In Java, data types are categorized into two main groups: primitive data types and non primitive data types(also known as reference or objects). Let’s check these out in comparison below. I’ll explain the difference more as the blog goes along!

What are Primitive Data Types?

Primitive Data Type: is a basic data type that holds a simple value. There are eight primitive data types. The most notable primitive data types are *boolean, *int, *double, and *char. Here’s a break down of them all below:

1. *boolean — The size it not precisely defined but you can consider it to be 1 bit. That means it can only hold two values being true or false.
2. byte — With 1 byte we can hold a integer number between -128 to 127 because a byte only has one byte of memory.
3. short — A short has 2 bytes of memory so it can hold a larger number between about -32,768 to 32,767.
4. *int — *Integers are important.* They can store a number to just under -2 billion to just over 2 billion because they use 4 bytes of memory.
5. long — They use 8 bytes of memory and hold a very large number between just under -9 quintillion to just over 9 quintillion.
6. float — A float can store a fractional number up to 6–7 digits. For example: 3.141692f. If you are going to assign a value to a variable thats of a the float data type you need follow the value with the letter f. Floats use 4 bytes.
7. *double — A double has more precision than a float. It uses 8 bytes of memory and can store a fractional number up to 15 digits. For example: 3.1453647256123
8. *char — Characters pronounced char for short. This will store a single character, letter, ASCII value. A common convention with assigning values to a char variable is you need to surround your value with with a pair of single quotes. An example would be ‘m’. The size of a char is 2 bytes (16 bits).

What are Non-Primitive Data Types?

Non-Primitive Data Types: hold complex values(objects). That include things like classes, interfaces, arrays, and enums. Instead of holding the actual data, they hold a reference (or address) to where the data is stored in memory. This means they point to the location of the data rather than containing the data itself. Let’s check them all out below:

1. Class/Objects — Instances of user-defined types that can contain methods and attributes. Example: A Car object with properties like color and model.
2. Interface — Abstract types that define a set of methods that a class must implement.
3. Array — A collection of elements all of the same type. Example: [2, 4, 6,]or ['x', 'y', 'z']
4. Enum — An enum (short for "enumeration") in Java is a special data type that represents a group of constants (unchangeable variables, typically used to represent a fixed set of values).
5. Collection — Objects like lists, sets, maps, etc., that store multiple items.
6. *String — Because this is a reference data type it stores a sequence of characters such as a word or a sentence. You could store a single character within a string but chars and strings behave differently, because chars are primitive data types and strings are reference data types. An example of a String would be: private String greeting = "hello";

Non-primitive types are essentially more flexible and powerful than primitive types, but they require more memory and can be slower to access due to the indirection of the reference.

To wrap things up, it’s really important to get the difference between primitive and reference data types in Java. Primitive data types, like `int`, `boolean`, and `char`, are simple and super efficient for basic tasks because they have a fixed size and are easy to handle.

On the flip side, reference data types — such as classes, interfaces, arrays, and collections — give you a lot more flexibility. They point to the actual data rather than holding it directly, which allows you to create more complex and dynamic structures. By knowing when to use each type, you can make smarter choices and get the most out of your Java applications.

Well that’s all for my blog post today. I hope you enjoyed my article and found the content useful!

Please give me follow here as well as on LinkedIn to learn more about Shopify and all things development.

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What are Primitive Types in Javascript?

In Javascript, primitive types are the basic data types that are not objects and do not have methods. Primitive types in JavaScript are immutable, which means their values cannot be changed. When you manipulate a primitive type, you’re working directly with its value rather than a reference to its value as you would with objects.

There are 6 primitive types in Javascript:

1. String: A sequence of characters
2. Number: A numerical value
3. Boolean: true or false values
4. Undefined: the absences of a value
5. null: A intentional absence of a value (purposely leaving a value absence)
6. Symbol: provides unique identifiers for variables

There is an additional type in Javascript, object, but it’s not necessarily considered a primitive type… I’ll dive deeper into that in another blog so stay tuned!

Don’t worry about not understanding how each of these function just yet. I will go into greater detail on each one throughout the blog. Let’s dive in!

Strings

In order to denote a string variable you would need to use double quotes, single quotes, or back ticks as follows:

Strings have a lot of different built in functionalities in them i.e concatenation, finding a character in a string, finding a substring of the string etc. The majority of time you will see single quotes being used, but don’t be surprised to see double quotes or back ticks(Template Literals) out in the wild.

Number

A number is any numerical value that you need to store. In Javascript that could be a positive or negative integer, float, binary, octal, hexadecimal, and exponential values.

I am going to declare or initialize a few variables with number values below:

These three initializations are all valid numerical values that can all be stored inside variables in Javascript and they would all fall under the number type.

Boolean

Essentially, boolean values are just true or false values. You can either initialize a variable as true or false, or set a value to some comparison that would then equal true or false. Please see a few examples below:

Above you will see the first two statements we use the keywords true or false while the third one is a statement that would either evaluate to true or false (In this case true). These are all valid Boolean expressions.

Undefined

Undefined is the absence of a value. Typically this would mean that, that variable has been declared but never initialized.

In the above example the first variables value is undefined because it’s never been given a value. You can also explicitly set the value as undefined as shown in the second initialization.

Another way to have an undefined value is when a function has an argument, but when the function is called no argument is passed in.

Null

Null is also the absence of a value but it’s more intentional. When you don’t want to pass a value to a function, you typically want to pass null. Which means you intentionally didn’t pass a value to this function.

There’s really no big difference between nulland undefinedas they both are the absence of a value. They are different types but they can kind of accomplish the same thing.

The big difference between the two is undefined infers an unintentional absence of a value. If a variable is undefined in your function, you would usually want to assume there is an error. If it is null you’d assume you intentionally left that value out.

Symbol

A Symbol provides unique identifiers. To create a symbol you use the Symbol function and select the value you want to store. See the example below for reference:

By doing this we have created a unique identifier for this variable. For example even if we have second variable with Symbol(‘hi’), they would not equal each other. Symbols are an awesome way to ensure that you have unique values that you need to store.

Well that’s all for my blog post today. I hope you enjoyed my article and found the content useful!

Please give me follow here as well as on LinkedIn to learn more about Shopify and all things development.

Thanks for reading!

📩 Email: dev@michaelmartinstudios.com

Happy Coding!

What are Shopify sections?

Shopify sections are key components of Shopify themes that allow merchants to customize and arrange their online stores without needing to code extensively. Previously before Shopify released the Online Store 2.0 architecture in June 2021, you didn’t have the flexibility to move any sections around the way you can in a 2.0 theme on any other page beside your homepage.

This all became possible through a new template file format. Before we used *.liquid templates, now we have JSON templates that holds data containing included sections, their order, and the settings value.

Essentially merchants want a user-friendly theme they can edit on their own. Creating sections gives the user a variety of different settings types to choose from, whether that’s creating sections for custom HTML, slideshows, product collections, and the overall flexibility to build out or prototype landing pages.

Sections can be found inside the /sections directory of a theme. These can be dynamically added into any template from the Theme Editor or included into a themes layout files statically.

Why are Theme Sections Important?

They truly offer so much flexibility, consistency, and efficiency speeding up the design process.

The overall customization of sections allow store owners to seamlessly add, remove, and rearrange content on their store without any coding knowledge required. Making it easier to tailor the stores appearance to match their brands identity. Shopify’s 2.0 themes also offer more modularity in the sense of each section is a self contained module that can be reused across different pages. Maintaining this consistency ensures the stores maintains a cohesive look and feel.

As I mentioned above, the efficiency sections plays a huge role in the importance of these sections. The sections simplify the process of updating your store’s designs. You can make these changes quickly, allowing owners the ability to keep their site fresh without always needing the help of a developer. The sections are also designed to automatically adjust the look of the store depending on which device you are using making them responsive. Wether that be a iPhone, tablet, PC, you name it. This is crucial for providing positive user experience across all platforms.

Shopify’s 2.0 themes flexibility, allowing you to easily experiment different layouts/designs along with it’s ability seamlessly integrate apps designed to exchange the functionality and appearance of the store with minimal effort. Overall, sections amplifies the versatility and usability of Shopify stores. This makes it easier for merchants to create that professional, user-friendly, and visually appealing online store.

Shopify Blocks

Shopify also contains blocks, which are the individual components within sections that contain specific types of content, such as images, text, videos, or product grids. They’re essentially the building blocks of sections, allowing merchants to populate their site with different types of content elements.

Blocks are typically added and rearranged within sections using the drag-and-drop interface in Shopify’s theme editor. Some blocks may have customizable options, such as adjusting images size or text formatting. The image below will help provide some insight as to how to identify the “section” and “blocks” within your theme customizer:

Variation Across Themes

In 2024, most Shopify themes generally support sections, however the specific sections available to their styling can vary significantly from one theme to another. Themes designed for specific industries (e.g., fashions, electronics, home goods, may include tailored sections that can cater to the unique needs and aesthetics of those industries.

For example, you may have a fashion theme that emphasizes sections for look books or instagram galleries, while an furniture stores might prioritize sections for product specifications or custom features.

When your desired section isn’t included you can always reach out to Shopify developer such as myself or a Shopify agency to help you implement this.

In summary, Shopify sections and blocks empower merchants to create and manage their online stores efficiently, offering a balance between flexibility and ease of use. Understanding these concepts is crucial for effectively designing and customizing Shopify themes, whether you’re a merchant looking to optimize your online store or a developer creating bespoke layouts and functionalities.

Well that’s all for my blog post today. I hope you enjoyed my article and found the content useful!

Please give me follow here as well as on LinkedIn to learn more about Front-end and Shopify Development.

Thanks for reading!

📩 Email: dev@michaelmartinstudios.com

Happy Coding!

The Higher Order Function .forEach() is a function you will see quite often out in the wild. Here’s how it works:

The .forEach() method is considered a Higher Order Function in Javascript. The way .forEach() works is it passes in the current element, the index, and the list (the entire array that you are looping) for each of the elements in the list. So to put that into more technical terms, for each invocation of iterator, the function, is called with three arguments (element, index, list). If the list were a Javascript object, iterator arguments would be (value, key, list).

Understanding the Difference between _.each() and .forEach()

Often times in Javascript you may get .forEach() and _.each() confused, but not to worry at all! Once you get a better understanding of how each function works and where the _.each() function comes from, they’re quite easy to differentiate. The _.each() function is an inbuilt function in the Underscore.js library of JavaScript which is used to return each element of the given list. This function will accept two parameters: A list and a callback function. A callback function is a function passed into another function as an argument. The first difference you will noticed between the two is that _.each() takes the array as an argument as oppose to .forEach() being called on the array itself. Here’s an example of how that would look:

})

Keep in mind that the parameters value, index, and list can be named whatever you would like to call them. I’m just using these names so that you get a better understanding of what each parameters job is.

.forEach() and its similarities to a For Of Loop:

A .forEach() function loops over an array and in each iteration it will execute the callback function. Now there’s no functional difference between using the .forEach() method and using a “For Of Loop”. They both work the same so it all comes down to personal preference when deciding when to use the .forEach() method.

Let’s say I have an array of deposits I made over the last few weeks.

And I want to use a For Of Loop instead of a .forEach():

Here’s how it would look if we used .forEach():

The .forEach() method can remind us a lot of a loop. Its purpose is to loop over each item in the array. You’re able to pass in a function as the parameter to the method. Each time through the loop you get access to one item which again can either be the value, index, and list(array) in which you are looping over, and you can do something with them.

Well that’s all for my blog post today. I hope you enjoyed my article and found the content useful!

Please give me follow here as well as on LinkedIn to learn more about Shopify and all things development.

Thanks for reading!

📩 Email: dev@michaelmartinstudios.com

Happy Coding!

Learning to develop and maintain themes for Shopify business owners may be the fastest way to get your foot in the door as a developer. I started developing and maintaining Shopify themes for clients world wide and expanding my business as a Freelancer. Heres how:

1. My Journey

Starting out as a Developer, in general, can be a roller coaster ride. I started out reading and watching documentation/videos over languages like HTML, CSS, and Javascript with the thought that I would easily become a self-taught software engineer in 6 months or less with a $70,000 salary. All I had to do was learn this. No.

Although it’s possible, understanding coding for the first time can be like learning a different language. Understanding what each element does in HTML, or what styles you can use to simply center an item on your page, or even to get a button to function in Javascript. I never thought I’d learn to code, but if it meant an upgrade in careers and reaching a dream to work for myself remotely… I was going to learn it no matter what it took.

2. Battling Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is something all developers experience. Before claiming the title “Shopify Developer” I had one goal in mind and that was to become a developer in general. It didn’t matter what course I took or what language I learned I just told myself, “ I. am. going. to. be. a. developer”. Coding can be challenging but with determination you can achieve anything. With the 100% self taught idea out of mind, I decided to join a coding bootcamp. Before finding the right one I had some pretty bad experiences with your traditional bootcamp.

3. Finding the right Bootcamp

Before I get into this I want to note I have a brother who is a Software Engineer who had already gone through a boot camp himself. So looking for a boot camp was something I had more help and insight than your average coder wanting to learn to code. He referred me to multiple boot camps as I worked on a few udemy courses here and there.

The first boot camp he recommended me was named Thinkful. Thinkful is an awesome coding boot camp but for me, it was not what I was looking. It was a lot of reading over long documentations and I feel like it’s better to be shown along with reading and writing code for beginners. After realizing Thinkful wouldn’t work I came across a Freelance Developer Bootcamp named Freemote. This boot camp sets you up perfectly and teaches you how to Freelance as a Shopify Developer on UpWork.

4. The Freelance Developer Bootcamp ~ Freemote

I started Freemote in March of 2021. By August I landed my first client as a Shopify Developer on Upwork. Since then I’ve landed multiple other clients for short/long term contracts. This has helped me gain a ton of confidence as a developer. Freemote has taught me awesome Front end skills which include HTML, CSS, Javascript. Along with those Front end skills you learn advanced Shopify Development which includes building Shopify stores from scratch, creating landing pages, FAQ accordions, wholesale forms etc. With the knowledge from the boot camp I was able to build an awesome UpWork profile and start landing clients in as little as 4 months. Before then I was your average 20 year old retail worker at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Now I am a Shopify Developer.

Well that’s all for my blog post today. I hope you enjoyed my article and found the content useful!

Please give me follow here as well as on LinkedIn to learn more about Shopify and all things development.

Thanks for reading!

📲 WhatsApp: +14696187594

📩 Email: martin.michael1477@gmail.com

Happy Coding!