wednesdayyyy

Detailed Supporting Technology Questions

Why would you use SCSS instead of CSS?

SCSS allows you to nest elements inside one another, which may make your file more readable.  It also allows you to set variables.  Certain frameworks like Bootstrap utilize SCSS, so if you are using one of those, that is the way you need to format your file.

Why would you use JSON instead of HTML?

You would use JSON if you are doing something like creating an API where you want the information to be easily accessible to programs, and you are not so concerned with people seeing the page (there is no fancy user interface with JSON).

What is the difference between JQuery and Javascript?

Javascript is a language, and JQuery is a library that you can use with Javascript.

Big Picture Questions

What do you think about Angular and Ember? Which one seems better to you?
I think Angular and Ember are Javascript frameworks, but honestly, I am not entirely sure.  I don't know anything about them, although I've heard several people mention Angular, so perhaps it is used more frequently?

Have you used any NoSQL databases? Do you think they're useful when developing Rails apps?
I have not.  [unless that is the kind we have been using and I just have no idea what it's called, but since ours uses SQL, why would it be called NoSQL, unless it's referring to the fact that rails does the SQL for us????]

SCSS is compatible with regular CSS...nothing breaks (unlike coffescript/javascript). the two big things were nesting/variables, but also, can break things into other files, and use mixins...like a beefy variable, a lot of things in it...a whole set of properties, and then just call it...can pass in parameters

JQuery is written in javascript

backbone is another js framework. angular and ember provide more structure...have to follow conventions and rules. angular and ember are mvc like rails, but not database backed. mvt emplate...mvcish. don't bring up backbone without mentioning these first since they didn't ask about backbone. angular is more common

ask to be more specific, ask if it goes by different names. if you have a handful of random facts, don't pretend to know everything, offer them gently. NoSQL is any database that is not a relational database. relational...tables, indices, foreign keys. lots of different types...postgres vs., say, MongoDB (DOCUMENT type that stores a bunch of json for you...hashes of arrays and hashes of arrays...like, behind a wikipedia article...no fields...each thing has a uuid...can loook them up by other fields, very slow. GRAPH type, no fields, like Neo4J, nodes and relationshiops...circles and errors, cypher language...Mason father_of relationship to Ryan,to Kaeden, write a program that finds all great-nephews..traverses the tree in a special way...good for concepts/mental maps, KEY-VALUE TYPE, like Redis, freakishly fast, whole thing is a hash, put in Thomas: picture of Thomas or a file or a data field, COLUMNAR Hbase, enterprise level, big data, billions of records, special.) the NoSQL are useful when you know exactly what questions you are going to ask of your data...Mongo is fast for wiki, etc. With SQL, have to think hard about how to enter the data, but really easy to pull it back out, super flexible...could have subset of database copied out into these specific things...relational: super powerful querying, but each have their own advantages

say, "from what i've heard...the best way to know is to use it, but i haven't had a chance to do that yet"