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Extended Programming Concepts in Layman's Terms
Malcolm Ong, Co-founder of Skillshare
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About This Class
Note: This class reflects a special introductory price for students to my first online class! Take advantage of this now while it's available.
Who this class is for:
Do you ever wish you had a better understanding of how websites are built? Perhaps you are interested in understanding how feasible a product feature is to build, or you at least want to know enough to be able to speak to technical folks or to impress your techie friends. Whether you work with technical folks or if you're simply curious about what it takes to make a website, then this class is for you!
I’ve taught a simpler version of this class locally all over the USA to over 1,000 students. In this extended online version, we will go more in-depth into each concept. We will not be doing any actual coding, but it’s the perfect introduction before diving in to coding on your own.
We’ll start by learning:
- Basic anatomy of a website
- High-level explanation of the entire web tech stack
- Back-end vs Front-end technologies
- HTML vs CSS vs JavaScript vs SQL vs etc.
Then we’ll dig deeper into:
- Basic development logic and principles
- How to read code (HTML, CSS, SQL)
- Tools to use when you’re ready to code
Finally we’ll conclude with special topics:
- Which programming language (PHP, Ruby, Java, etc) should I use?
- What is a CMS (Wordpress, Drupal, Magento, etc), and which should I use?
- What is an API?
- What does it mean to make a site fast?
- How do I hire developers or find a technical co-founder if I don't have any technical expertise?
This class will be project-based:
You'll apply the above concepts to your own project to learn by doing. Using plain and simple English, you'll choose your favorite website, pick a specific use case / feature, and explain exactly how it works, describing what technologies are used each step of the way. Imagine blue-printing the feature in plain English so you'll be able to do the same for any other basic feature you run into.
This class will also be collaborative:
Because this is such a broad topic and I couldn't quite possibly cover everything, I will take specific questions from you and other students on any topic within the realm of programming for the web from a beginner's perspective. You will also have access to our discussion area where you may interact and collaborate with other students, both past and present.
Hands-on Class Project
Sketch the anatomy and flow of a website feature
Web Concepts & Fundamentals
- Get started in your project! Here are your project steps for this unit.
Get started in your project! Here are your project steps for this unit.
- Pick a website (ex. Amazon.com)
- Choose one specific feature / user action (ex. Add to Cart)
- Sketch the user flow for said feature, starting with submitting the URL
- What happens each step of the way? What technologies are used and what for?
Share your write up or sketch in your project workspace.
- Share a sketch or write up the anatomy of a feature
Share your progress in your project section to get feedback from other students
Logic & Code
- Re-sketch or write up the anatomy of your feature
Add more detail to your sketches by asking yourself: whenever a request or action is made, what happens in the back-end? How does the system know what to do next, or what to show the user next? Where does the database come into play, if any?
Special Topics
- Share a final sketch of your feature for feedback
Share your progress in your project section to get feedback from other students
Additional Resources
Welcome to the first unit of Extended Programming Concepts in Laymen's Terms!
To start at Step 0, here is an overview of how this whole class will work: Overview Slides.
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In this first unit we'll cover web concepts and fundamentals, which will include the following topics:
- How the Internet Works
- Back-End Techologies
- Databases
- Front-End Technologies
To learn these concepts use:
- Video Lecture #1 from me
- Module 1 Slides so you can follow along
Additionally, here's a great resource for an overview of how the internet works:
In this second unit we'll move on to the topic of Logic & Code. Specifically, we'll cover:
- Basic development logic and principles
- How to read code
- Tools to use when you’re ready to code
To learn these concepts use the following resources:
- Video Lecture #2 from me
- Module 2 Slides so you can follow along
Additionally, use these sesources for HTML, CSS, and JS:
...and these Tools to get started:
- XAMPP (recommended) or MAMP (Mac-specific)
- JSFiddle
- Sublime Text 2 or your favorite text editor
Welcome to the third and final unit of this class. At this point we've covered Web Concepts & Fundamentals and Logic & Code. Now we'll wrap up with what I'll call "Special Topics" which include:
- What is an API?
- What is Caching?
- What is a CMS (Wordpress, Drupal, Magento, etc), and which should I use?
- How do I hire developers if I don't have any technical expertise?
- ... and more
To learn these concepts use the following resources:
- Video Lecture #3 from me
- Module 3 Slides so you can follow along
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