Customer Reviews

Dynamic HTML Reference and Software Development Kit

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

True, this is language reference manual and, as such, duplicates some of the on-line help that comes with the IE5 SDK (which is included on one of the two companion CD-ROMs).

This book is not for learning DHTML but is a language reference defining all of the objects, properties, methods, events, and other useful information.

As with any complicated language like VB6 or Java, the documentation is always available through the help system but I almost always reach for my language reference books first, before using on-line help.

I also use language reference manuals to browse through a language just to get an idea of available commands I may have missed when learning the language.

As a reference manual for DHTML, a powerful language at the heart of IE5, that has grown very extensive in scope, I recommend this book as a useful companion to the DHTML on-line help.

This book IS IE DHTML programming. I personally cant read from the screen, this book is msdn.microsoft.com in book format. Though the index isnt the best, if you know what your doing, this is the book for you.

This is, without any doubt, the most frequently used book in my collection. Until recently, it had a permanent place on my desktop. It is a complete DHTML (and CSS) reference. It is not, as stated above, a tutorial of any kind.

The book is basically divided into 5 major sections:
(1) Objects
(2) Properties
(3) Methods
(4) Events
(5) Object Collections

Each section is thoroughly cross-referenced in exhaustive detail. You don't have to dig around four different places in the manual to answer a scripting or CSS question - everything is in one place at all times. This makes for a lot of duplication of information (its 1300+ pages give it quite a bit of heft) but frankly it's incredibly convenient.

Code examples are provided, and are generally good, but you basically need a certain level of existing understanding of JavaScript (or JScript) and the ideas behind CSS for many of them to be of significant value. If you're just getting into this stuff, this book may not be of much value - for now.

If, on the other hand, you're relatively experienced (or highly interested) in client-side scripting etc, this book will be a handy reference, especially for those who, like myself, still prefer to have paper references handy.

I have ONE major gripe - and it's a biggie. For such an exhaustive, complete resource, it completely ignores Netscape altogether.

This is a major mistake. I don't like Netscape, and I don't like developing for Netscape, but the simple fact of life in my business is that I must do so.

To be fair to Microsoft, the book is about Internet Explorer 5, and doesn't purport to be anything else. But it's such a cryin' shame to have to test every little thing on Netscape, when I have 90% of everything else right at my fingertips.

Despite this, I still give it 5 stars, though it really should be 4.5 for its lack of Netscape documentation.

This is an excellent reference book for those programmers who want a printed copy of Microsoft's DHTML. The CD is packed with great information from Microsoft's MSDN website with regards to DHTML and IE 5.0. This is NOT a tutorial on DHTML, so if that is what you are looking for, get another book. It will however help you find all the information that you need to successfully write code for web page projects related to IE 5.0. This book is exactly what it says it is!

This is a great DHTML reference tool. If you want a good, thorough DHTML reference, this is the package to get. I am very satisfied with this product, as it has helped largely in my DHTML scripting. I'd recommend this product to anyone who is trying to learn DHTML or is already an expert and needs a solid reference.

This is a good reference for IE5, but is esstentially the online reference docs printed out. There are two CDs that come with it - so the book + examples are all on there. My biggest gripes: (a) it's a reference (b) doesn't tell me about other browsers (it doesn't even distinguish between IE4/IE5) and (c) it doesn't talk about VML built into all IE5 browsers. But if you already have "Dynamic HTML - the complete reference" by O'Reilly, this is a good update for the IE5 stuff.

This book provides a poorly organized version of on-line help. Absolutely worthless.