Merge branch 'master' into master

Author: ockley

Diff for: 1-js/01-getting-started/1-intro/article.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # An Introduction to JavaScript
 
-Let's see what's so special about JavaScript, what we can achieve with it, and which other technologies play well with it.
+Let's see what's so special about JavaScript, what we can achieve with it, and what other technologies play well with it.
 
 ## What is JavaScript?
 
@@ -116,6 +116,6 @@ There are more. Of course, even if we use one of transpiled languages, we should
 
 ## Summary
 
-- JavaScript was initially created as a browser-only language, but is now used in many other environments as well.
-- Today, JavaScript has a unique position as the most widely-adopted browser language with full integration with HTML/CSS.
+- JavaScript was initially created as a browser-only language, but it is now used in many other environments as well.
+- Today, JavaScript has a unique position as the most widely-adopted browser language with full integration in HTML/CSS.
 - There are many languages that get "transpiled" to JavaScript and provide certain features. It is recommended to take a look at them, at least briefly, after mastering JavaScript.

Diff for: 1-js/02-first-steps/18-javascript-specials/article.md

@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ Assignments
 : There is a simple assignment: `a = b` and combined ones like `a *= 2`.
 
 Bitwise
-: Bitwise operators work with 32-bit integers at the lowest, bit-level: see the [docs](mdn:/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/Bitwise_Operators) when they are needed.
+: Bitwise operators work with 32-bit integers at the lowest, bit-level: see the [docs](mdn:/JavaScript/Guide/Expressions_and_Operators#Bitwise) when they are needed.
 
 Conditional
 : The only operator with three parameters: `cond ? resultA : resultB`. If `cond` is truthy, returns `resultA`, otherwise `resultB`.

Diff for: 1-js/03-code-quality/02-coding-style/article.md

@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ Here's an example of an `.eslintrc` file:
   },
   "rules": {
     "no-console": 0,
-    "indent": ["warning", 2]
+    "indent": 2
   }
 }
 ```

Diff for: 1-js/03-code-quality/06-polyfills/article.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Actually, there are two parts in Babel:
 
 2. Second, the polyfill.
 
-    New language features may include new built-in functions and syntax constructs.
+    New language features may include not only syntax constructs, but also built-in functions.
     The transpiler rewrites the code, transforming syntax constructs into older ones. But as for new built-in functions, we need to implement them. JavaScript is a highly dynamic language, scripts may add/modify any functions, so that they behave according to the modern standard.
 
     A script that updates/adds new functions is called "polyfill". It "fills in" the gap and adds missing implementations.

Diff for: 1-js/04-object-basics/01-object/8-multiply-numeric/task.md

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ importance: 3
 
 ---
 
-# Multiply numeric properties by 2
+# Multiply numeric property values by 2
 
-Create a function `multiplyNumeric(obj)` that multiplies all numeric properties of `obj` by `2`.
+Create a function `multiplyNumeric(obj)` that multiplies all numeric property values of `obj` by `2`.
 
 For instance:
 

Diff for: 1-js/04-object-basics/02-object-copy/article.md

@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-# Object copying, references
+# Object references and copying
 
-One of the fundamental differences of objects vs primitives is that they are stored and copied "by reference".
+One of the fundamental differences of objects versus primitives is that objects are stored and copied "by reference", as opposed to primitive values: strings, numbers, booleans, etc -- that are always copied "as a whole value".
 
-Primitive values: strings, numbers, booleans -- are assigned/copied "as a whole value".
+That's easy to understand if we look a bit "under a cover" of what happens when we copy a value.
 
-For instance:
+Let's start with a primitive, such as a string.
+
+Here we put a copy of `message` into `phrase`:
 
 ```js
 let message = "Hello!";
@@ -15,21 +17,31 @@ As a result we have two independent variables, each one is storing the string `"
 
 ![](variable-copy-value.svg)
 
+Quite an obvious result, right?
+
 Objects are not like that.
 
-**A variable stores not the object itself, but its "address in memory", in other words "a reference" to it.**
+**A variable assigned to an object stores not the object itself, but its "address in memory", in other words "a reference" to it.**
 
-Here's the picture for the object:
+Let's look at an example of such variable:
 
 ```js
 let user = {
   name: "John"
 };
 ```
 
+And here's how it's actually stored in memory:
+
 ![](variable-contains-reference.svg)
 
-Here, the object is stored somewhere in memory. And the variable `user` has a "reference" to it.
+The object is stored somewhere in memory (at the right of the picture), while the `user` variable (at the left) has a "reference" to it.
+
+We may think of an object variable, such as `user`, as of a sheet of paper with the address.
+
+When we perform actions with the object, e.g. take a property `user.name`, JavaScript engine looks into that address and performs the operation on the actual object.
+
+Now here's why it's important.
 
 **When an object variable is copied -- the reference is copied, the object is not duplicated.**
 
@@ -45,6 +57,8 @@ Now we have two variables, each one with the reference to the same object:
 
 ![](variable-copy-reference.svg)
 
+As you can see, there's still one object, now with two variables that reference it.
+
 We can use any variable to access the object and modify its contents:
 
 ```js run
@@ -59,15 +73,14 @@ admin.name = 'Pete'; // changed by the "admin" reference
 alert(*!*user.name*/!*); // 'Pete', changes are seen from the "user" reference
 ```
 
-The example above demonstrates that there is only one object. As if we had a cabinet with two keys and used one of them (`admin`) to get into it. Then, if we later use another key (`user`) we can see changes.
 
-## Comparison by reference
+It's just as if we had a cabinet with two keys and used one of them (`admin`) to get into it. Then, if we later use another key (`user`) we can see changes.
 
-The equality `==` and strict equality `===` operators for objects work exactly the same.
+## Comparison by reference
 
-**Two objects are equal only if they are the same object.**
+Two objects are equal only if they are the same object.
 
-Here two variables reference the same object, thus they are equal:
+For instance, here `a` and `b` reference the same object, thus they are equal:
 
 ```js run
 let a = {};
@@ -77,7 +90,7 @@ alert( a == b ); // true, both variables reference the same object
 alert( a === b ); // true
 ```
 
-And here two independent objects are not equal, even though both are empty:
+And here two independent objects are not equal, even though they look alike (both are empty):
 
 ```js run
 let a = {};
@@ -86,7 +99,7 @@ let b = {}; // two independent objects
 alert( a == b ); // false
 ```
 
-For comparisons like `obj1 > obj2` or for a comparison against a primitive `obj == 5`, objects are converted to primitives. We'll study how object conversions work very soon, but to tell the truth, such comparisons occur very rarely, usually as a result of a coding mistake.
+For comparisons like `obj1 > obj2` or for a comparison against a primitive `obj == 5`, objects are converted to primitives. We'll study how object conversions work very soon, but to tell the truth, such comparisons are needed very rarely, usually they appear as a result of a programming mistake.
 
 ## Cloning and merging, Object.assign
 

Diff for: 1-js/04-object-basics/03-garbage-collection/article.md

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Simply put, "reachable" values are those that are accessible or usable somehow.
 
 2. Any other value is considered reachable if it's reachable from a root by a reference or by a chain of references.
 
-    For instance, if there's an object in a global variable, and that object has a property referencing another object, that object is considered reachable. And those that it references are also reachable. Detailed examples to follow.
+    For instance, if there's an object in a global variable, and that object has a property referencing another object, *that* object is considered reachable. And those that it references are also reachable. Detailed examples to follow.
 
 There's a background process in the JavaScript engine that is called [garbage collector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_collection_(computer_science)). It monitors all objects and removes those that have become unreachable.
 

Diff for: 1-js/04-object-basics/04-object-methods/article.md

@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ user.sayHi = function() {
 user.sayHi(); // Hello!
 ```
 
-Here we've just used a Function Expression to create the function and assign it to the property `user.sayHi` of the object.
+Here we've just used a Function Expression to create a function and assign it to the property `user.sayHi` of the object.
 
-Then we can call it. The user can now speak!
+Then we can call it as `user.sayHi()`. The user can now speak!
 
-A function that is the property of an object is called its *method*.
+A function that is a property of an object is called its *method*.
 
 So, here we've got a method `sayHi` of the object `user`.
 
@@ -160,14 +160,16 @@ let user = {
 let admin = user;
 user = null; // overwrite to make things obvious
 
-admin.sayHi(); // Whoops! inside sayHi(), the old name is used! error!
+*!*
+admin.sayHi(); // TypeError: Cannot read property 'name' of null
+*/!*
 ```
 
 If we used `this.name` instead of `user.name` inside the `alert`, then the code would work.
 
 ## "this" is not bound
 
-In JavaScript, keyword `this` behaves unlike most other programming languages. It can be used in any function.
+In JavaScript, keyword `this` behaves unlike most other programming languages. It can be used in any function, even if it's not a method of an object.
 
 There's no syntax error in the following example: