Customer Reviews

JavaScript Goodies

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I am a full-time website developer and I had been trying to learn JavaScript for the past two years. I purchased numerous books, and couldn't seem to get the hang of JavaScript until I bought Joe's book. I able to learn the basics of JavaScript in less than a week. I now use JavaScript everyday and can call myself a JavaScript programmer. In fact, I would even recommend this book for experienced HTML coders who are interested in learning programming. Joe has done an excellent job explaining Arrays, Variables, Objects, Loops, etc. These are functions that are found in almost all programming languages, including Visual Basic, C, C++ and Java. After I finished this book, I started teaching myself Visual Basic and I have found that many of the things that Joe taught me apply to VB. If you are looking to expand your skills beyond HTML, this is the book to buy.

let me start off by saying that im 14 years old and this is the second book by this author i have read. After learning html with his book html goodies i thought he might do a better job then some other authors i have read on javascript, and he did just that. instead of giving all the commands and then getting you to put it all together he did the opposite and did the full scripts and then broke them down into easy to read english. i would really reccomend this book to any beginners. But it is a real plus if you have a basic grasp of html before reading it. Its a credit to the author, and i feel confident to tackle javascripts. enjoy

I would highly recommend this book for someone new to JavaScript. Mr. Burns does an excellent job of demonstrating a good variety of popular and practical uses of the language- the reader is introduced to the different ways to employ JavaScript, is given code examples, and these examples are explained. Yes, there are errors in the code, but the thinking reader will be able to figure most of them out by doing just that- thinking (plus experimenting). I don't think Mr. Burn's objective was to have someone copy the code verbatim onto a web page without giving thought to how to adapt it to their particular situation. I had previously bought two other books on JavaScript which were excellent (comprehensive and technical - Danny Goodman's JavaScript Bible, and David Flanagan's O'Reilly guide) but nowhere near as easy to read as this one. Mr. Burn's book will give you a taste of what JavaScript can accomplish, and provide you with the background to read more advanced books on the topic. As a first course, this is a great book! One other thing- you should be familiar with HTML before reading this one.

I don't care if you are a howler monkey, Joe Burns will make you understand JavaScript. Too many times I have purchased technical books and soon found myself searching for a razor to end my life. Joe writes in such a manner that you never feel lost or never do a double-take after a chapter and say to yourself "What did I just read?". He explains by example. He lets you know what every object, method, and property does in all of the examples included in the book. Joe's teaching style should be adopted by every technical writer out there. There is no better way to learn Javascript today! The only question I have is, where is the Perl and Java books by Joe Burns? Joe, I know you will make me understand these languages as well as you taught me JavaScript!

I bought this book after reading all the good and bad reviews. I was pretty happy with it overall, but think it's good for those new to javascript. I agree that there are some typos and it would have been much nicer to have a CD-ROM, but I was able to get through this book quickly and can now handle basic javascript coding and can pick apart and understand most codes I see on the web. If you want a reference guide or to learn javascript in depth, then yes, you'll need a different or an additional book. BUT if you are like I was when I bought it - completely new to javascript and programming - then I think it's a pretty solid buy.

If you want to learn Javascript and you need somebody to hold your hand, this book is perfect for you.

The examples are simple, straightforward, explained in detail, and all examples are found on the web site.

If you already know Javascript, this book may seem too simple for you. For beginners who might not have programming experience, this is a great book. You will certainly learn the basics of Javascript.

You won't be sorry.

And it's a big but. Dr. Burn's book is very readable, and not initimidating or pompous like other books on scripting; in fact it is the only book I have been able to read to get my feet wet in Javascript (I have never programmed before.) The two other books I read, "JS for Dummies" (perfectly dreadful), and The JavaScript Bible (at times clear and at times incomprehensible)made me give up trying to learn JS completely, so I have to give him credit for getting me interested in it again. After finishing it, I learned three things: Javascript is simple, it's the authors that make it impossible, and Dr. Burns really does not know that much about Javascript; after learning more javascript elsewhere, you will realize that he has faked his way through some some explanations of routines, in particular his explanation of "cookies" (which aren't really cookies at all the way he writes them.) However, the good news is you will realize you have outgrown the author by the end of the book, and you will not be afraid to tackle other more advanced books on Javascript. Also, he supports his scripts on his site so you can see them working (often differently written than in the book, which is frustrating sometimes, and he does make many typos in his code which you can figure out if you pay attention.) I wasn't satisfied that I had taken a comprehensive course in Javascript by the end of the book (he doesn't even touch on some objects and properties), but I was confident enough to go onto other books without fear. You will have to make your own judgement as to the value of that.

You would think that if 250,000 people have used a product that there has to something great about it. You'll find this to be the fact about the JavaScript goodies book. This is the first book on Java Scripting that I can actually understand and comprehend without having too much trouble.

The authors take a different approach to teaching java scripting, they actually make it easy to follow and this in turn makes learning fun. The book is self-paced and those who have a better understanding will move along with greater speed.

The book start off with the basics of java script, which after I read that I was able to grasp the overall concept faster. Followed up by pop up events and mouse events, the authors make learning curve shorter. There are also sections on forms, math, loops, clocks, counters and scrolling text.

The book includes a java script command reference, which I found to be very handy. The web site htmlgooides.com is also packed with java scripts and other java related items. For under $20.00 the book is well worth its weight.

I thought this book was great. I have bought a couple other javascript books and they were dry, went fast, and seemed to never teach me anything. This book taught me an incredible amount. He makes it very easy to understand, and gives you "assignments" so you can use what he taught you.

The one bad part of this book is that he has you go to his site to download the examples, they aren't on a CD, and, the links aren't even there.

Besides that, this book will not disappiont you.

This book contains everything on the HTMLGoodies site and more. I thought I could get away with knowing just what was on the Goodies site, but after I bought this book I was able to do absolutely everything with Javascript. I learned arrays, forms, etc. Joe Burns writes everything in such a simple, easy to understand way that only an idiot wouldn't understand. I highly recommend buying this book if you want to learn Javascript like a pro.