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Added 06 Mar 07 Updated Today
Publisher Wrox
Publication Date 2007-05-21
Paperback - 792 Pages
ISBN 0470051515
JavaScript is a scripting language that enables you to enhance static web applications by providing dynamic, personalized, and interactive content. This improves the experience of visitors to your site and makes it more likely that they will visit again. You must have seen the flashy drop-down menus, moving text, and changing content that are now widespread on web sites?they are enabled through JavaScript. Supported by all the major browsers, JavaScript is the language of choice on the Web. It can even be used outside web applications?to automate administrative tasks, for example.
This book aims to teach you all you need to know to start experimenting with java script: what it is, how it works, and what you can do with it. Starting from the basic syntax, you’ll move on to learn how to create powerful web applications. Don’t worry if you’ve never programmed before?this book will teach you all you need to know, step by step. You’ll find that JavaScript can be a great introduction to the world of programming: with the knowledge and understanding that you’ll gain from this book, you’ll be able to move on to learn newer and more advanced technologies in the world of computing.
In order to get the most out of this book, you’ll need to have an understanding of HTML and how to create a static web page. You don’t need to have any programming experience.
This book will also suit you if you have some programming experience already, and would like to turn your hand to web programming. You will know a fair amount about computing concepts, but maybe not as much about web technologies.
Alternatively, you may have a design background and know relatively little about the Web and computing concepts. For you, JavaScript will be a cheap and relatively easy introduction to the world of programming and web application development.
Whoever you are, we hope that this book lives up to your expectations.
You’ll begin by looking at exactly what JavaScript is, and taking your first steps with the underlying language and syntax. You’ll learn all the fundamental programming concepts, including data and data types, and structuring your code to make decisions in your programs or to loop over the same piece of code many times.
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you’ll move on to one of the key ideas in JavaScript?the object. You’ll learn how to take advantage of the objects that are native to the JavaScript language, such as dates and strings, and find out how these objects enable you to manage complex data and simplify your programs. Next, you’ll see how you can use JavaScript to manipulate objects made available to you in the browser, such as forms, windows, and other controls. Using this knowledge, you can start to create truly professional-looking applications that enable you to interact with the user.
Long pieces of code are very hard to get right every time?even for the experienced programmer?and JavaScript code is no exception. You look at common syntax and logical errors, how you can spot them, and how to use the Microsoft Script Debugger to aid you with this task. Also, you need to examine how to handle the errors that slip through the net, and ensure that these do not detract from the experience of the end user of your application.
From here, you’ll move on to more advanced topics, such as using cookies and jazzing up your web pages with dynamic HTML and XML. Finally, you’ll be looking at a relatively new and exciting technology, remote scripting. This allows your JavaScript in a HTML page to communicate directly with a server, and useful for, say, looking up information on a database sitting on your server. If you have the Google toolbar you’ll have seen something like this in action already. When you type a search word in the Google toolbar, it comes up with suggestions, which it gets via the Google search database.
All the new concepts introduced in this book will be illustrated with practical examples, which enable you to experiment with JavaScript and build on the theory that you have just learned. The appendix provides solutions to the exercises included at the end of most chapters throughout the book.
During the first half of the book, you’ll also be building up a more complex sample application?an online trivia quiz?which will show you how JavaScript is used in action in a real-world situation.
Do you want to create more exciting web applications that will increase visits to your site? With this up-to-date guide, you’ll find everything you’ll need to know to develop interactive, robust, and personalized pages using JavaScript. It takes you step by step through this powerful scripting language so you can begin enhancing your site right away.
You’ll begin with the basic syntax and learn how to take advantage of native JavaScript objects. Next, you’ll see how to manipulate objects that are available to you in the latest browsers. You’ll then progress through more advanced topics, such as using cookies and jazzing up your web pages with Dynamic HTML.
Inside, you’ll also discover how to use Ajax, a communication technique that uses JavaScript to communicate with a remote web server. All of this will help you build truly professional-looking applications that allow you to interact with the user.
What you will learn from this book
* How to use objects such as dates and strings to manage complex data and simplify your programs
*
Tips for using forms, windows, and other controls
*
Ways to spot common syntax and logical errors as well as how to use the Microsoft(r) Script Debugger
*
How to make JavaScript interact with XML and HTML
*
Techniques for integrating ActiveX(r) and plug-ins with JavaScript
*
Steps for communicating with a server using remote scripting
Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to learn JavaScript scripting. You should have some understanding of HTML and how to create static web pages, but no prior programming experience is necessary.
Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.
Do you want to create more exciting web applications that will increase visits to your site? With this up-to-date guide, you’ll find everything you’ll need to know to develop interactive, robust, and personalized pages using JavaScript. It takes you step by step through this powerful scripting language so you can begin enhancing your site right away.
You’ll begin with the basic syntax and learn how to take advantage of native JavaScript objects. Next, you’ll see how to manipulate objects that are available to you in the latest browsers. You’ll then progress through more advanced topics, such as using cookies and jazzing up your web pages with Dynamic HTML.
Inside, you’ll also discover how to use Ajax, a communication technique that uses JavaScript to communicate with a remote web server. All of this will help you build truly professional-looking applications that allow you to interact with the user.
What you will learn from this book
* How to use objects such as dates and strings to manage complex data and simplify your programs
*
Tips for using forms, windows, and other controls
*
Ways to spot common syntax and logical errors as well as how to use the Microsoft(r) Script Debugger
*
How to make JavaScript interact with XML and HTML
*
Techniques for integrating ActiveX(r) and plug-ins with JavaScript
*
Steps for communicating with a server using remote scripting
Who this book is for
This book is for anyone who wants to learn JavaScript scripting. You should have some understanding of HTML and how to create static web pages, but no prior programming experience is necessary.
Wrox Beginning guides are crafted to make learning programming languages and technologies easier than you think, providing a structured tutorial format that will guide you through all the techniques involved.
* Improved examples throughout the book boast up-to-date and relevant programming techniques
* New and updated material includes an introduction to dynamic HTML, dynamic HTML in modern browsers, JavaScript and XML, and Ajax for remote scripting
* Additional topics include data types and variables; decisions, loops, and functions; programming the browser; interacting with the user; windows and frames; string manipulation; error handling; cookies; and much more
JavaScript is a good way to learn programming. It’s powerful, of course, but the book takes small steps, using scripts that work with string and time data first, and then moving to manipulating browser objects like forms and windows. A running case study for a trivia game helps anchor the steps with a practical (and fun) example. There are plenty of tips on debugging your scripts (including how to use the Microsoft Script Debugger tool), and each section includes sample questions. (The book also offers extensive answers in over 80 pages at the end of the book.)
There’s plenty of material on the differences between Internet Explorer and Netscape, especially when it comes to Dynamic HTML (DHTML). Coverage of the Document Object Model (DOM) for browsers helps bring the text up to date on some of the latest standards in Web browsers (including the new Netscape 6).
While the focus of Beginning JavaScript clearly is on the client, later sections turn to server-side ASP development (in which the sample trivia game is enhanced with ASPs written in JavaScript using ADO and Microsoft Access.) Reference sections on JavaScript and the browser object model for Internet Explorer and Netscape (through version 4.x) round out the material.
In all, with its approachable style and clearly rendered code examples, Beginning JavaScript makes for a worthwhile first book of programming for today’s browsers. Even if you haven’t programmed before, this text can give you the tools you need to bring your static Web pages to life. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered:
- Introduction to JavaScript
- Cross-browser compatibility issues
- JavaScript data types and variables
- Displaying errors
- Calculations
- Operators
- String handling
- Flow control statements
- Loops
- Introduction to using objects
- The browser object model
- HTML forms (including types of input controls)
- Frames and windows
- Tutorial for regular expressions
- Advanced string methods
- Date, time, and timer objects
- Common errors
- The Microsoft Script Debugger
- Cookies
- Dynamic HTML (DHTML) on Internet Explorer 4.0 and Netscape Navigator 4.x
- The Document Object Model (DOM)
- ActiveX controls and plug-ins used with JavaScript
- Server-scripting
- Introduction to ASP and databases (including SQL basics and database design with Microsoft Access)
- Sample case study for a trivia game
- Sample exercises and answers
- References to JavaScript
- Internet Explorer 4 and 5 and Netscape Navigator 4 objects
- ASP object model reference
- Continuing the standard of excellence set by the bestselling previous two editions, this new version features coverage of Ajax and updates all the code to insure compliance with the current browsers Firefox 1.5/2.0 and Explorer 6/7
- Improved examples throughout the book boast up-to-date and relevant programming techniques
- New and updated material includes an introduction to dynamic HTML, dynamic HTML in modern browsers, JavaScript and XML, and Ajax for remote scripting
- Additional topics include data types and variables; decisions, loops, and functions; programming the browser; interacting with the user; windows and frames; string manipulation; error handling; cookies; and much more
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to JavaScript and the Web.
Chapter 2. Data Types and Variables.
Chapter 3. Decisions, Loops, and Functions.
Chapter 4. JavaScript--An Object-Based Language.
Chapter 5. Programming the Browser.
Chapter 6. HTML Forms--Interacting with the User.
Chapter 7. Windows and Frames.
Chapter 8. String Manipulation.
Chapter 9. Date, Time, and Timers.
Chapter 10. Common Mistakes, Debugging, and Error Handling.
Chapter 11. Storing Information. Cookies.
Chapter 12. Introduction to Dynamic HTML.
Chapter 13. Dynamic HTML in Modern Browsers.
Chapter 14. JavaScript and XML.
Chapter 15. Using ActiveX and Plug-Ins with JavaScript.
Chapter 16. Ajax and Remote Scripting
When I heard that the 3rd edition would be coming out, I looked forward to new and updated information, more complete descriptions and the inclusion of previously omitted information. When the 3rd edition came out, I purchased it and found it to be VERY DISSAPOINTING...to the point that it is actually worse than it was before. I will no longer use this text as a training resource as it is more conveluted than in the past and still does not include basic information that should be there.
Examples:
The 2nd edition was 1010 pages, the 3rd edition is 767 - clearly much information has been removed and unfortunately it was Appendicies B, C, & D, which were The JavaScript Core Reference, The JavaScript Client Reference, and the Latin Character Set. Now, the book just has Appendix A, which is the book’s exercise solutions. The book’s exercise, by the way, is a continuing example that is not very "real-world" oriented and something that most people would skip over anyway. Devoting an appendix to this, but removing the hard-core reference appendicies makes no sense whatsoever!
In none of the previous editions was there any mention of referring to external script files (.js) files, as is done as common practice out in the real world. I was hoping the new edition would include this, but not a word about it is mentioned.
The confusing "flow" of the chapters has not been corected, so you still have to get to chapter 10 before addressing errors and debugging techniques (which should be addressed as chapter 2, in my opinion as a professional trainer) and finding out that you really should be working with certain IE and FireFox settings changed if you want to be able to see your JavaScript errors show up in your browser! Seriously?! The reader is expected to go through 9 chapters without being told how to see an error message about their mistakes!! Like we don’t make mistakes until chapter 11?!!
Chapter 13 is still called "Dynamic HTML in Modern Browsers" instead of what the rest of the world calls it; "The W3C Document Object Model".
There was, and still is, a chapter on XML in the book, but rather than simply merging this information into the chapter about the DOM (since the only JavaScript that is discussed in the XML chapter has to do with parsing XML via the DOM), we get a small chapter that is more about XML than JavaScript. And, there is no mention at all about using JavaScript within XML, rather than XML within JavaScript (ie. enclosing JavaScript inside of CDATA sections for proper XML parsing).
We still have the same old chapter 4 that is an overview of JavaScript and OO. Half of what you need to know about the JavaScript Native Objects (String, Number, Math, Date, etc.) is in this chapter and the other half is in chapters 8 and 9, instead of putting it all together in one place.
The bottom line for me is that this book skips important information that new JavaScript developers should know. It has no hope of becomming organized properly and crucial appendicies have been removed. This makes this book no longer useful as a reference (which serious programmers want and need).
By the way, WROX (now owned by Wiley Press) has done basically the same thing with the new 4th edition of Beginning XML. That book is still wildly incomplete and disorganized.
I did want to learn more JavaScript though, so I checked out the Professional JavaScript by the same publisher. The Professional JavaScript book is great (especially if you read the Beginning JavaScript or already now programming or a little JavaScript). I was affraid that after reading the Beginning JavaScript book I would see a lot of repeat stuff in the Professional JavaScript book- that is NOT the case. There is a little over lap, but the Professional book does not spend as much time on the easy stuff. To make a long review short... I recommend the Beginning for beginners and I recommend the Professional to those who finished the Beginning book and to those that are already good at programming!
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On the other hand, it also covers topics beginning books might omit, like using the free Microsoft Script Debugger, and embedding RealPlayer content.
The book is a bit dated, spending quite a bit of time discussing Netscape 4.x, when most NN users have navigated to Firefox by now. It also uses a lot of deprecated HTML, so tweaking is necessary if you want to validate the examples with the W3C Validator.
A feature I liked were the problems at the end of each chapter, with a solution provided in the appendix. Also, it explains every code example *very* thoroughly--maybe even a bit too much at times when the explanations become repetitious. However, the trivia game application it develops over the course of many chapters is too simplistic to provide much of a real world example, and while there is a support website, it doesn’t seem too up to date. I’ve submitted several errors, but have yet to see them posted.
All in all, I’d rate this 3 1/2 stars, but since I can’t do that, I rounded up to 4 stars.
Highly recommended for first time Javascript users
Optimized for
Internet Explorer 6.0+, 
Firefox 1.5+!