Week 8

Collections – Objects & Arrays

Intro

In addition to the ‘primitive’ data types (Number, String, and Boolean), JavaScript also offers a pair of ‘collection’ types that allow you to group together multiple primitive values in a single variable. We have already seen the Object datatype in the form of the value the clock() function returns. This week we’ll lean how to create custom objects in our own code and also explore the use of the Array: a collection that organizes values by order rather than by name.

Sync Up

• Code Examples
  • array basics
  • array contents
  • pre-selcted values
  • creating custom objects
  • objects in an array
  • modifying a collection
• Referenced methods
  • Array.push
  • Array.length

Activities

Right Twice a Day

• Incorporate feedback and finalize your three code-based date projects
• Develop one ‘hybrid’ calendar + clock in code for your final animation. As before, remix the Project Template and title it yourname-hybrid. Once you’ve settled on an idea, rename the project to something with a descriptive suffix (e.g., yourname-hybrid-radial-weekdays).
• Edit the README.md file within that hybrid project to give your animation a proper title and include a brief explanataion of how the 3 clock values and additional date variables have been encoded into retinal variables for the final visualization. In other words, describe it well enough for someone to make sense of your visualization if you weren’t there to explain it to them
• Note that by next class you should have 7 glitch projects in total containing your clocks and calendars from the past several weeks. Make sure the project names all start with either yourname-clock-#, yourname-date-#, or yourname-hybrid. For instance:
  • yourname-clock-1-short-title
  • yourname-clock-2-another-short-title
  • yourname-clock-3-yet-another-title
  • yourname-date-1-yadda-yadda
  • yourname-date-2-foo-bar-baz
  • yourname-date-3-etc-etc-and-so-forth
  • yourname-hybrid-something-something