JavaScript Programmer's Reference (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) [Paperback]

Alexei White (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470344725 | ISBN-13: 978-0470344729 | Publication Date: August 3, 2009 | Edition: 1

Learn everything about utilizing the JavaScript language with the next generation of Rich Internet Applications from the accessible information in JavaScript Programmer’s Reference, both a tutorial and a reference guide for web developers. Master methods for using Java with applications like Microsoft’s Silverlight, Ajax, Flex, Flash and AIR by practicing with hands-on examples with practical, usable code. Employ this complete JavaScript reference to help you understand JavaScript Data Types, Variables, Operators, Expressions and Statements, work with JavaScript Frameworks and data, and improve performance with Ajax.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

JavaScript is one of today's most widely used scripting languages, and is an essential ingredient for building standards-based dynamic web sites and applications. While JavaScript has long enjoyed support within all major web browsers, a recent wave of browsers specifically boast significant improvement in JavaScript support and performance. This improvement, combined with new web standards such as HTML 5, makes learning JavaScript more important now than ever.

This book covers the JavaScript language in its entirety, showing you how to leverage its many features to create the next generation of standards-compliant Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) using Ajax, JSON, and much more.

Alexei White, a veteran programming instructor, provides you with both a practical tutorial and an easily accessible reference. The material presented reviews a range of topics from basic JavaScript syntax and core functions to advanced topics such as animation, debugging, remote server interaction, and offline storage.

As you progress through the chapters, you'll advance yourJavaScript skills while gaining a strong understanding of the JavaScript language. You'll also discover new tools to solve difficult real-world problems and find numerous reasons to keep this book within arm's reach.

What you will learn from this book

• All the core features of JavaScript, including types, objects, operators, syntax, and regular expressions

• Various ways to create and work with functions, including the use of closures

• How to create dynamic effects using DHTML and CSS, and how to use Ajax techniques from the ground up

• Tips for mastering the quirks of and the differences between browsers with each new technique or feature of the language

• How to use object-oriented design principles correctly in JavaScript applications

• Ways to shorten your development time by mastering one of a number of available debugging tools such as Firebug or Fiddler

• Methods for persisting data across web sessions using offline storage

• How to avoid common traps and pitfalls like memory leaks and performance hogs to make your programs run smoother and save you time

Who this book is for
This book is written for web developers learning JavaScript for the first time, or seasoned veterans looking to brush up on the latest features of JavaScript.

Wrox Programmer's References are designed to give the experienced developer straight facts on a new technology, without hype or unnecessary explanations. They deliver hard information with plenty of practical examples to help you apply new tools to your development projects today.

About the Author

Alexei White is a programmer, designer, and speaker. He is the inventor of RobotReplay, a web sessiontracking technology acquired by Foresee Results, and an author of the book Enterprise Ajax, as well as the DVD training series Enterprise Ajax LiveLessons. He has contributed to major Web projects for Microsoft and Nintendo. His blog can be found at http://ambiguiti.es. When he’s not working in Vancouver he can be found floating on a lake somewhere in the interior of British Columbia with a fishing pole in his hand. You may also find him on Twitter (@alexsaves).

Product Details

• Paperback: 1032 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (August 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470344725
• ISBN-13: 978-0470344729
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #627,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than A Reference, December 9, 2009

By 

Robert K. Bryant "rbryant" (Visalia, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: JavaScript Programmer's Reference (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

As a reference, this book works really well. One can pick up the book and quickly find anything from information about basic syntax, the DOM, to advanced features like Ajax and JSON. The examples stand alone from previous chapters, so there is no need to read the book linearly from cover to cover.

But if one *were* to read the book from cover to cover, it makes a great introduction to JavaScript for designers or others who are already familiar with HTML and CSS. White's writing style is pitch-perfect for such a use--the information is easy to follow while not being "dumbed-down."

The bottom line: great reference, but don't be afraid to use this to learn JavaScript as it is used today.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Javascript Book on the market, December 6, 2010

By 

tim (St. Louis, Macau) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JavaScript Programmer's Reference (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) (Paperback)

This book is thorough, clear, and concise. All sides of Javascript are covered, including basic animation and performance optimizations. The section covering closures explained a potentially confusing concept that had escaped me in other books. Highly recommended.