ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript Associate 2024: phrasing

[Yik-ChingTsui]

Hi, I'm doing the Working with Maps in ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript web course and I have some concerns about the phrasing of technical terms. For example, in this quiz:

Which two actions adjust the properties of a web component?

Choose two answers.

1. Call the Map component into the Script tag, then adjust the property using the core API.
2. Change the property when the component is called using the HTML attribute.
3. Nest the appropriate property as a component inside the Map component.
4. Call the Map component in the Style tag, then adjust the Map component properties using CSS.

The accepted answer is the #1 and #2. But "Call the Map component into the Script tag" is confusing. A component cannot be called and the script tag is not a destination. Developers either get a reference to the DOM element using a query selector (when using the <arcgis-map> web component) with

const map = document.querySelector('arcgis-map')

or instantiate a new map with

const map = new Map({ ... })

In choice #2, "when the component is called" is also inaccurate. Components are not "called" in HTML. HTML is a markup language that specifies the component structure, it does not "run". In JavaScript, you can instantiate or render a component, but not "call" it. Properties are set on HTML components, not "changed". HTML cannot "change" properties by itself, only JavaScript can.

Using standard conventional phrasing would help learners be better developers. For example, this keeps most of the structure but with standard phrasing (emphasis changed):

1. Instantiate the Map inside the Script tag, then adjust the property using the core API.
2. Set the property in an attribute when the component is declared in HTML.
3. Nest a component with the property inside the Map component.
4. Select the Map component in the Style tag, then adjust the Map component properties using CSS.

Is the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript Associate 2024 exam using phrasing similar to the web course? If it is, it would be confusing to developers familiar with standard terminology. If not, then this web course should be updated to reflect the conventional phrasing used in the exam.

References:

• Getting a reference to the DOM element: "select it and store a reference to [the element] inside a variable"
• Instantiating a class: "create instances of it"
• Setting an HTML property: "Set the alt attribute", "add attributes to an <img> element"
• Nest a component (not property): "Nesting elements"
• Select an element in CSS: "selects the HTML elements"

Thank you for providing this course. I hope this feedback helps improve the learning and exam experience for others.