<p>My highlight of the week was taking part in the OS Map &amp; Hack hackathon (my first). I wrote up my experience <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.webdevri.ch/os-map-and-hack-2021">here</a>, good and bad.</p>
<p>Other than that it was a short reading list, introducing regular expressions and functional programming</p>
<h2 id="heading-regular-expressions">Regular Expressions</h2>
<p>This, I was not looking forward to. From what I had seen it was like a foreign language so I was a bit apprehensive.</p>
<p>It actually turned out kinda OK. Like all programming languages (I know it's not a language) there is rules, structure and logic and the tutorial and tools like <a target="_blank" href="http://regexr.com/">regexr</a> demystified it a lot and I now feel ready to embrace it and learn more. It certainly looks to be very useful in some circumstances.</p>
<h2 id="heading-functional-programming">Functional Programming</h2>
<h3 id="heading-why">Why?</h3>
<ul>
<li>Less bugs - easier to read</li>
<li>Less time - re-use code</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="heading-functions-are-values">Functions are values</h3>
<p>So can be assigned to variables</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span> <span class="hljs-title">triple</span>(<span class="hljs-params">x</span>) </span>{
  <span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> x * <span class="hljs-number">3</span>;
}
</code></pre>
<p>or</p>
<pre><code class="lang-javascript"><span class="hljs-keyword">let</span> triple = <span class="hljs-function"><span class="hljs-keyword">function</span>(<span class="hljs-params">x</span>)</span>{ <span class="hljs-keyword">return</span> x * <span class="hljs-number">3</span>; }

triple(<span class="hljs-number">3</span>) <span class="hljs-comment">// gives 9</span>
</code></pre>
<h3 id="heading-higher-order-functions">Higher Order Functions</h3>
<p>Are functions that take other functions as arguments or return functions. Gives <strong>composition</strong> - bundling smaller functions into a larger function. Easier to debug smaller functions and less code. e.g.</p>
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/forEach">forEach()</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/filter">filter()</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/map">map()</a></li>
</ul>
<p>This is all good stuff and looking forward to PRE-3 next week before the bootcamp gets underway.</p>


My highlight of the week was taking part in the OS Map & Hack hackathon (my first). I wrote up my experience [here](https://blog.webdevri.ch/os-map-and-hack-2021), good and bad.

Other than that it was a short reading list, introducing regular expressions and functional programming

## Regular Expressions
This, I was not looking forward to. From what I had seen it was like a foreign language so I was a bit apprehensive.

It actually turned out kinda OK. Like all programming languages (I know it's not a language) there is rules, structure and logic and the tutorial and tools like [regexr](http://regexr.com/) demystified it a lot and I now feel ready to embrace it and learn more. It certainly looks to be very useful in some circumstances.

## Functional Programming
### Why?
- Less bugs - easier to read
- Less time - re-use code

### Functions are values
So can be assigned to variables
```javascript
function triple(x) {
  return x * 3;
}
```
or
```javascript
let triple = function(x){ return x * 3; }

triple(3) // gives 9
```
### Higher Order Functions
Are functions that take other functions as arguments or return functions. Gives **composition** - bundling smaller functions into a larger function. Easier to debug smaller functions and less code. e.g.
- [forEach()](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/forEach)
- [filter()](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/filter)
- [map()](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Array/map)

This is all good stuff and looking forward to PRE-3 next week before the bootcamp gets underway.

My Coding Bootcamp Odyssey - 1 week to go 😅

Regex and Functional Programming

Regular Expressions

Functional Programming

Why?

Functions are values

Higher Order Functions