By Sera Wong
Listen, I know you’ve got a long commute to deal with. You’re probably tired and bored, so why not learn a new life skill while you’re on the TTC for the next hour?
Grasshopper can get you started on learning JavaScript, which in turn can help you build web apps, websites and games. The app introduces you to programming with quick and fun puzzles that progressively get more challenging as you learn more concepts, and is available for both iOS and Android.
If you’re a beginner to coding, Grasshopper will start you off slow. To help you understand the way JavaScript is structured, the code you need to write is broken up into pieces for you to put together. To write your code, simply tap on which segment of code you think you need, and the app will write it in for you,
The app lets you test your code while completing puzzles. If something goes wrong with your code, the app will point out your error and give you feedback as you go.
If you want to make practicing code a short, daily exercise, Grasshopper can send you reminders to check in on the app so you can progress a little further each day. Every so often, the app will quiz you on different coding concepts to make sure you’re on track. If you ever want to go back and repeat puzzles, the option to do so is there as well.
If you’re itching to experiment, Grasshopper has a “code playground” mode where you can mess around and see what you can build!
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