Use ESLint with recommended settings, so your code editor will yell at you for a lot of mistakes you'd make. They provide plugins for most code editors and IDEs, configuration is a matter of having .eslintrc-file in the directory your code is in. Some rules that you might want to enable that aren't in the recommended set are "eqeqeq" and "no-unexpected-multiline", this allows you to avoid many problems related to features like Automatic Semicolon Insertion (ASI) and type coercion.

Later on when you've got some more advanced stuff like a build process with transpiler going (or you don't have to worry about how your code runs in older browsers), you'll want to enable ES6 rules like "no-var" and "prefer-const" to also get rid of some potential hoisting issues and accidental reassignments. But that's likely a story for another time that can be ignored for now.

The ESLint's constant nagging about everything can be annoying at first, but after you've seen and fixed the same red squiggly lines a hundred times, you no longer get them and avoid the problems by default even if you don't have linters somewhere.

Some people will tell you to read "JavaScript: The Good Parts" book, but that's outdated and you'll avoid many pitfalls by default with the recommended ESLint settings. If you want books, check out things like You Don't Know JS (free) and Eloquent JavaScript.

Also, the next time you are about to loop through an array, take another look through the array iteration methods at MDN.

You'll probably see a method that is made exactly for what you are doing and allows you to describe what you want, instead of doing bunch of step-by-step instructions that don't describe your intention and are just noise among the logic.

Edit: Oh and get familiar with chrome developer tools and debugging. Writing code is like 10% of the job at best, figuring out why problems happen is like 90%. Spending a few hours getting familiar with the debug tools beyond console.log is one of the best things you can do with your time and will save you so much trouble in the future you can't even imagine it.

If you aren't a new programmer, but just new to JavaScript itself, it's also definitely worth it to read Mostly Adequate Guide to Functional Programming (free) and learn how to really take advantage of JavaScript being a functional language.

Edit2: Tried to make the post a bit more straightforward.

Hi there,

If your primary interest is in blogging, I would recommend an existing platform like Ghost to get you up and running quickly. However, it sounds like you're more interested in web programming, with blogs being an interesting application.

These days, a lot of web applications are written with scripting languages, primarily Python, Ruby, or Javascript[1]. Each of these have many web frameworks to help you write your server application, but the big ones are:

• Ruby: Ruby on Rails
  
• Python: Django
  
• Javascript: Express.js
  
  If you're already familiar with one of those languages, obviously you should heavily consider exploring its frameworks. Alternatively, you should research the languages and their frameworks on a high level and get an understanding of their core differentiating features before choosing one.
  
  Personally, I'm a lover of JS and node since that allows you to write your entire stack in Javascript, but there are those in this subreddit who call me a fanboy :)
  
  Regarding your client, any behavioral logic is going to be done in Javascript, the markdown will be in HTML, and your layout and style will be in CSS [2] - no way around that, so you better get familiar.
  
  Excellent intro to modern HTML/CSS
  
  Excellent intro to Javascript
  
  [1] Javascript executes in a unique server environment via Node.js, utilizing Chrome's v8 JS engine.
  
  [2] Of course there are languages like Coffeescript and Compass that compile to JS and CSS, this is probably beyond the spirit of the question.

Just some I like:

Dev

• [You Don't Know Javascript (series)(]https://github.com/getify/You-Dont-Know-JS). Short and sweet mostly. Well written. Some are still pending publishing but there are a couple available now. I believe you can read them for free online, I just like paper books and wanted to show some support.
  
  
• Elequent Javascript (second release coming in november). Current version here if you are impatient. I have not personally read it yet, waiting for the next revision. I recommend it due to the high regard it has in the web community.
  
  
• Professional JavaScript for Web Developers. Sometimes called the bible of js. Big ole book. I have not read it through and through, but have enjoyed the parts I have perused.
  
  

  Design
  

  
  (I am weak in the design side, so take these recommendation with a grain of salt. I recommend them off of overall industry cred they receive and my own personal taste for them.)
  
  

• The Elements of Typographic Style. Low level detail into the art and science behind typography.
  
  
• Don't Make Me Think, Revisited. I read the original, not the new one that I linked. It is an easy read (morning commute on the train was perfect for it) and covers UX stuff in a very easy to understand way. My non-designer brain really appreciated it.
  
  below are books I have not read but our generally recommended to people asking this question
  
  
• About Face.
  
  
• The Design of Everyday Things.
  
  
• The Inmates Are Running the Asylum.
  
  
  You can see a lot of these are theory based. My 0.02 is that books are good for theory, blogs are good for up to date ways of doing things and tutorial type stuff.
  
  Hope this helps!
  
  
  Battery is about to die so no formatting for you! I'll add note later if I remember.
  
  EDIT: another real quick.
  
  EDIT2: Eh, wound up on my computer. Added formatting and some context. Also added more links because I am procrastinating my actual work I have to do (picking icons for buttons is so hard, I never know what icon accurately represents whatever context I am trying to fill).
  

Sorry, ran out of time. Here's the rest of my answer:

If you are more of an engineer and not that interested in design, but in Front-End Development, start with Bulletproof Web Design, following up with Transcending CSS.

For JavaScript, read You Don't Know JS and Eloquent Javascript. (The second edition of Eloquent is going to be released on 17th of november, if you can't wait until then, there's a first edition aswell)

A very important design book I forgot aswell: The Design of Everyday Things.

Good luck on your way to mastering Web Design!

Between JavaScript Allonge, JavaScript Spessore, and Eloquent JavaScript, that should get you into the Advanced zone you seek.

Udemy has a great course on Full Stack Web Development and Java. PluralSight also has phenomenal paths on C# and Java.

Check out GitHub and do a search for some projects you might be interested in. Fantasy text based games, checklists, to-do lists, mobile games, etc. See how other people write code. Eventually you can offer to participate in the projects and contribute or fork your own.

Books! Books are great resources, especially if you know where to look. Some can get dated, very quickly, but others are timeless.

Core Java Volume I

Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science

Eloquent JavaScript

Head First Ruby


Regarding Python Programming: Let me tell you everyone's most hated research methodology. An anecdote! I hated, I absolutely HATED* Python.

"Python is beautiful!" said the pompous coder. "Python is the world!" said the obnoxious tool. I thought it was ugly, jagged, white space loving garbage.

Turned out, it was the method I was learning Python. That book changed my life.

Anyway, back to the other books.

Core Java Volume I and II are INSANE in the amount of information they give. You will learn more about Java than you probably care to know, but when you finish both volumes you'll be able to do anything with the language.

Eloquent JavaScript is one of the best JavaScript books I've read, and I've not read them all, but I've read more than a few. But who am I? :D

I'd get the Ruby book after you've learned some Python or get it before you dig into Python. Could get a little confusing. But after one, you'll essentially know the other.

Some of the replies have suggested to ask your company to cross train or see what stack their working in and learn that. I disagree for a couple of reasons (which should be taken with a heaping spoon of salt):

1. It's always good to see what else is out there. The best way to get a raise is to get a job at another company!
   
   
2. The stack the company is using could be out of date or not in demand. We don't live in the age of working for the same company for 25 years. In fact, with software engineering, it's good to experience different tech every few years. It wouldn't be a bad idea to ask to shadow or maybe mentor, and depending on the time invested you might want to give them at least a year.
   
   This is another example of personal experience, I am far from an expert.
   
   
   Check out some podcasts too!
   
   Coding Blocks .NET
   
   Code Newbie
   
   Programming Throwdown
   
   Coder Radio (see below)
   
   
   

   Sometimes that guy can be super jaded and negative, just an fyi... They do cover good subjects, though.
   

   
   
   Also, not a podcast, but https://scaleyourcode.com/ has some good insight on software development as a career.
   
   Good luck! There is a slew of information out there.

Calculating the time to read a book

As far as I can tell, howlongtoreadthis.com makes the assumption that every book has 255 words per page (wpm) and the average reader is reading at 300 words per minute (wpm), therefore the formula is

pageswpp/wpm/60

I wrote a simple example for this formula:

const readingTimeInHours = (pages, wpp = 255, wpm = 300) => pageswpp/wpm/60;

const howLongToReadThis = (pages, wpp = 255, wpm = 300) => {
const readingTime = readingTimeInHours(pages, wpp, wpm),
hours = Math.floor(readingTime),
minutes = Math.floor(readingTime % 1 * 60);
return Reading at a speed of ${wpm} WPM, +
would take approximately ${hours} hours and ${minutes} minutes to read this.;
}

// http://www.amazon.com/Eloquent-JavaScript-Modern-Introduction-Programming/dp/1593275846%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJJEOYOHBMPEE3DEA%26tag%3Dmechakeyboadv-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1593275846
const eloquentJavascriptPages = 472;
console.log(howLongToReadThis(eloquentJavascriptPages));

Connecting to amazon

I think amazon-product-api is the API you are looking for.
As far as i can tell you must have - or create - and Amazon Web Services (AWS) account for this. Examples on how to use this written on the page (the README.md).