Unable to understand Redux Asynchronous Actions Challenge

Contributors
#1

Hi FCC team,

TL;DR: The explanation of this challenge is very incomprehensible. It seems you need a some experience using APIs to understand the need of this knowledge or when to apply it. I suggest split this challenge at least in two.

Long story:

Thanks to all FCC team because since last November when I started to study here, I have earned my Javascript Certification, I have to finish tech doc and portfolio to earn the WRD certification, and I am in Redux section of Front End certification.

I think I have a good pace because I try to study and practice every day at least 10 hours.

Beside that, I am an Electronics Engineer, I think I have problem solving skills and I had coded Control Systems for an autonomus didactic helicopter using genetic algorithms, and a computer vision app to count people in public spaces. None of those codes apps were designed to have user interaction, the first was my college thesis, and the second to get information to estimate comercial real estate value based on amount of people that pass through the front store. The first was coded in Matlab and the second in C++ with OpenCV. The first was coded in 2005 and the second in 2006.

So I think I’m not totally new to coding, and that let me understand the challenges fast enough to have this pace. There were some I have to look for a hint, this is one of them, even I solved it and passed it, but I really don’t understand what I did.

I think this would be clear after working in some project, or maybe after the APIs and Microservices Certification. But at this point I’m confused and a little bit anxious for not get this knowledge clear.

If I feel this way with the background that I have, I don’t imagine what feel someone totally new to coding.

I suggest split this challenge at least in two.

#2

Hello, andres.

I assume you are talking about this challenge: Use Middleware to Handle Asynchronous Actions

I understand that the purpose of the lesson is to teach a method for dealing with data requests and responses, and the asynchronous nature of dealing with requests. That being said, the reason the challenge uses the setTimeout() function, is because this is easy to understand, and simulates the same behaviour.

Before I ever came across APIs, or any kind of asynchronous responses, I was playing around with JavaScript, and had come across the setTimeout() function. This caused issues in my script, and led me to learn about trying to use information before it being available.

To conclude, whilst the lesson teaches methods for dealing with situations like API calls, there is no need to have any experience with APIs to understand the lesson, and pass the challenge.

I agree the lesson is more difficult than some, but needing to take a double-take is not necessarily a bad thing.