JavaScript: Just the Basics - A Primer for the Complete Beginner

by Michael J. Young

JUST THE BASICS - A PRIMER FOR THE COMPLETE BEGINNER JavaScript has become one of the most widespread and versatile computer languages. It's now used not only for adding active behavior to web pages, but also for developing applications for web servers, mobile devices, and even the computer desktop. Despite its popularity, however, JavaScript isn't so easy to learn or to understand. JavaScript has evolved into a large, complex, unique, and somewhat confusing computer language.This book makes your JavaScript learning task much easier and gets you started quickly by selecting just the MOST ESSENTIAL JavaScript features. It then thoroughly explains and simplifies these features, using many easy-to-follow code examples. To offer a vision of the possibilities, the book also briefly introduces several more advanced JavaScript technologies, such as multi-window web applications, animations, cookies, and Ajax. The book doesn't duplicate the free online JavaScript documentation, but rather is meant to be used in conjunction with it, and it includes many documentation links to help you quickly find additional information.This guide to beginning web development provides your FIRST JavaScript step. Using it to learn the fundamentals will prepare you for your JavaScript journey no matter what direction it takes. For example, the book provides the ideal background for going on to learn jQuery. It serves as the "prequel" to " Just the Basics," available as a Kindle book by the same author (bit.ly/JQBasics).WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWThis book is written for the JavaScript beginner -- no prior JavaScript experience required! It would be helpful, although not essential, to know something about HTML and CSS, and to have worked with another programming language.THE BOOKThe book is approximately 290 pages long. It was designed, written, and formatted specifically for the Kindle, and you can read it on any Kindle device or free reading app. (Reading the book in Kindle Cloud Reader isn't recommended because of the reader's non-standard formatting.) The manuscript was prepared so that the source code listings are easy to view and the book is simple to navigate. Because using an index in an ebook is slow and awkward, the book doesn't include a traditional index. You can easily find topics with your Kindle's powerful Search feature, as well as the book's detailed Table of Contents.THE COMPANION WEBSITEYou'll find a companion website for the book at DigitalArtisanPress.com, where you can contact the author.THE CONTENTSIntroductionPart I. The Core JavaScript Language Chapter 1. Variables and Values Chapter 2. Expressions and Operators Chapter 3. Flow Control Chapter 4. Objects and Arrays Chapter 5. Defining Functions and Methods Chapter 6. Constructors and Inheritance Chapter 7. Pattern Matching with Regular ExpressionsPart II. Client-Side Adding Dynamic Behavior to Web Pages Chapter 8. Running JavaScript in the Browser Chapter 9. Scripting Browser Windows Chapter 10. Scripting Web-Page Content Chapter 11. Scripting Web-Page Styles Chapter 12. Handling Web-Page EventsTHE AUTHORMichael J Young has a master's degree in computer science and is the author of 30 books on computing. His book "XML Step by Step" won the top award, "Distinguished Technical Communication," in the 2000-2001 International Technical Publications Competition of the Society for Technical Communication.ALSO BY MICHAEL J YOUNG" Just the Basics - A Primer for the JavaScript Programmer," available as a Kindle book (bit.ly/JQBasics).

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2012