Javascript fürs World Wide Web

by Tom Negrino, Dori Smith

JavaScript is great, but at best it is a complementary language for Web development. JavaScript for the World Wide Web offers a productive, how-to style that lets you solve a problem or pick up a trick and then move on with the rest of your work.

Consistent with other members of Peachpit's Visual QuickStart Guide series, this title makes wise use of side-by-side explanations and screen shots, as well as code snippets and their analysis. This approach gives readers the feeling that the authors are sitting by their side and showing them how to code scripts. Most subjects are handled with numbered steps, such as "Validating Zip Codes," and useful tips punctuate the text.

The book introduces the whole concept of JavaScript in a fast-moving but readable chapter and then moves into solving real-world challenges. The authors do a good job of covering JavaScript's capabilities, from eye-catching graphics tricks to data-entry form processing and cookie management. Particularly enjoyable is the way the book spells out many of the differences between Netscape and Microsoft dynamic HTML approaches.

The JavaScript object model is laid out in an appendix, along with object compatibility between various browser flavors. To complement the book, the publisher offers a Web site that makes all of the example code easily downloadable for your use. This is a great little guide for both busy coders and JavaScript novices. --Stephen W. Plain

Genres: Programming, Nonfiction, Computers, Website Design

Hardcover

First published December 12, 1981

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 1 out of 5]

For short this book really wasn't that great. Being an experienced web designer with some college education, I'd have to say this is way behind the times. The implication of the book is way behind the CSS and XHTML standards with extremely outdated techniques. I will say that it is a good quick reference but to add on the list of cons it lacks explaining how anything you're using really works. So you're usually just blindly plugging code into pages with this book. Which is dangerous because if you have to fix or adjust something and don't know what to adjust it could cost you hours of frustration as it did me.

Instead I suggest an O'reilly book on JavaScript (especially the cook book series) because they have more up to date techniques. If you don't understand JavaScript at all, you should probably pick up a copy of Head First JavaScript which teaches you the language from head to toe in a creative and unique manner. Subtract a star if you don't like outdated material and add one if you're a Quickstart book series fan.

[Valeriy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is easy to read, but deprecated

[Rene Dupre · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm learning JavaScript and had this book from 2003. It was dated, but still a good supplement to my online work and coding.