Try Dart 1 hour experience first draft

src/site/articles/trydart/code/piratebadge.dart

+// Copyright (c) 2012, the Dart project authors.  Please see the AUTHORS file
+// for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
+// BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
+
+
+// Demonstrates:
+// list, maps, random, strings, string interpolation, cascade, fat arrow,
+// named constructors.
+// optional parameters.
+// a class
+// getters, setters
+// httprequest, JSON
+// local storage
+// static class-level methods/fields
+// top-level variable and functions
+// typecasting with 'as'
+// futures
+
+import 'dart:html';
+import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:math';
+import 'dart:convert';
+
+final String TREASUREKEY = 'pirateName';
+
+void  main() {
+  InputElement inputField = query('#inputName')..onInput.listen(updateBadge);
+  ButtonElement genButton = query('#generateButton')..onClick.listen(generateBadge);
+  
+  PirateName.readyThePirates()
+    .then((obj) {
+      inputField.disabled = false; //enable
+      genButton.disabled = false;  //enable
+      badgeName = pirateNameFromStorage; })
+    .catchError((err) {
+      print ('Error initializing pirate names: $err');

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

remove space between print and (

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+      query('#badgeName').text = 'Arrr! No names.';
+    });
+}
+
+get pirateNameFromStorage {

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

add return type annotation

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+  String storedName = window.localStorage[TREASUREKEY];
+  if (storedName != null) {
+    return new PirateName.fromJSON(storedName);
+  }

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

add explicit return null for else

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+}
+
+set badgeName(PirateName newName) {
+  query('#badgeName').text = newName.pirateName;

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

you have query('#badgeName') twice in the code. please extract into variable

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+  window.localStorage[TREASUREKEY] = newName.toJsonString();
+}
+
+void updateBadge(Event e) {
+  String inputName = (e.target as InputElement).value;
+  ButtonElement genButton = query('#generateButton');

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

put this variable into top level so you don't need to query twice (here and
main)

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+  
+  badgeName = new PirateName(firstName: inputName);
+  if (inputName.trim().isEmpty) {
+    genButton..disabled = false
+             ..text = 'Generate badge';
+  } else {
+    genButton..disabled = true
+             ..text = 'Arrr! Remove the text!';
+  }
+}
+
+void generateBadge(Event e) {

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

I don't see this called from anywhere

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

this is the event handler for the button.

+  badgeName = new PirateName();
+}
+
+class PirateName {
+  
+  static final Random indexGen = new Random();
+
+  static List<String> names = [];
+  static List<String> appellations = [];
+
+  String _firstName;
+  String _appellation;
+  
+  String get pirateName => '$_firstName the $_appellation';
+         
+  String toString() => pirateName;
+  
+  PirateName({String firstName, String appellation}) {

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

typically constructor goes after the fields

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+    if (firstName == null) {
+      _firstName = names[indexGen.nextInt(names.length)];
+    } else {
+      _firstName = firstName;
+    }
+    if (appellation == null) {
+      _appellation = appellations[indexGen.nextInt(appellations.length)];
+    } else {
+      _appellation = appellation;
+    }
+  }
+  
+  String toJsonString() => '{ "f": "$_firstName", "a": "$_appellation" } ';

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

then move this down under constructors

[mem, 2013/10/22 23:06:24]

Done.

+  
+  PirateName.fromJSON(String jsonString) {
+    Map storedName = JSON.decode(jsonString);
+    _firstName = storedName['f'];
+    _appellation = storedName['a'];
+  }
+
+  static Future readyThePirates() {
+    var path = 'piratenames.json';

[sethladd, 2013/10/22 21:59:17]

use String instead of var, since you use type annotations everywhere else. Or,
pick one style :)

Also, optionally pass in the file name into the method

+    return HttpRequest.getString(path)
+        .then(_parsePirateNamesFromJSON);
+  }
+  
+  static _parsePirateNamesFromJSON(String jsonString) {
+    Map pirateNames = JSON.decode(jsonString);
+    names = pirateNames['names'];
+    appellations = pirateNames['appellations'];
+  }
+}