Attention to Detail
Tags: webdev, javascript, beginners, tutorial
Published: 2024-04-22 13:08:59

I have finally finished Phase 1 of Flatiron School, and after being on this Phase for way longer than the recommended time, I can say it was well worth it, and I feel a bit of triumph! Flatiron Schools Software Development Flex Coarse Phase 1 is all about being proficient in JavaScript and learning how to think like and become a great developer. This course teaches you a lot and if you are new to coding like me it can be overwhelming luckily there are instructors to help out and the tests are good practice to help you get the hang of things. Now, all of this leads up to the Phase 1 project, which, I'm not going to lie, is tough if you don't pay attention to detail. To make sure you know what to pay attention to, I will highlight some parts of the curriculum that will help you get through the project a little faster than I did. 

Now, I turned this 5k into a 10k by not completely grasping a few concepts right away, and the first 1 is CallBacks.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/sm81o1n2gdcg4o132ksa.jpg)

Now, I'm sure you can see the definition above of what a callback is; this is something you need to pay extra attention to; when you get to this section, take notes and lean on a technical coach if you do not understand what is going on. Throughout this Phase, you will be using callbacks quite literally almost every step of the way, and if you are like me and some other students I've spoken to, you will need to use 1 in your project. This concept is crucial in JavaScript for handling asynchronous operations, such as fetching data from an API or using a JSON file.  
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/da7zf1vrl03vhx63rc3m.jpg)
 
I can't tell you exactly how you will use callbacks in your project code because I don't know the direction you will take. Also, it may be cheating, and because this is the first blog I'm doing, I kind of want it to pass. That being said, I can tell you what else I think is important to pay attention to, and that is array iterator methods.

The array iterator methods are essential and will be used a lot from the moment they are introduced until the end of the Phase. All of them are great and make life so much easier. In your Phase 1 project, you will be asked to use one of the iterator methods, so this is something you should pay extra attention to. Using 1 will be required, so knowing exactly how and when to use 1 will be key. 

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/v1fs1y4jf44ubwfgfgt4.jpg)
Array iterator methods in JavaScript are used to iterate over the elements of an array, and in your project, you may need them to find or filter through an object to get a specific person or thing. Because I had to use the filter method myself, I'm going to put that here just because it may be very useful.
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x9bqomxuxtkmg0i97iva.jpg)
Everything I have mentioned is important, but I'm not done just like you won't be if you don't take this course seriously. The next thing I think you should pay extra attention to is DOM Manipulation.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5v0ff2n33i3cn0o5v5kj.jpg)
I'm pretty sure you looked at this image and started shaking in your boots. I know this because once I got to this point, I was sure this was what I had seen years ago as an error message, but no, this is what is called the DOM. When DOM manipulation comes up, you want to know it inside and out because it's the foundation of every website, and you are asked to create 1. What I found difficult at first in this section was how everything fit together; you see a bunch of elements, but which element should be used and when was challenging to me at first. I found myself not getting how to make things show up on the DOM, and you will see soon enough that everything that is on the DOM is what shows up on the page; so, no matter how solid I thought my JavaScript was, I couldn't move on if I couldn't see it. But then I went back and looked at the Phase, and it hurt me (because I should have paid attention to the details before). It made me happy that it was all in the curriculum. So, I will leave these two images with you. The first is to make the DOM look a little less intimidating by explaining how the DOM is like a tree, and the next is the start of a section that I had to read again, and because I read a second, third, and fourth time, was able to complete the project.
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ztnt4liy2moi2uxfb4vw.jpg)

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6ssshr6s6uwkrvrwcmpr.jpg)

You would think that would be everything you need to know regarding the project, but no. The last very important thing is knowing how to use fetch. Fetch will be used to get the data from an API or a JSON file, which is where the info for your project will come from. In FlatIron School's flex program, there are resources, and in the resources section, you will see a video that will help you set up your project. One of the instructors makes the video, and he will say that setting up the fetch is 1 of the first things you should do, and I agree entirely. Having all the info you want showing up in the console for me was huge, it let me know that a large portion of the battle is done. My project was done on NBA players, and once I could get that info back from the fetch, it was just getting that to the DOM, and 1 of the biggest hurdles were cleared.
![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/yy9h4gu3nh9nfz5wcedr.jpg)

These are some of the most important pieces in the Phase, and learning and comprehending each of these concepts will make the project a breeze for you. Although these are the most important things, I feel it would be wrong to not bring up a couple of things that will really help you along the way. The first thing I feel should be brought up is something that was told to me toward the end of the course and I have been putting it to good use and that is the Feynman technique. One of the instructors, Mr. Ryan Perish, told me about this technique, which is a study method developed by Richard Feynman, aimed at learning through the act of teaching. The last thing that I'm sure you will need, and therefore, it deserves to be an honorable mention, is simply asking for help from instructors and your classmates. This can help you get a different perspective and get the answer you are looking for. 

That is it! Not too bad, right? These are all the things I think you should pay attention to. Whether you are reading this at the beginning of your FlatIron journey or at the end of the course, you know exactly where to pay attention to detail!