Building the Tip Calculator App

1. Project Structure:

Your project will typically have the following structure:

Project Root
│
├── index.html
├── styles.css
└── script.js

2. Frontend:

a. HTML (index.html)

The HTML file houses the structure of your calculator. This includes input fields for the bill amount and tip percentage, and the area where results will be displayed.

Example:

<div class="container">
    <h1>Tip Calculator</h1>
    <div class="input-box">
        <label for="bill">Bill Amount:</label>
        <input type="number" id="bill" placeholder="Enter bill amount">
    </div>
    <div class="input-box">
        <label for="tipPercentage">Tip Percentage:</label>
        <select id="tipPercentage">
            <!-- Various tip percentages as options -->
        </select>
    </div>
    <div class="results"></div>
</div>

b. CSS (styles.css)

The CSS file styles the calculator. It provides it with a modern look, responsive design, and ensures it’s user-friendly.

Example:

.container {
    max-width: 400px;
    background-color: #fff;
    padding: 20px;
    border-radius: 10px;
    /* Other styles... */
}

3. Functionality:

a. JavaScript (script.js)

This file handles the functionality. It listens for input changes and calculates the tip.

Example:

const billElement = document.getElementById('bill');
const tipPercentageElement = document.getElementById('tipPercentage');
const resultsElement = document.querySelector('.results');

billElement.addEventListener('input', calculateTip);
tipPercentageElement.addEventListener('change', calculateTip);

function calculateTip() {
    let bill = parseFloat(billElement.value);
    let tipPercentage = parseFloat(tipPercentageElement.value);
    /* Calculation logic and updating the results */
}

4. Workflow:

1. User Interaction: The user starts by entering their bill amount in the provided input field.
2. Tip Selection: The user selects a desired tip percentage from a dropdown.
3. Calculation: Once both pieces of information are provided, the app automatically calculates the tip amount and the total bill (including the tip).
4. Display: The calculated amounts are then displayed to the user in a neatly formatted manner.

5. Deployment:

Once you’ve built and tested your app locally, you can deploy it for public access. In this case, you’ve used GitHub Pages (a great choice for static projects), which provides a live link to share: https://djmotor90.github.io/Tip-calculator/.

Conclusion:

Building this Tip Calculator app required a combination of HTML for structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for functionality. It serves as a practical tool and an excellent way to consolidate web development skills. It’s a testament to what can be achieved with the foundational trifecta of web technologies.