nwdata.org is a new project I’m working on as part of Code for Seattle. It’s a directory of open civic data resources for the Pacific Northwest. I just started it, so there’s plenty of work to do. You should fork the repository for the site on GitHub and add what you know about open data in the northwest.

nwdata.org is a new project I’m working on as part of Code for Seattle. It’s a directory of open civic data resources for the Pacific Northwest. I just started it, so there’s plenty of work to do. You should fork the repository for the site on GitHub and add what you know about open data in the northwest.

(via ashedryden)

I’ve been experimenting with javascript games really hard, so I decided to make some little js modules for games. crtrdg.js is intended for making simple games – stuff like old-school nintendo or sega. Arcade games. Platformers, top-down rpgs and multi-directional shooters, weird puzzle story games that don’t make sense. Stuff like that. You know, games that might have been distributed in “cartridges” back in the day. It’s a really early work in progress.  Almost every javascript game / animation library I’ve found bundles things like requestAnimationFrame polyfill, gameloop, entities, abstract drawing methods, keyboard/mouse input, vector math, and more into one entangled library. If I don’t like how the library handles just one of those components, I’m stuck with dead library weight, and sometimes it’s difficult to replace a library’s methods. So what if each element of 2d games were broken up into it’s own modules / repositories? That’s the goal, and it is hugely inspired by voxel.js, a toolkit for building open-source minecraft-like games for the browser. I’m using this game as a testing ground for new crtrdg modules: Demo (not a whole lot here yet, but it’s a little sassy). Source code on GitHub. Learn more about crtrdg.js here.

I’ve been experimenting with javascript games really hard, so I decided to make some little js modules for games.

crtrdg.js is intended for making simple games – stuff like old-school nintendo or sega. Arcade games. Platformers, top-down rpgs and multi-directional shooters, weird puzzle story games that don’t make sense. Stuff like that. You know, games that might have been distributed in “cartridges” back in the day.

It’s a really early work in progress. 

Almost every javascript game / animation library I’ve found bundles things like requestAnimationFrame polyfill, gameloop, entities, abstract drawing methods, keyboard/mouse input, vector math, and more into one entangled library. If I don’t like how the library handles just one of those components, I’m stuck with dead library weight, and sometimes it’s difficult to replace a library’s methods.

So what if each element of 2d games were broken up into it’s own modules / repositories?

That’s the goal, and it is hugely inspired by voxel.js, a toolkit for building open-source minecraft-like games for the browser.

I’m using this game as a testing ground for new crtrdg modules:

Demo (not a whole lot here yet, but it’s a little sassy).

Source code on GitHub.

Learn more about crtrdg.js here.

v0.4.0 of Learn.js is a thing.

superbigtree:

With this version of the book it surpassed the 50 pages / 10,000 words mark! That’s exciting.

The goal is to get to 200 pages by the end of the month. You can support that goal by buying the book, submitting errata at our issues queue, or sharing the book with your friends.

Here’s the changelog for the current release:

  • Add Introduction to npm
  • Add Introduction to callbacks
  • Add Introduction to canvas (still working on this)
  • Add Introduction to browserify
  • Substantial revisions to Chapter 01 - making a game with browserify
  • Many small typo / formatting fixes

You can buy the book at learnjs.io!

I made an asteroids-like game! You start as a tiny bug-looking blob, and as you eat up the square food, you grow in size. Throughout the game, your character gets harder to control, but eating and shooting food helps with that. The goal: shoot all the circles. Every time you shoot, your character’s body size goes down. Eat or shoot more food before you run out of mass. If you disappear the game is over. It’s called Block Snot. It’s sort of twitchy and annoying, but hopefully that makes it fun. It works best in Chrome. Other browsers kinda work. Block Snot uses a javascript game library called coquette.js.

I made an asteroids-like game! You start as a tiny bug-looking blob, and as you eat up the square food, you grow in size.

Throughout the game, your character gets harder to control, but eating and shooting food helps with that.

The goal: shoot all the circles.

Every time you shoot, your character’s body size goes down. Eat or shoot more food before you run out of mass. If you disappear the game is over.

It’s called Block Snot.

It’s sort of twitchy and annoying, but hopefully that makes it fun.

It works best in Chrome. Other browsers kinda work.

Block Snot uses a javascript game library called coquette.js.

I’m working on a book about javascript! You can pre-order it at learnjs.io.

I’m working on a book about javascript! You can pre-order it at learnjs.io.

What we hacked: writeup and photos of projects worked on at June 1 civic hackathon

Why I’m teaching javascript

I want to see people make cool shit with code.

It doesn’t take a computer science degree or the fastest computer to make something awesome with code. But before people can really experiment with programming, they need to learn the syntax. Before you can freestyle you have to speak the language. That’s sorta true with spoken languages, but even more true with programming languages.

I like how javascript is ubiquitous, utilitarian, and wildly flexible. Once the basics are learned, there are so many things you can do with javascript. Games, task automation, web apps, animation, server-side programming, etc.

I love to experiment with javascript, and I want to help others get started coding so they can do the same.

 

So I have two ways I’m teaching javascript:

Intro to js workshops held in Seattle, WA.

Because learning as a group in person can often be the best way to learn. The workshops last 4 hours, and are a great way to get started programming, even if you’ve never written a single line of code before.

You can learn more at http://codetutor.org.

 

Learn.js: a guidebook to building projects with javascript.

This book is like a collection of LEGO guides, like walkthroughs for levels of a video game that gradually increase in difficulty. The goal: a fun way to learn javascript.

Sign up to be notified when the book is released at http://leanpub.com/learnjs.

I almost didn’t revert this SeattleWiki change. I liked it a lot. Wikis are fun.

I almost didn’t revert this SeattleWiki change.

I liked it a lot.

Wikis are fun.