JavaScript Weekend Crash Course [Paperback]

Steven W. Disbrow (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764548042 | ISBN-13: 978-0764548048 | Publication Date: May 15, 2001

Learn JavaScript fast! With JavaScript Weekend Crash Course, you can get up to speed programming JavaScript applications in a single weekend!

This book begins at the beginning and assumes no prior JavaScript experience. You'll learn the essentials of JavaScript from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Get up to Speed on JavaScript -- in a Weekend!
The big day is Monday. The day you get to show off what you know about JavaScript. The problem is, you're not really up to speed. Maybe it's been a while since you worked with JavaScript. Or maybe you just like a challenge. In any event, we've got a solution for you -- JavaScript Weekend Crash Course. Open the book Friday evening and by Sunday afternoon, after completing 30 fast, focused sessions, you'll be able to jump right in and start scripting interactive Web pages. It's as simple as that.

THE CURRICULUM
FRIDAY
Evening: 4 Lessons, 2 Hours
Getting to Know JavaScript; Statements and Operators; Flow of Control Statements; How to Write JavaScript Functions

SATURDAY
Morning: 6 Lessons, 3 Hours
Working with JavaScript Strings; Working with JavaScript Arrays; Understanding the Browser Object Model; Working with the window Object; Working with the document Object; Reacting to Events
Afternoon: 6 Lessons, 3 Hours
Dynamically Creating an HTML Page; Working with HTML Forms; Working with HTML Controls; Working with Images; Validating Form Data; Cooking up Cookies with JavaScript
Evening: 4 Lessons, 2 Hours
Understanding JavaScript Objects; Creating and Using Methods; Enhancing HTML with JavaScript Objects; Dynamically Creating and Executing JavaScript

SUNDAY
Morning: 6 Lessons, 3 Hours
Working with Cascading Style Sheets; Creating Dynamic HTML with JavaScript; Working with Frames; Working with Windows; Improving the User Interface; Working with Different Browsers
Afternoon: 4 Lessons, 2 Hours
Working with Dates, Numbers, and Web Addresses; Communicating with Server-Side Processes; Supporting Multimedia; Working with Java Applets

About the Author

Steven W. Disbrow (Hixson, Tennessee) is a technical instructor specializing in JavaScript and other web-based technologies such as HTML and XML. He writes JavaScripting column for Java Report magazine, and a regular contributor to Web Developer's Journal and Active Server Developer's Journal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 446 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (May 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764548042
• ISBN-13: 978-0764548048
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, Well-Written, Fast-Track to JavaScript Proficiency, October 15, 2001

By 

Jason Fisher (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JavaScript Weekend Crash Course (Paperback)

Mr. Disbrow has put together a lucid and thorough fast-track program for attaining JavaScript proficiency in a remarkably short time. The examples are relevant and easy to follow, the lessons are well organized and logical, and the writing is crisp and accessible. A great addition to any developer's bookshelf!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives up to its title, February 17, 2004

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JavaScript Weekend Crash Course (Paperback)

Although I am fairly proficient with Javascript, I purchased this book because it used an online shopping cart as the basis of the lessons and I wanted the code to jumpstart a project. I did take the time to read the book on a coast-to-coast plane trip, so I got more out of it than just free code.

The author claims that no programming experience is needed to complete the weekend crash course. I disagree with this claim because there is much more to programming, even in a scripting language, than knowing syntax. However, anyone who has even rudimentary programming skills will be able to quickly learn basic Javascript development using this book because the course has been well thought out and leads you through practical exercises that will, indeed, give you the knowledge and skills to write Javascript in a weekend.

Key strengths of this book include:

- succinct and focused lessons that build upon one another to culminate in genuine proficiency if you follow the lessons and work the exercises.

- does not stray beyond the basics or introduce superfluous, nice-to-know material that will sidetrack you

- uses a non-trivial application as the basis of the lessons (writing an online shopping cart will exercise every major Javascript feature)

If you've never written a program you may still get through this book, but it will take diligence and personal commitment. It will also take more than a weekend in my opinion. However, if you have been exposed to programming in any language (but preferably the C programming language), you can become proficient in Javascript in a single weekend if you follow the lesson plan and work the exercises. In view of that this book is a worthwhile investment, especially if you are in a hurry or need to quickly get up to speed in Javascript.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely useful!, November 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: JavaScript Weekend Crash Course (Paperback)

Mr. Disbrow's book, JavaScript Weekend Crash Course, was easy to understand and the examples were easy to follow. It gave me a good foundation upon which to build. I have been able to take things learned in several chapters and put them together to do some really neat things with JavaScript. This book stays close to (or on) my desk!