Dynamic HTML for Dummies [Paperback]

Michael Hyman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764504673 | ISBN-13: 978-0764504679 | Publication Date: May 1999 | Edition: 2nd

This guide shows Web page authors how to use Cascading Style Sheets, JScript, XML and DHTML's other features. It also explains how to use the Internet Explorer 5 object model and add online databases. The accompanying CD includes Internet Explorer 5, HomeSite - an HTML editor, and Paintshop Pro.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Dynamic HTML for Dummies explains how to take advantage of the decorative and functional HTML enhancements that Microsoft Internet Explorer can display. This book does a fine job of introducing Web developers to Microsoft's additions to the standard Web publishing language.

In Dynamic HTML for Dummies, readers are exposed to filters, cascading style sheets, and event-driven interactivity. Rather than document Dynamic HTML (DHTML) fully, this book presents a sort of "best of" collection, revealing the code behind the DHTML tricks that interest most publishers. As a result, it contains the HTML recipes for many effects you've seen on the Web.

While JScript greatly influences the creation of DHTML documents, Hyman refrains from making his book a comprehensive scripting text. Instead, he presents only the components of JScript necessary for writing DHTML event handlers and animations. He leaves detailed coverage of the language to more specialized books. Readers should walk away with a decent grasp of the DHTML object model, ready to explore it in greater depth.

The main shortcoming of Dynamic HTML for Dummies derives from its focus on Internet Explorer 4.x, now outmoded by version 5. The good news is that much of the material carries over to the new release. --David Wall

About the Author

Michael Hyman works on Internet database technology at a large Northwest company and is a contributing editor to Microsoft Interactive Developer. Michael has written numerous other computer books, including Dynamic HTML For Dummies®, Visual J++™ For Dummies®, and PC Roadkill.

Michael has a degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University. When not busy working, he sits on his surfboard waiting for waves, follows the Grateful Dead, and changes diapers.; Michael Hyman works on Internet database technology at a large Northwest company and is a contributing editor to Microsoft Interactive Developer. Michael has written numerous other computer books, including Dynamic HTML For Dummies®, Visual J++™ For Dummies®, and PC Roadkill.

Michael has a degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University. When not busy working, he sits on his surfboard waiting for waves, follows the Grateful Dead, and changes diapers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2nd edition (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764504673
• ISBN-13: 978-0764504679
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,941,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small town in Western Maryland, and grew up on a farm surrounded by turpentine and linseed oil. Esli ti menja esish, eta ya!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a very useful book, September 20, 1999

By 

Peter J. Neame "PJN" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dynamic HTML for Dummies (Paperback)

The number of examples in this book that don't work in one browser or another is astonishing. While this is in the nature of html, it makes the book rather useless for development of an internet site. For development of an INTRAnet set, where MS Explorer can be enforced, it's not bad. Better proof-reading of the CD that contains the examples would have been helpful. Some of the scripts needed editing to enable them to conform to the filenames on the disk.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars You can find better!, September 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Dynamic HTML for Dummies (Paperback)

As I bought this book knowing zero about D-HTML, it was a decent introduction, but became increasingly frustrating as I began to understand how D-HTML works. The major problem (aside from some code snippets not working) is that examples for effects are presented for either MSIE only or for Netscape only. Very seldom is code shown that will work for both. As a web developer, developong for only 1 browser is not an option! This book is great if ALL you'll develop for is MSIE -- but if you want compatability with Netscape, buy another book!

3.0 out of 5 stars The fun and easy way to start, November 4, 2004

By 

bernie "xyzzy" (Arlington, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Dynamic HTML for Dummies (Paperback)

And now you may think that programs that do it all for you would be easier to start with. However if you do not have a basic idea of how Dynamic HTML works you will not be able to answer the questions on what to do. This book goes from the fundamentals to building a practical website. Unfortunately it does not show how to mail "form" information back to you from the website. There are a lot of practical examples but this book is somewhat dated. The book is also geared to Apache server and UNIX concepts therefore it should work on 90 percent of the web sites that you encounter. The code is also more transportable because of this.

You need to check with your potential I.S.P. to see if they're using Internet information services (ISS) if so this book may be of little use because it is proprietary and uses a weird syntax.