Master MadLibs: Part 1

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. My Journey with General Assembly
3. The Dash Tutorials and Their Impact
4. The Mad Libs Game
   • What is a Mad Libs Game?
   • The Final Product
5. Getting Started with Coding
   • Working with JavaScript Arrays
   • Indexing Items in an Array
   • Using jQuery to Inject Content into HTML
6. Creating the Content for the Mad Libs Game
   • Storing Questions in an Array
   • Accessing Items in the Array
   • Using jQuery to Display the Questions
7. Conclusion

Article

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Joe, and in this article, I'll be guiding you through the process of creating a basic Mad Libs game. This game is based on one of the tutorials provided by General Assembly to help students ramp up their web development skills. As a former student of General Assembly myself, I can personally vouch for the effectiveness of their tutorials and courses. So, let's dive in and create our own Mad Libs game!

My Journey with General Assembly

Before we get started with the Mad Libs game, let me share a bit about my journey with General Assembly. I had initially gone through their Dash tutorials when I signed up for their front-end web development course. The instructor and the course content left a lasting impression on me. Inspired by the experience, I decided to enroll in their web development immersive program later on. Becoming a teacher's assistant for their front-end web development course was another thrilling opportunity that came my way. Now, I get to assist others in overcoming the challenges and hurdles that I faced myself in the beginning.

The Dash Tutorials and Their Impact

The Dash tutorials provided by General Assembly are an interactive and enjoyable way to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The tutorials cover various aspects of web development through the process of creating and enhancing websites.

There are five Dash tutorials in total, each focusing on a different project. These projects include building a personal website, creating a responsive blog theme, constructing a small business website, developing a CSS robot, and lastly, crafting a Mad Libs game.

The Mad Libs Game

What is a Mad Libs Game?

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a Mad Libs game is a word game where one player prompts others for a list of words to substitute into a pre-determined story or sentence. The player providing the words usually does so without knowing the context of the sentence. Once all the words are collected, the sentence is read aloud, often resulting in hilarious and unexpected combinations. In our case, we will be creating a digital version of this game.

The Final Product

Before we delve into the coding process, let's take a look at what we're aiming to create. The final product will consist of a sentence with blank spaces, representing areas for collecting and displaying user prompts. We will present the user with a question, provide a textbox to gather their input, and have a "Next" button to guide them through the process.

Getting Started with Coding

Now that we have a clear understanding of what our Mad Libs game will look like, it's time to dive into the coding process. In this section, we will cover three important aspects: working with JavaScript arrays, indexing items in an array, and using jQuery to inject content into HTML.

Working with JavaScript Arrays

Arrays in JavaScript serve as containers that can hold one or more objects. These objects can include functions, numbers, strings, and even other arrays. In our Mad Libs project, we will utilize arrays to store our questions. To create an empty array, the syntax is as follows:

var prompts = [];

To populate the array with questions, we can add the questions as strings:

prompts = ["Type a name:", "Enter an adjective:", "Provide a website:"];

Indexing Items in an Array

Arrays have a length property that indicates the number of objects they contain. To access a specific item in the array, we can use its position, also known as the index. It's important to note that arrays use ordinal counting, meaning the first position is represented by 0, second position by 1, and so on. For example, to access the first question in our prompts array, we would use:

prompts[0];

Using jQuery to Inject Content into HTML

To display the questions from the array onto the HTML page, we will use jQuery. By capturing the prompt class and using its HTML method, we can output the first question onto the screen. For instance:

$(".prompt").html(prompts[0]);

Creating the Content for the Mad Libs Game

With the foundational knowledge in place, it's time to create the content for our Mad Libs game. We have already stored our questions in the prompts array and learned how to access them. Now, we will utilize jQuery to display these questions to the user.

In our HTML code, we have a div with the class prompt, acting as a placeholder for the question. By using the jQuery selector $(".prompt"), followed by the HTML method, we can inject the first question into the HTML. To display subsequent questions, we simply need to change the index value.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully completed phase one of our Mad Libs project. In this article, we covered the basics of JavaScript arrays, learned how to access items in an array, and utilized jQuery to inject content into HTML. We also explored the concept of Mad Libs games and got a glimpse of what our final product will look like. Stay tuned for the next phase, where we will continue building and enhancing our game!

Highlights

• Create a basic Mad Libs game based on General Assembly's tutorials
• Learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript through interactive Dash tutorials
• Understand the concept and implementation of a digital Mad Libs game
• Utilize JavaScript arrays to store questions for the game
• Access items in an array using index positions
• Use jQuery to display questions and inject content into HTML

FAQ

Q: What is a Mad Libs game? A: A Mad Libs game is a word game where players are prompted for a list of words to substitute into a pre-determined sentence or story. The resulting combination of words often leads to humorous and unexpected outcomes.

Q: Can I code along with the tutorial? A: Yes, starter and solution code templates have been provided for each tutorial. Simply refer to the provided links and code along with the tutorial videos.

Q: How many projects are covered in the Dash tutorials? A: There are a total of five projects covered in the Dash tutorials, including building a personal website, creating a responsive blog theme, constructing a small business website, developing a CSS robot, and crafting a Mad Libs game.

Q: What are the benefits of using JavaScript arrays in the Mad Libs game? A: JavaScript arrays provide a convenient way to store and access multiple objects. In the context of the Mad Libs game, arrays allow us to store and retrieve the questions for the prompts.

Q: How can jQuery be used to inject content into HTML? A: jQuery provides the HTML method that can be used to inject content into HTML elements. By selecting the target element and using the HTML method, we can dynamically display information on the web page.

Q: What can I expect from the next phase of the Mad Libs project? A: In the next phase, we will continue building and enhancing the Mad Libs game. We will explore methods to collect user input, store the responses, and generate the final output based on the user's inputs. Stay tuned for more exciting developments!