# Year in Industry report - November
###### tags: `magic42 New Developer Induction`

## Week rundown
### Week 1
- This last week has had me explore uses of JQuery, a language I have not had experience with before. This led to some difficulties, but ultimately I feel a lot better about my overall knowledge now that I have completed the issue.
- I have been updating my notes with additional information as I work, which has been a great way to store knowledge to use in the future. This now includes parts of the PHP structures theory I'm learning as part of my month 2 induction.
- My last issue involved having to implement a solution for multiple web browsers, which was fairly frustrating, but a valuable learning experience to always work out how usable a solution actually is before you start working on it.
- I have found myself getting blocked less and less as the weeks go on, as I'm starting to get the hang of navigating the basic Magento structure.
- Currently I have been working on the 'custom magento 2 theme' project, which is entirely internal within the company, so I'm feeling a little nervous to move onto other projects that are actually being sent to clients.
- I've also had some ideas for how to improve feedback culture within our team, which has been passed on to my line manager.

### Week 2
- I completed my first major task in a billable repository, and performed my first Magneto upgrade. This was fairly challenging, but I had help from my team that enabled it to be completed fairly quickly.
- I spent most of this week on a very challenging issue that proved to be a lot more complicated than at first glance. It involved using Magento plugins, and first introduced me to Knockout JS. I had to quickly adapt to a number of languages and structures I'd never seen before, so being able to complete the issue was pretty great.
- I've noticed my knowledge of XML is fairly lacking, and I keep getting blocked by XML-related bugs. This is mostly because it is a language I have no knowledge of before I started work at Magic42. I'll need to further work on my XML programming to be able to complete future issues easier.
- I've been working on some fairly involved investigation-based issues these last few weeks, and have been getting quite good at documenting my progress, making accurate reports and knowing when to stop collecting data and start preparing it for presentation.

### Week 3
* I am still struggling with KnockOut JS: two issues in a row use it and it's very hard to understand properly as it puts code in comments.
* I do still get blocked fairly frequently, but I'm learning more about working around the blocks and having a pipeline of steps I can take to keep making progress.
* I have enjoyed working on a banner issue that involves pulling elements from the entire product page.

(This week's report is smaller than normal as I was on annual leave for half the week)

### Week 4
* I am starting to work on issues with more complicated Git commit paths and Git structures.
* Many of the issues I have worked on have had their scope changed as I work out more about them. This means I had to quickly adjust the timescale of the issue and what I thought I could accomplish, and meant I often had to compromise to get a deliverable ready in time.
* I am also becoming more proficient with multitasking multiple issues at once, as often Code Review takes place across multiple issues at the same time. It can be quite frustraiting to have to constantly switch focus and put out fires in different places, but my team have been very helpful with ensuring I get the information I need to complete all the code reviews.
* I am currently involved in a large-scale investigation project, which involves researching the viability of four different solutions to the same problem. It's definitely the most ambitious investigation project I've been involved in yet.

### Week 5
* I am currently working on a project that's based off another developer's code, which is my first experience at this placement with refactoring another person's work.
* I have also struggled with projects using Magento 1 rather than Magento 2, the differences between them have been hard to adapt to.
* A lot of my problems this week have stemmed from using XML and Magento's application of it. The lack of debugging tools means I often get stuck for large periods of time without knowing why.
* I have had my first meeting about the independent learning program my workplace has, where I am given half a day each week to independently research any relevant topic. I am excited to start expanding my knowledge.

## New skills learned
* How Knockout JS is implemented
* JQuery and how it's implemented into phtml templates
* PHP class structures
* Advanced CSS styling (hidden elements, working with JQuery)
* How to use module selectors and `.json` files to incorporate new modules into my work
* How to use `git reflog` and other methods to fix my mistakes with Git.
* How Magento 1 differs from Magento 2.