It’s been two weeks since the kick-off and it’s time for a quick report.
Execute Program
I spent most of my TypeScript time in Gary Bernhardt’s Execute Program interactive TypeScript course:
- The UX of the course is really well-done.
- The contents are addictive, because it’s tiny bits of information and I never felt blocked or thinking too much.
- The “core loop” could be better designed – while I was never blocked, I was rarely actively challenged, too. I wish the tasks were more advanced and that, at least sometimes, required some additional research.
- The course uses a learning method called space repetition – there must be a gap between learning something new and exercising or reviewing to make sure we have really committed to memory. Great idea, though given the basic material, it was probably as annoying as it was effective.
Still overall, I am still enjoying it and I am close to the end:
Programming TypeScript
In addition to the course I started reading Programming TypeScript. Since I spent most of my time on the course, I haven’t progressed much with the book. Another reason for slow progress has been a 2½-hour long yak shaving – once I reached the section on tsconfig.json (page 11/12 :)) I couldn’t help but “peek” at the documentation, then one thing lead to another, I thought jsonfig.json was a typo, so I almost submitted a PR to an internal project, then climbed up the stack to tsconfig.json and various ways people use TypeScript – either as purely a type checker (noEmit) or about the various options for configuring it for a legacy codebase. Of course, composites and more advanced config topics weren’t spared from my “research”.
Honestly, I missed falling in a super deep rabbit hole like this and it reminded me how useful “accidental learning” can be in the long term – how many dots can one connect without even realizing. Having a solid understanding of the config file already helped me when I casually tried to understand how the TypeScript infrastructure at work works.
What’s Next
Since the course will be over soon, the questions is what are next steps. I will most probably focus on finish the “Programming TypeScript” book (especially if I get it on the Kindle), but other ideas are welcome, too.
Stay safe and see you in a week or two (here, not in real life, that would be the opposite of staying safe).
ex·trap·o·late me 
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