Now and then, I’ll stumble across a blog post, question, or comment that talks about WordPress JavaScript as if it’s a different type of or variant of JavaScript that exists solely within the WordPress application.
For those who have been working in web development for a long time, this seems like a silly statement, but if you’re brand new to web development (regardless of your age), then this is something that might be a bit confusing.
After all, it’s not like the JavaScript standard is cut and dry right now, right? But I digress.
Furthermore, WordPress includes jQuery, jQuery UI, Backbone, and so on. So when someone wants to work with JavaScript within the context of WordPress, what are they actually talking about?
And the answer is, unfortunately, “it depends.” But it does: It depends on the type of work you’re doing and where you’re focusing your efforts.
But this brings us back to the original problem: How do you learn “WordPress JavaScript” if you’ve never even touched JavaScript?
What “WordPress JavaScript” Is All About
As mentioned earlier, learning how to work with JavaScript within the context of WordPress is often about learning how to use other libraries.
And that’s fine, but what if you were able to start from the ground up, learn the skills, refine them, apply them, and then get to work on whatever work you have in JavaScript?
This is where Zac Gordon enters the picture. He’s known for a variety of different things, most recently his master class for JavaScript for WordPress.
On the homepage for his class, he mentions:
Matt Mullenweg gave the homework assignment to “Learn JavaScript, Deeply.” This Master Course will help you get your homework done and learn the cutting edge in JavaScript-driven WordPress Development.
I’ve known and followed Zac long enough to know that if you have the time and money to invest into his course, then you should do it.
But if you’re on the fence about it, if you’re curious about the style, or you’re interested in “trying before buying,” he’s made nearly two-and-a-half hours worth of content available for free.
Specifically, you can learn about:
- Form Element Values,
- DOM Nodes,
- Events,
- Event Propagation,
- Local Storage,
- And more.
I share this because I think a lot of technologies are converging towards JavaScript so learning it outside the context or WordPress is valuable.
But I obviously have an interest in seeing developers get better at what they do especially as more enter the WordPress economy. So if you’re trying to learn “WordPress JavaScript” (but let’s not make that a phrase for real, okay? :), then check out Zac’s free videos.
And if you dig them, sign up for the course.