Module 9: Introduction to Web Development
Week of Mon, Oct 26 · module closes Sun, Nov 1 · 90 points
By the end of this lesson you can:
- →Demonstrate basic proficiency in programming.
Take Meerk's quiz for Module 9
This module's items
- Pseudocode Assignment20 pts
- Programming Assignment50 pts
- Module 9 Quiz20 pts
Exact due times are in Canvas. Late assignments are not accepted and extensions will not be granted.
Know these cold
- A program is a set of instructions a computer follows. Programming is writing those instructions in a language the computer can run. Before code comes the plan: an algorithm and its pseudocode.
- An algorithm is a step-by-step set of instructions for solving a problem — a recipe. It must be precise (no guessing), finite (it ends), and correct (it produces the right result every time).
- Pseudocode is the algorithm written in plain language, in order, before real code: START; GET score; IF score >= 85 THEN PRINT 'Pass' ELSE PRINT 'Study Path'; END. It has no exact syntax rules — the point is the logic.
- Three building blocks of every program: sequence (steps in order), selection (IF … THEN … ELSE decisions), and iteration (loops that repeat while a condition is true or for each item).
- A variable is a named place that stores a value: score = 85; name = 'Prince'. The value can change; the name stays. Data types matter here too — number, text (string), true/false (Boolean).
- Web development builds pages for the World Wide Web. Three languages divide the work: HTML gives the page its structure and content; CSS gives it style — colors, fonts, layout; JavaScript gives it behavior — what happens when you click.
- HTML is a markup language, not a programming language: tags label content. <h1> is a heading, <p> a paragraph, <a href> a link, <img> an image, <ul>/<li> a list. Tags open and close: <p>Hello</p>.
- CSS rules say how tagged things look: h1 { color: green; } A selector (h1) picks the element; properties (color) get values (green). One stylesheet can style a whole site.
- JavaScript runs in the browser and reacts to events: a button click, a form submit, a timer. It uses the same variables, IF statements, and loops as any programming language.
- How a page reaches you: the browser (client) asks a web server for a URL; the server sends back HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files; the browser renders them. In https://www.pgcc.edu/admissions, pgcc.edu is the domain name and /admissions is the path.
- Programming languages you will hear about: Python (readable, popular for beginners and data), JavaScript (the web), Java and C# (large applications), C and C++ (systems and games), SQL (databases — Module 7).
- Debugging is finding and fixing errors: syntax errors (the language rules are broken — a missing closing tag or parenthesis), logic errors (it runs but gives the wrong answer), and runtime errors (it crashes while running). Test with real inputs, including the wrong ones.
- Module 9 items: Pseudocode Assignment (20), Programming Assignment (50), and Module 9 Quiz (20) — 90 points, the week of Oct 26. Module 10 (Internet Privacy, Internet Security, Netiquette) follows the week of Nov 2.
Meerk's quiz — open the Module 9 gate
10 questions, no time limit. 85% on your first attempt in a 24-hour window opens the gate. Retakes inside the window are practice — they help you learn, they don't count. Work alone; the point is to know it, not to have seen it.
Stuck?
Raise your hand. Mr. James gets a message right away and can help you remotely. Nothing else is stored — just your last name, grade, and where you're stuck.
Dinner Table Question
Ask at home: Give step-by-step directions for making a sandwich. Could a computer follow them exactly?
En español: Da instrucciones paso a paso para hacer un sándwich. ¿Podría una computadora seguirlas exactamente?