Begin to code

Become a cloud developer — and have fun doing it!

This full-color guide will help you start creating cloud-based apps and games fast, even if you’ve never done it before. Not just friendly and easy, it puts you in control of your own learning and empowers you to solve problems you care about. Microsoft and author Rob Miles have reinvented the introductory tutorial, reflecting deep research into how newcomers learn. Begin to Code is packed with innovations, from debugging challenges to step-by-step Make Something Happen exercises replicated as YouTube videos linked directly from the book. Miles puts code in context, showing how modern cloud applications are deployed and run, how their elements combine into working systems, and how key cloud technologies help you address security, reliability, and scalability. Easy, friendly, and you’re in control!

Learn how to…



Recognize what’s unique about cloud-based software and why JavaScript is ideal for developing them
Move JavaScript code onto the cloud, and add programmed behavior to web pages
Create active sites and generate dynamic web content
Use the Node.js framework to write programs that run on servers and respond to browser requests
Build shared applications that use services and JSON data transfer
Host and optimize shared game experiences in the cloud
Consider ethical and privacy issues as you design new cloud apps and services
Streamline and improve cloud development with Express Framework, node package manager, and Git
Use professional techniques to deliver reliable, secure, and well performing solutions
Build cloud-hosted programs that interact with file stores and databases
Configure and deploy a working application, step by step
Get started with cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) development

About This Book



For beginners who’ve never written code for the cloud
For anyone who’s been frustrated with other beginning programming books or courses
For people who’ve started out in other environments and now want to code for the cloud