Git is not easy. Version control is not easy.
It is probably best for new programmers to focus on programming and not version control.
CodePen is great for new coders as they can see their webpage change as they manipulate the code. This is hugely important for many people.
Yes there are ways to duplicate this with other editors. Are they as simple as type a url and start coding… probably not.
Another huge plus for codepen is that campers can share their code with each other and can instantly poke and prod at the code to see how it works. They don’t have to clone someones repository to do this.
My two cents: I think CodePen is great when you’re getting started. It makes it very easy to get a project up and running. Then, as you learn, slowly transition into GitHub Pages and learn git. It’s a better long-term solution, although it does require more up-front investment in learning and setting up projects.
Both. CodePen is an excellent platform for introductory learning. Eventually, you will make the transition to developing locally, at which point Github (or something similar) becomes essential. In either case, CodePen or a similar site is useful for mocking and quick experimentation. I’m using it now to mock a UI for the Camper Leaderboard challenge.
I spent the weekend setting up my local server so that I don’t have to use codepen. I found the documentation to be terrible and at times even misleading. I had to spend two hours upon reading that jade was deprecated and an extra hour deciding that I don’t actually need a bootstrap loader for my purposes. Not exactly newbie friendly stuff. I lost many hours but I know it will save time… In the long run… Surely…
As stated earlier, I’m in full agreement with the resounding sentiment that “git is too scary for beginners.” I, myself spent many years, thinking “hey, I’m coding this on my own. Why do I need version control?” But after trashing one of my own projects through bad judgement, I think I would have given an arm and a leg to turn back time to the point just before I went off the rails, and reevaluate the direction I was taking with my codebase.
Now, consider If I was working on a team, and was in charge of a specific part of a much larger project, and accidentally nuked my part of the codebase. If I didn’t have a way to roll back my code and fix what was wrong, I’d be out of a job. Additionally my screw up would not be isolated from the rest of the project, making everyone else’s life a living hell.
@gwenf pointed out that there is in fact curriculum for git in FCC. And yes, beginner’s like to see immediate results, like the one’s that seen in CodePen. But I think students should be made aware of the fact that “hey there is a lot more to coding than just writing code” a little earlier in the learning process. Personally, I’d place it somewhere before the end of the front-end certification, especially since a lot of our campers enter the job market at that time.
Sidenote:
When I have to work on JS-Code and a working console only (without HTML/CSS setup required or needed) I prefere JSBin.com
With two clicks you have just the CodeEditor and Console side by side and all ready to go.
CodePen is a great way to start. It allows you to concentrate on simply building stuff and removes the burden of setting a local development environment. As @zcassini pointed out, It’s also easier to get help from people because they can edit the code and see what works and what doesn’t with instantaneous feedback.
That said, Git is an essential tool that newbie developers must be aware of and learn to use so I think it is important to add a segment for Version Control somewhere in the Front-End Certification section where campers could at least learn the basics of version control, how to setup Git on their machines and the essential commands before a more intense program in the latter parts of the curriculum.
I’d have to agree. Things like codepen and jsfiddle are just code playgrounds that make it easy to quickly make up and host some code. The most ive really seen it used for is posting code to show someone how to do something on stack overflow or other websites. Github is a version control repository with a lot more capabilities. Although they both have their uses i would definitely say its crucial for people to know Github or even just Git in general
You do, it’s not a requirement to use CodePen for your FCC projects.(mentioned in the about section, though it does mention using CodePen on the actual project pages) It’s just, for me personally, I find CodePen easier to use. I’m more of a visual learner, so watching code I add in take place as I write it is the preferred method for me.
Codepen is definitely easier to use. You don’t need to read any documentation and to get started with Codepen, you can figure it out pretty quickly, and overall it is nice to use at an early stage.But i saw people using/favoring github a lot, so after much deliberation, i sat down this weekend to learn about git and github, i must say it was overwhelming at the beginning,but to be honest it was kind of fun. I prefer command line over using the github desktop app, because i think you understand the process much better if you use command line.I suggest every one of those who haven’t started with git/github yet, it is not that tough to understand the basics, and once you grasp the concept you will use it a lot, trust me.
Check out the playlist “Git for beginners” on the new boston channel on Youtube to get started.
Git and GitHub should be mixed into the curriculum earlier than the back end section.
Codepen has it’s usefulness early on, but you quickly discover the benefits of developing on a local setup.
GitHub pages can only host static projects, and Amazon took over cloud9 and rolled it into AWS. I learned to use version control with a tutorial on Rails from upskill, but for those who want a beginner level introduction, check out this free Udacity course…https://www.udacity.com/course/how-to-use-git-and-github--ud775
If you are using the current fCC curriculum, then it is a good idea if you start integrating / transferring your code pen projects into github before finishing the front end section, it is actually pretty easy to migrate your code pen files into github (do a search on this forum / google).
Then, by the time you get to the back end, you will have a rudimentary understanding of github, which you would need to actually complete the back end projects.
I tried to look into GitHub a few times before I came to FCC and was dumbfounded each time. I felt so thankful when I was introduced to Codepen by the first projects in FCC.
I think starting with Codepen is a good idea, but I also agree that maybe the GitHub lessons could be moved up. Maybe at the end of the Front End track?
Also, I’ve started playing around with moving projects from Codepen to Glitch. If you haven’t used it before, it’s a great, free developer playground where you can build apps and websites, and remix other people’s projects to see how the projects were made and build upon them. It’s a pretty fun tool and they have some awesome starter projects. I put my Tribute Page project on there and will be adding my Portfolio project too.
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