Silly story generator

In this assessment you'll be tasked with taking some of the knowledge you've picked up in this module's articles and applying it to creating a fun app that generates random silly stories. Have fun!

Prerequisites: Before attempting this assessment you should have already worked through all the articles in this module.
Objective: To test comprehension of JavaScript fundamentals, such as variables, numbers, operators, strings, and arrays.

Starting point

To get this assessment started, you should:

  • Go and grab the HTML file for the example, save a local copy of it as index.html in a new directory somewhere on your computer, and do the assessment locally to begin with. This also has the CSS to style the example contained within it.
  • Go to the page containing the raw text and keep this open in a separate browser tab somewhere. You'll need it later.

Alternatively, you could use a site like  JSBin or Glitch  to do your assessment. You could paste the HTML, CSS and JavaScript into one of these online editors. If the online editor you are using doesn't have a separate JavaScript panel, feel free to put it inline in a <script> element inside the HTML page.

注意: If you get stuck, then ask us for help — see the Assessment or further help section at the bottom of this page.

Project brief

You have been provided with some raw HTML/CSS and a few text strings and JavaScript functions; you need to write the necessary JavaScript to turn this into a working program, which does the following:

  • Generates a silly story when the "Generate random story" button is pressed.
  • Replaces the default name "Bob" in the story with a custom name, only if a custom name is entered into the "Enter custom name" text field before the generate button is pressed.
  • Converts the default US weight and temperature quantities and units in the story into UK equivalents if the UK radio button is checked before the generate button is pressed.
  • Will generate another random silly story if you press the button again (and again...)

The following screenshot shows an example of what the finished program should output:

To give you more of an idea, have a look at the finished example (no peeking at the source code!)

Steps to complete

The following sections describe what you need to do.

Basic setup:

  1. Create a new file called main.js , in the same directory as your index.html 文件。
  2. Apply the external JavaScript file to your HTML by inserting a <script> element into your HTML referencing main.js . Put it just before the closing </body> 标签。

Initial variables and functions:

  1. In the raw text file, copy all of the code underneath the heading "1. COMPLETE VARIABLE AND FUNCTION DEFINITIONS" and paste it into the top of the main.js file. This gives you three variables that store references to the "Enter custom name" text field ( customName ), the "Generate random story" button ( randomize ), and the <p> element at the bottom of the HTML body that the story will be copied into ( story ), respectively. In addition you've got a function called  randomValueFromArray() that takes an array, and returns one of the items stored inside the array at random.
  2. Now look at the second section of the raw text file — "2. RAW TEXT STRINGS". This contains text strings that will act as input into our program. We'd like you to contain these inside variables inside main.js :
    1. Store the first, big long, string of text inside a variable called storyText .
    2. Store the first set of three strings inside an array called insertX .
    3. Store the second set of three strings inside an array called insertY .
    4. Store the third set of three strings inside an array called insertZ .

Placing the event handler and incomplete function:

  1. Now return to the raw text file.
  2. Copy the code found underneath the heading "3. EVENT LISTENER AND PARTIAL FUNCTION DEFINITION" and paste it into the bottom of your main.js file. This:
    • Adds a click event listener to the randomize variable so that when the button it represents is clicked, the result() function is run.
    • Adds a partially-completed result() function definition to your code. For the remainder of the assessment, you'll be filling in lines inside this function to complete it and make it work properly.

Completing the result() 函数:

  1. Create a new variable called newStory , and set its value to equal storyText . This is needed so we can create a new random story each time the button is pressed and the function is run. If we made changes directly to storyText , we'd only be able to generate a new story once.
  2. Create three new variables called xItem , yItem ,和 zItem , and make them equal to the result of calling randomValueFromArray() on your three arrays (the result in each case will be a random item out of each array it is called on). For example you can call the function and get it to return one random string out of insertX by writing randomValueFromArray(insertX) .
  3. Next we want to replace the three placeholders in the newStory string — :insertx: , :inserty: ,和 :insertz: — with the strings stored in xItem , yItem ,和 zItem . There is a particular string method that will help you here — in each case, make the call to the method equal to newStory , so each time it is called, newStory is made equal to itself, but with substitutions made. So each time the button is pressed, these placeholders are each replaced with a random silly string. As a further hint, the method in question only replaces the first instance of the substring it finds, so you might need to make one of the calls twice.
  4. Inside the first if block, add another string replacement method call to replace the name 'Bob' found in the newStory string with the 名称 variable. In this block we are saying "If a value has been entered into the customName text input, replace Bob in the story with that custom name."
  5. Inside the second if block, we are checking to see if the uk radio button has been selected. If so, we want to convert the weight and temperature values in the story from pounds and Fahrenheit into stones and centigrade. What you need to do is as follows:
    1. Look up the formulae for converting pounds to stone, and Fahrenheit to centigrade.
    2. Inside the line that defines the weight variable, replace 300 with a calculation that converts 300 pounds into stones. Concatenate ' stone' onto the end of the result of the overall Math.round() 调用。
    3. Inside the line that defines the temperature variable, replace 94 with a calculation that converts 94 Fahrenheit into centigrade. Concatenate ' centigrade' onto the end of the result of the overall Math.round() 调用。
    4. Just under the two variable definitions, add two more string replacement lines that replace '94 fahrenheit' with the contents of the temperature variable, and '300 pounds' with the contents of the weight 变量。
  6. Finally, in the second-to-last line of the function, make the textContent 特性为 story variable (which references the paragraph) equal to newStory .

Hints and tips

  • You don't need to edit the HTML in any way, except to apply the JavaScript to your HTML.
  • If you are unsure whether the JavaScript is applied to your HTML properly, try removing everything else from the JavaScript file temporarily, adding in a simple bit of JavaScript that you know will create an obvious effect, then saving and refreshing. The following for example turns the background of the <html> element red — so the entire browser window should go red if the JavaScript is applied properly:
    document.querySelector('html').style.backgroundColor = 'red';
    
    								
  • Math.round() is a built-in JavaScript method that rounds the result of a calculation to the nearest whole number.
  • There are three instances of strings that need to be replaced. You may repeat the replace() method multiple times, or you can use regular expressions. For instance, let text = 'I am the biggest lover, I love my love'; text.replace(/love/g,'like'); will replace all instances of 'love' to 'like'. Remember, Strings are immutable!

Assessment or further help

If you would like your work assessed, or are stuck and want to ask for help:

  1. Put your work into an online shareable editor such as CodePen , jsFiddle ,或 Glitch .
  2. Write a post asking for assessment and/or help at the MDN Discourse forum Learning category . Your post should include:
    • A descriptive title such as "Assessment wanted for Silly story generator".
    • Details of what you have already tried, and what you would like us to do, e.g. if you are stuck and need help, or want an assessment.
    • A link to the example you want assessed or need help with, in an online shareable editor (as mentioned in step 1 above). This is a good practice to get into — it's very hard to help someone with a coding problem if you can't see their code.
    • A link to the actual task or assessment page, so we can find the question you want help with.

In this module

发现此页面有问题吗?

最后修改: , 由 MDN 贡献者

  1. Complete beginners start here!
  2. Web 快速入门
    1. Getting started with the Web overview
    2. 安装基本软件
    3. What will your website look like?
    4. 处理文件
    5. HTML 基础
    6. CSS 基础
    7. JavaScript 基础
    8. 发布您的网站
    9. How the Web works
  3. HTML — Structuring the Web
  4. HTML 介绍
    1. Introduction to HTML overview
    2. Getting started with HTML
    3. What's in the head? Metadata in HTML
    4. HTML text fundamentals
    5. Creating hyperlinks
    6. Advanced text formatting
    7. Document and website structure
    8. Debugging HTML
    9. Assessment: Marking up a letter
    10. Assessment: Structuring a page of content
  5. 多媒体和嵌入
    1. Multimedia and embedding overview
    2. Images in HTML
    3. Video and audio content
    4. From object to iframe — other embedding technologies
    5. Adding vector graphics to the Web
    6. Responsive images
    7. Assessment: Mozilla splash page
  6. HTML 表格
    1. HTML tables overview
    2. HTML table basics
    3. HTML Table advanced features and accessibility
    4. Assessment: Structuring planet data
  7. CSS — Styling the Web
  8. CSS 第一步
    1. CSS first steps overview
    2. What is CSS?
    3. Getting started with CSS
    4. How CSS is structured
    5. How CSS works
    6. Using your new knowledge
  9. CSS 构建块
    1. CSS building blocks overview
    2. Cascade and inheritance
    3. CSS 选择器
    4. The box model
    5. Backgrounds and borders
    6. Handling different text directions
    7. Overflowing content
    8. Values and units
    9. Sizing items in CSS
    10. Images, media, and form elements
    11. Styling tables
    12. Debugging CSS
    13. Organizing your CSS
  10. 样式化文本
    1. Styling text overview
    2. Fundamental text and font styling
    3. Styling lists
    4. Styling links
    5. Web fonts
    6. Assessment: Typesetting a community school homepage
  11. CSS 布局
    1. CSS layout overview
    2. Introduction to CSS layout
    3. Normal Flow
    4. Flexbox
    5. Grids
    6. Floats
    7. 位置
    8. Multiple-column Layout
    9. Responsive design
    10. Beginner's guide to media queries
    11. Legacy Layout Methods
    12. Supporting Older Browsers
    13. Fundamental Layout Comprehension
  12. JavaScript — Dynamic client-side scripting
  13. JavaScript 第一步
    1. JavaScript first steps overview
    2. What is JavaScript?
    3. A first splash into JavaScript
    4. What went wrong? Troubleshooting JavaScript
    5. Storing the information you need — Variables
    6. Basic math in JavaScript — Numbers and operators
    7. Handling text — Strings in JavaScript
    8. Useful string methods
    9. 数组
    10. Assessment: Silly story generator
  14. JavaScript 构建块
    1. JavaScript building blocks overview
    2. Making decisions in your code — Conditionals
    3. Looping code
    4. Functions — Reusable blocks of code
    5. Build your own function
    6. Function return values
    7. 事件介绍
    8. Assessment: Image gallery
  15. 引入 JavaScript 对象
    1. Introducing JavaScript objects overview
    2. Object basics
    3. 对象原型
    4. Object-oriented programming concepts
    5. Classes in JavaScript
    6. Working with JSON data
    7. Object building practice
    8. Assessment: Adding features to our bouncing balls demo
  16. 异步 JavaScript
    1. Asynchronous JavaScript overview
    2. General asynchronous programming concepts
    3. Introducing asynchronous JavaScript
    4. Cooperative asynchronous Java​Script: Timeouts and intervals
    5. Graceful asynchronous programming with Promises
    6. Making asynchronous programming easier with async and await
    7. Choosing the right approach
  17. 客户端侧 Web API
    1. 客户端侧 Web API
    2. Introduction to web APIs
    3. Manipulating documents
    4. Fetching data from the server
    5. Third party APIs
    6. Drawing graphics
    7. Video and audio APIs
    8. Client-side storage
  18. Web forms — Working with user data
  19. Core forms learning pathway
    1. Web forms overview
    2. Your first form
    3. How to structure a web form
    4. Basic native form controls
    5. The HTML5 input types
    6. Other form controls
    7. Styling web forms
    8. Advanced form styling
    9. UI pseudo-classes
    10. Client-side form validation
    11. Sending form data
  20. Advanced forms articles
    1. How to build custom form controls
    2. Sending forms through JavaScript
    3. CSS property compatibility table for form controls
  21. Accessibility — Make the web usable by everyone
  22. Accessibility guides
    1. Accessibility overview
    2. What is accessibility?
    3. HTML: A good basis for accessibility
    4. CSS and JavaScript accessibility best practices
    5. WAI-ARIA basics
    6. Accessible multimedia
    7. Mobile accessibility
  23. Accessibility assessment
    1. Assessment: Accessibility troubleshooting
  24. Tools and testing
  25. Client-side web development tools
    1. Client-side web development tools index
    2. Client-side tooling overview
    3. Command line crash course
    4. Package management basics
    5. Introducing a complete toolchain
    6. Deploying our app
  26. Introduction to client-side frameworks
    1. Client-side frameworks overview
    2. Framework main features
  27. React
    1. Getting started with React
    2. Beginning our React todo list
    3. Componentizing our React app
    4. React interactivity: Events and state
    5. React interactivity: Editing, filtering, conditional rendering
    6. Accessibility in React
    7. React resources
  28. Ember
    1. Getting started with Ember
    2. Ember app structure and componentization
    3. Ember interactivity: Events, classes and state
    4. Ember Interactivity: Footer functionality, conditional rendering
    5. Routing in Ember
    6. Ember resources and troubleshooting
  29. Vue
    1. Getting started with Vue
    2. Creating our first Vue component
    3. Rendering a list of Vue components
    4. Adding a new todo form: Vue events, methods, and models
    5. Styling Vue components with CSS
    6. Using Vue computed properties
    7. Vue conditional rendering: editing existing todos
    8. Focus management with Vue refs
    9. Vue resources
  30. Svelte
    1. Getting started with Svelte
    2. Starting our Svelte Todo list app
    3. Dynamic behavior in Svelte: working with variables and props
    4. Componentizing our Svelte app
    5. Advanced Svelte: Reactivity, lifecycle, accessibility
    6. Working with Svelte stores
    7. TypeScript support in Svelte
    8. Deployment and next steps
  31. Angular
    1. Getting started with Angular
    2. Beginning our Angular todo list app
    3. Styling our Angular app
    4. Creating an item component
    5. Filtering our to-do items
    6. Building Angular applications and further resources
  32. Git and GitHub
    1. Git and GitHub overview
    2. Hello World
    3. Git Handbook
    4. Forking Projects
    5. About pull requests
    6. Mastering Issues
  33. Cross browser testing
    1. Cross browser testing overview
    2. Introduction to cross browser testing
    3. Strategies for carrying out testing
    4. Handling common HTML and CSS problems
    5. Handling common JavaScript problems
    6. Handling common accessibility problems
    7. Implementing feature detection
    8. Introduction to automated testing
    9. Setting up your own test automation environment
  34. Server-side website programming
  35. 第一步
    1. First steps overview
    2. Introduction to the server-side
    3. Client-Server overview
    4. Server-side web frameworks
    5. Website security
  36. Django Web 框架 (Python)
    1. Django web framework (Python) overview
    2. 介绍
    3. 设置开发环境
    4. Tutorial: The Local Library website
    5. Tutorial Part 2: Creating a skeleton website
    6. Tutorial Part 3: Using models
    7. Tutorial Part 4: Django admin site
    8. Tutorial Part 5: Creating our home page
    9. Tutorial Part 6: Generic list and detail views
    10. Tutorial Part 7: Sessions framework
    11. Tutorial Part 8: User authentication and permissions
    12. Tutorial Part 9: Working with forms
    13. Tutorial Part 10: Testing a Django web application
    14. Tutorial Part 11: Deploying Django to production
    15. Web application security
    16. Assessment: DIY mini blog
  37. Express Web Framework (node.js/JavaScript)
    1. Express Web Framework (Node.js/JavaScript) overview
    2. Express/Node introduction
    3. Setting up a Node (Express) development environment
    4. Express tutorial: The Local Library website
    5. Express Tutorial Part 2: Creating a skeleton website
    6. Express Tutorial Part 3: Using a database (with Mongoose)
    7. Express Tutorial Part 4: Routes and controllers
    8. Express Tutorial Part 5: Displaying library data
    9. Express Tutorial Part 6: Working with forms
    10. Express Tutorial Part 7: Deploying to production
  38. Further resources
  39. Common questions
    1. HTML questions
    2. CSS questions
    3. JavaScript questions
    4. Web mechanics
    5. Tools and setup
    6. Design and accessibility