Skip to content

Clarify that Week 2 Python challenge is optional - #2766

Open
Yosolita1978 wants to merge 1 commit into
Techtonica:mainfrom
Yosolita1978:week-2-code-challenge-python-optional
Open

Clarify that Week 2 Python challenge is optional#2766
Yosolita1978 wants to merge 1 commit into
Techtonica:mainfrom
Yosolita1978:week-2-code-challenge-python-optional

Conversation

@Yosolita1978

@Yosolita1978 Yosolita1978 commented Jul 30, 2026

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Contributor

📝 Description

Follow-up to #2754. Updates the Week 2 Code Challenges README to make clear that
the JavaScript challenges are the required track for program participants and
that the Python version is optional. Applies the same feedback Naomi gave on the
Week 3 README (#2756), which pointed out that the curriculum also serves grads,
seeker-program participants, and independent learners.

🔂 Changes Made

  • Added a "Who This Folder Is For" section naming the three audiences.
  • Retitled "Why You Solve Some Challenges Twice" to "Duplicated Exercises" and
    removed the text encouraging learners to solve the challenge in both languages.
  • Listed the three JavaScript challenges as the main list, with
    string_manipulation.py under an "Optional:" heading.
  • Removed the learning objective about explaining the idea in both languages.
  • Scoped the Python prerequisite, doc link, and index note as optional.
  • Kept the connection between Find Last Index and Find Target Index, which is a
    genuine conceptual link rather than a duplicate, and moved it under the vital
    concept.

⚙️ Related Issue

🍏 Type of Change

  • Documentation update

🎁 Acceptance Criteria

  • The README makes clear that the JavaScript challenges are the required track
    and the Python version is optional.
  • No section asks a program participant to complete a Python exercise.
  • Every file referenced in the README matches a file that exists in the folder.

🧪 How to test or what to evaluate

  1. Open code-challenges/Week_2/README.md and preview the Markdown (VS Code: Cmd+Shift+V).
  2. Confirm all headings render and all links are valid.
  3. Cross-check the filenames listed against the folder contents.
  4. Confirm no section asks a program participant to complete the Python challenge.

🚀 Repo Notes (if applicable)

  • Table of contents: no update needed; this is a folder-level README.
  • Other repo areas impacted: none — documentation only.
  • Full-time program considerations: program participants work in JavaScript only,
    and the README now reflects that.

📸 Screenshots (if applicable)

N/A — Markdown documentation only.

✅ Checklist

  • I have performed a self-review of my code.
  • My code follows the style guidelines of this project.
  • I have commented my code where necessary.
  • I have tested my code locally and verified the website is working as expected.
  • (if applicable) I have added documentation in the README.
  • (if applicable) I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works.
  • (if applicable) New and existing unit tests pass locally with my changes.

@naomiquinones naomiquinones left a comment

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Thanks for the updates. I noted a few other things that could be clarified.

Comment on lines +34 to +35
Find Target Index appears twice, once as a `.js` file and once as a `.py` file.
It is the same challenge, not two different ones.

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Lines 28-30 above already indicate that the python file is the same exercise in a different language, so these lines are redundant and can be removed.

Comment on lines 40 to +49
**The vital concept this week is searching and the `-1` "not found" pattern.** In
lots of languages, functions that look for something return the index when they
find it, and a special value like `-1` when they do not. Getting comfortable
checking for that `-1` will help you far beyond these exercises.

You will see this shape twice in a row, and that is worth noticing. Find Last
Index searches an array and Find Target Index searches a string, so the data is
different, but the answer has the same form: return where you found it, or return
`-1` when you did not. Searching is one idea you can apply to many kinds of data.

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Should these paragraphs have a title to separate them from the "Duplicated Exercises" section that precede them? Or maybe they could be moved to the Motivation or Learning Objectives section.

you are looking for a user in a list or a word in a message. These challenges give
you a friendly place to practice the exact skill, and solving them in two languages
builds the kind of understanding that sticks.
you a friendly place to practice that exact skill, and to get used to the `-1`

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Collaborator

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

This might be the place to move the paragraphs that go into more detail about the -1 pattern

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

2 participants