Content ideas for a short JavaScript lesson.

Question

I'm giving a short (30 mins) skills development talk on JavaScript to my peers on Friday, and would appreciate some suggestions for intermediate to advanced topics to cover. We all use JS daily and are quite familiar with more than just the basics, and I'd like to come up with an interesting as well as technically advanced topic.

Answer 1

Talk about frameworks like jQuery, which allow you to work cross browser, and with more efficiency, but cover also the downsides - new syntax, not standard js, etc.

Answer 2

I owuld personally talk about objects in javascript, and how functions are first level objects too. Also telling people about what awesome things are possible with the prototype chain is nice.

So mainly talk about how well javascript does with objects.

Answer 3

For some reason, the maintenance has wiped out my answer! So to reiterate from memory, I would suggest covering some of the more trickier concepts

• Functions as First Class Objects
• Scope chain and Closures
• Prototype Chaining
• Object Oriented Approaches in JavaScript
• Design Patterns

Then go onto JavaScript frameworks, time permitting

Answer 4

1) basic stuff (skip if they know it) - how to make it part of standard HTML page: <script src='foo.js'></script>, <div onclick='functionDefinedInFoo();'>Click me</div>...
2) functions (passing values and events, calling another functions), add if() and for()/while() loops if they do not code
3) AJAX (with simple PHP example), AJAX kicks ass, just do the simplest default GET script to get a lot of "wow how did you do that"s
4) DOM methods (appendChild etc.)
5) CSS manipulation (element.style.whatever)
6) window.whatever (print(), close(), onresize/onload = function(){...;})

basically, it depends on their level of experience but if they do not know much about JS, using the 30 min to teach them how to do simple yet intriguing stuff is more valuable than just talking theory IMO

EDIT: oops jumped the gun xD you said they all know quite a bit about JS

I would pick a topic you have most experience implementing and talk about the unique stuff you run into now and then. The special cases, making it cross browser compatible, irregular stuff you spent a lot of time figuring out AFTER you learned the main method. And AJAX, lots of it still ;P

Answer 5

I found that getting too advanced in js presentations mostly goes over the heads of most. Keep that in mind.