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A quick overview of what I'll teach in this course including JavaScript syntax, programming concepts, vocabulary and techniques, as well as a very important lesson about what JavaScript is NOT.
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Before we get started programming,
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I want to talk about what I'll cover in this course.
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JavaScript is a programming language and
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like any language, it has its own vocabulary and grammar.
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Programmers call this syntax.
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A programming [SOUND] language's syntax is the different commands, special words and
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punctuation you use to put together a program.
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Every programming language has its own syntax, just as English, Spanish and
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Mandarin each have their own vocabulary and grammar.
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Writing a program is like writing a story using the vocabulary and
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grammar of the programming language.
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I'll also teach you programming concepts.
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These concepts won't just apply to JavaScript.
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They're common ideas you'll find in many programming languages,
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things like variables, strings, conditional statements and functions.
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In other words, I'll teach you basic programming concepts that you can apply to
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other programming languages like PHP, Ruby, Java or Python.
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As a programmer, it's also important to be able to talk like a programmer, so
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I'll introduce important vocabulary that's useful for you to know.
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These are programming terms that will come up often as you read, talk and
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learn about JavaScript programing.
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For example, now you know the word syntax and what it means.
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If you forgot, it's a programming language's vocabulary and grammar.
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Lastly, you'll learn important programming techniques.
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These are best practices or proven ways to put together programs so they work better.
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For example, you'll learn how to use comments to make your
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programs easier to understand and use.
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Of course, you'll also do a lot of programming.
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In fact, in the next video, you'll dive right in and
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create your first JavaScript program.
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But before that, I want to leave you with one important point to remember.
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[SOUND] JavaScript is not Java.
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This is something that confuses a lot of people.
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Despite Java appearing in both names, they're unrelated programming languages.
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The confusion is all thanks to some nontechnical business and
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marketing decisions made in the early days of the Web.
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But don't you make this mistake.
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Just remember that JavaScript is not Java.
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Knowing this might save you a lot of embarrassment in a job interview some day.
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