has been very convenient over the years to use jQuery to simplify tasks that otherwise would have been more challenging to write in native JavaScript. Since ES6 has become pretty much mainstream nowadays, it is safe to take advantage of some of the features and benefits it brings. ...

November 11, 2018 · 4 min · 695 words · icarnaghan