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Professional JavaScript for Web Developers 3rd Edition

by Nicholas C. Zakas (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 194 ratings
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This book provides a developer-level introduction along with more advanced and useful features of JavaScript. Coverage includes:

  • JavaScript use with HTML to create dynamic webpages, language concepts including syntax and flow control statements
  • variable handling given their loosely typed nature
  • built-in reference types such as object and array
  • object-oriented programing
  • powerful aspects of function expressions
  • Browser Object Model allowing interaction with the browser itself
  • detecting the client and its capabilities
  • Document Object Model (DOM) objects available in DOM Level 1
  • how DOM Levels 2 and 3 augmented the DOM
  • events, legacy support, and how the DOM redefined how events should work
  • enhancing form interactions and working around browser limitations
  • using the tag to create on-the-fly graphics
  • JavaScript API changes in HTML5
  • how browsers handle JavaScript errors and error handling
  • features of JavaScript used to read and manipulate XML data
  • the JSON data format as an alternative to XML
  • Ajax techniques including the use of XMLHttpRequest object and CORS
  • complex patterns including function currying, partial function application, and dynamic functions
  • offline detection and storing data on the client machine
  • techniques for JavaScript in an enterprise environment for better maintainability

This book is aimed at three groups of readers: Experienced object-oriented programming developers looking to learn JavaScript as it relates to traditional OO languages such as Java and C++; Web application developers attempting to enhance site usability; novice JavaScript developers.

Nicholas C. Zakas worked with the Web for over a decade. He has worked on corporate intranet applications used by some of the largest companies in the world and large-scale consumer websites such as MyYahoo! and the Yahoo! homepage. He regularly gives talks at companies and conferences regarding front-end best practices and new technology.

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  1. ISBN-10
    1118026691
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1118026694
  3. Edition
    3rd
  4. Publisher
    Wrox
  5. Publication date
    January 18, 2012
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    7.1 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
  8. Print length
    960 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Get up to date on the latest ways to use JavaScript in web development

If you want to achieve JavaScript's full potential, it is critical to understand its nature, history, and limitations. To that end, this updated version of the bestseller by veteran author and JavaScript guru Nicholas C. Zakas covers JavaScript from its very beginning to the present-day incarnations including the DOM, Ajax, and HTML5. Zakas shows you how to extend this powerful language to meet specific needs and create dynamic user interfaces for the web that blur the line between desktop and internet. By the end of the book, you'll have a strong understanding of the significant advances in web development as they relate to JavaScript so that you can apply them to your next website.

Professional JavaScript for Web Developers:

  • Offers a detailed discussion of the components that make up a JavaScript implementation

  • Zeroes in on new and emerging APIs such as the Selectors API, Web Workers, and Cross-Document Messaging

  • Explores object-oriented programming in JavaScript

  • Shows how to implement drag and drop file upload with Ajax and the File API

  • Highlights the new core language features introduced in ECMAScript5

  • Explains how to work with data formats such as XML and JSON

  • Looks at what's coming in ECMAScript Harmony

  • Walks you through creating offline-capable web applications

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Wrox Professional guides are written by working developers to address everyday needs. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

About the Author

Nicholas C. Zakas is a front-end architect who honed his skills working at Yahoo! for five years. He has worked in web development for over a decade, developing web solutions for some of the largest companies in the world. He is the author of previous editions of Professional JavaScript for Web Developers and a coauthor of Professional Ajax.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wrox; 3rd edition (January 18, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 960 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1118026691
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1118026694
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.48 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 194 ratings

About the author

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Nicholas C. Zakas

Nicholas C. Zakas

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Nicholas C. Zakas is a front-end consultant who specializes in user interface design and implementation for web applications using JavaScript, Dynamic HTML, CSS, XML, and XSLT. Has has 15 years of web development experience and spent nearly five years at Yahoo! in various roles, including principal front end engineer for the Yahoo! homepage and contributor to the Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) library, having written the Cookie Utility, Profiler, and YUI Test.

Nicholas is the author of Professional JavaScript for Web Developers and High Performance JavaScript, a co-author on Professional Ajax, and a contributor to Even Faster Web Sites. He has also written for several online sites such as WebReference, Sitepoint, the YUI Blog, A List Apart, and the Web Performance Advent Calendar.

Nicholas regularly gives talks about web development, JavaScript, and best practices. He has given talks at companies such as Yahoo!, LinkedIn, Google, Netflix, TripAdvisor, and NASA, and conferences such as the Ajax Experience, the Rich Web Experience, OSCON, WebDirections, Fronteers, and Velocity.

Through his writing and speaking, Nicholas seeks to teach others the valuable lessons he’s learned while working on some of the most popular and demanding web applications in the world. He firmly believes that no difficult problem should need to be solved more than once.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
194 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book's description concise and thorough. They say it covers all aspects of Javascript programming, from the basics to advanced topics. Readers describe the book as a good source of knowledge that provides detailed information and background history on JavaScript. Opinions are mixed on the JavaScript knowledge, with some finding it fine for beginners and helpful, while others say it's the worst book to teach JavaScript to someone.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
DescriptionReference valueCoverageJavascript knowledge
46 customers mention "Description"41 positive5 negative

Customers find the book concise and thorough, with amazing detail. They say it does an excellent job of describing Javascript, with a lengthy section on OO techniques. Readers also appreciate the helpful diagrams and code examples. Overall, they say the book provides a solid foundation of JavaScript syntax and overall knowledge.

"...The text is written in a very clear style, never glossing over anything...." Read more

"...includes real-world pros and cons of each practice and also gives THOROUGH documentation of which versions of each browser supports each feature..." Read more

"...It also had a slightly clearer explanation of scope chaining, with helpful diagrams...." Read more

"...This book gives good in-depth look at the language, and gives good insights into browser differences and tactics for abstracting those...." Read more

45 customers mention "Reference value"37 positive8 negative

Customers find the book a good source of knowledge of JavaScript 5. They say it provides detailed information and background history on JavaScript. Readers appreciate the great examples and useful code snippets. They also say the author is well-versed in all aspects of JS. They appreciate the comprehensive coverage of the topics and the context and history the author puts around the language.

"...That detail is the reason this is such a useful reference book -- it contains loads of detailed information on every topics, including..." Read more

"...that I am a more efficient, cleaner, and certainly more sophisticated JavaScript developer...." Read more

"...line is that I continue to use this book so the conclusion is that it's useful and I'm glad I have it...." Read more

"...The author gives a pretty decent history of the Java dialect and then moves forward to the JavaScript framework...." Read more

11 customers mention "Coverage"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book comprehensive and methodical. They say it covers all aspects of Javascript programming, from the basics to advanced topics. Readers also appreciate the good insights into browser differences and cross-browser solutions to various issues.

"...practical bent - for example, it seems to have more information about browser incompatibilities, and some interesting (-ish) historical notes on..." Read more

"...book gives good in-depth look at the language, and gives good insights into browser differences and tactics for abstracting those...." Read more

"...He also includes cross-browser solutions to various issues which is very helpful...." Read more

"...It is a super methodical coverage of the JS, so some of it seems a bit esoteric but later on I find out I really needed that, so I come back to this..." Read more

15 customers mention "Javascript knowledge"8 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's Javascript knowledge. Some mention it provides a good foundation of Javascript methods and is fine for a beginner. Others say it's the worst book to teach JavaScript to someone, and some parts are mind-numbing.

"...I does start with fundamentals so I think it's fine for a javascript beginner, as long as you have a software development background...." Read more

"...It is not a tutorial book for learning JavaScript simply because it has too much detail...." Read more

"...(although it could be used as such, since it starts fairly basic and features clear, concise example)..." Read more

"...The main point of this review is that Javascript is a really weird contraption, and that this book points this out in a way that is very helpful..." Read more

The Book rocks, delivery doesn't
3 out of 5 stars
The Book rocks, delivery doesn't
This is an excellent JS manual, I'm very satisfied with the content of the book and how it is organized. Author is well versed in all aspect of JS and enjoyable to follow as hands on guide. However, the book cover sustained multiple damages, the severest shown on the photo above.
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Top reviews from the United States

Wayne Cannon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Thorough, and Detailed Coverage. A great deskside reference. Not a tutorial for initially learning JavaScript.
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is one of those books that you keep withing arm's length and to which you frequently refer when designing software. It is not a tutorial book for learning JavaScript simply because it has too much detail. That detail is the reason this is such a useful reference book -- it contains loads of detailed information on every topics, including implementation issues, behavioral nuances, better ways to use features, alternatives, etc. After over 40 years of active professional software development and multi-year fluency in at least eight languages, I've found a reference book like this for each language. It looks like this will be my "go to" reference for JavaScript.

One review complained that there was not coverage of DOM, but there are three chapters (122 pages) dedicated to DOM. Another complained about no inclusion of object-oriented programming in JavaScript, but there is a 44-page chapter solely on Object-Oriented Programming, plus additional o-o material scattered throughout the book. There was a complaint about the incompleteness of the index. Admittedly, I don't yet have months of referencing material in this book, but I have yet to find a topic that wasn't well-covered in its index.

I highly recommend Kevin Stokes' November 3, 2012 five-star review -- "Coming from a real language? This book is your best bet.".
7 people found this helpful
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Kevin Stokes
5.0 out of 5 stars Coming from a real language? This book is your best bet.
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2012
Verified Purchase
There is a line from Lion King where little Simba comments on his Uncle Scar's weirdness. Scar replies "You have no idea."

The main point of this review is that Javascript is a really weird contraption, and that this book points this out in a way that is very helpful for programmers coming from more traditional compiled programming languages.

I have programmed in C, C++, Java, C# for many years. I have read other books on Javascript which tried to teach by examples. With normal programming languages, this works fine. However, within a few hours with this book I realized that to understand Javascript, you must give up on some basic expectations you may have as a code developer. This was a surprise to me, but crucial to be able to learn Javascript well enough to work on non-trivial projects with existing code.

Javascript is simply bizarre. There are many different ways to implement object-oriented patterns which all use different-looking code, and have subtle differences, making it so easy to get bitten by unintended consequences. From this book I learned that there is no one solid way to implement the basic pattern of your code, you must make a choice.

If you try to read a Javascript book which teaches by examples, you will be in trouble when you actually start to modify someone else's Javascript code which used a different pattern. This book doesn't just show trivial examples, it methodically goes through how it works in enough detail so you can understand how it is working under the hood.

Also, the text has plenty of warnings about buggy implementations and common pitfalls. After you get about 1/4 of the way through it you will be wondering how any Javascript code runs on Internet Explorer at all, since about every other page is another 'this-is-broken-in-IE' warning boxes.

The text is written in a very clear style, never glossing over anything. It isn't at all cute or made to be entertaining, just kind of down to business.

There is no question I will be using this book nearly every time I have to work on Javascript code.

If you are just looking to make a little mouse button handler in a web page, this is probably not the book for you. It does not jump right into little useful examples.

If you are coming from a programming background in traditional compiled languages, and you want to know more about Javascript than little tiny scripts, IMHO this book is absolutely necessary. You will never regret purchasing it.
122 people found this helpful
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Mike
4.0 out of 5 stars Overall useful for experienced developers of any language
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Overall useful for experienced developers of any language. That is to say, if you are a beginner programmer, I would find another book (and language quite frankly). As far as the good, this book seems to cover everything that deals with JavaScript and the browser without bringing in frameworks and libraries. The reason I rate this 4 instead of 5 is because it's organized a bit strange. For example, the author spends a lot of time talking about what variables are, the different types of variables (primitive values and references), and how they are copied. The thing is that there aren't any surprises here, and he could have explained this in about half the space. Additionally, he talks a lot about how scope, variables, and execution context pertain to objects prior to ever explaining what objects are. He then calls out with and try/catch. Then he only explains with, but the example cannot be executed yet because with is a way to assign execution context to a single object. He doesn't explain try/catch for JavaScript at all. Moreover, if you read JavaScript: The Good Parts by Crockford, he explains why with is actually quite ambiguous and will silently create undefined global variables if you attempt to access undefined properties. No mention of this in Professional JavaScript

This is all just to get to this point: There is a lot of good information here. However, the information isn't well organized, and I am not sure who the audience is. Some of the information is also incomplete. If you're an experienced programmer learning JavaScript this is a fine starting point. There are other starting points to consider too. For my tastes, I would prefer something that is better organized and went more indepth into the language features and spent less time explaining standard concepts in OO languages. Or do so and market the book as a beginner's book.
2 people found this helpful
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Sukhbir Kaur
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on April 28, 2017
Verified Purchase
Best book for novice JavaScript programmers to become a pro.
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Velin Ivanov
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in Germany on June 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
Good book from an experienced author from Yahoo. Glad to have it now on my shelf with JavaScript literature books.
One person found this helpful
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Magnitus
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book For Javascript Browser Development
Reviewed in Canada on November 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book is great. I used it to better learn JavaScript some time ago and now I come back to it every so often as a reference, because it is extremely thorough for the most part.

For the JavaScript student, chapter 1 to 7 cover JavaScript itself and are a must read. The material in those chapters is painstakingly detailed and will cover everything you need to know about JavaScript, short of writing a JavaScript interpreter. Also, not only is the material thorough, but very well explained as well.

However, it is worth noting that the book is heavily biased toward browser development and includes a lot of browser specific details that developers writing JavaScript strictly for another environment (notably, Node.js) won't need. As such, such users might be better served by another JavaScript book.

If you do intend to write JavaScript in the browser though, this book is your holy grail. In addition to the chapters mentioned above (plus chapters 17, 22 and 24), the other chapters cover various application specific JavaScript APIs for the browser. Those chapters are best left to be read later once you need them and can be read independently from each other once your JavaScript base is solid. For example, chapters 9 to 13 are unlikely to be of much use to you if you use jQuery (or other libraries) for feature detection, event handling or DOM manipulation unless you really want to know what is happening under the hood in more details than you'll likely need.

The book also gives a suitable introduction to HTML5 APIs, though seriously learning some of those APIs is best done with a book more dedicated to that topic with Canvas coming to mind as the worst offender here (chapter 15 dedicates 35 pages to it, but there are entire books written about it). The coverage for emerging HTML APIs was similarly slim (they all hold a subsection of chapter 25, but entire chapters in other books are dedicated to those APIs).

So overall, this is an almost perfect book for those looking to learn JavaScript for browser development. You'll learn the basics with an emphasis on browser development as well as application specific APIs that you can pick up as needed. You'll also get introduced to HTML5 APIs. This is an easy 5 stars for the books' intended audience.
5 people found this helpful
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Ppahv
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book for people who know the language
Reviewed in France on December 24, 2014
Verified Purchase
I certainly wouldn't recommend that book to beginners insofar as it doesn't teach how to program or what programming is in truth. Before delving in that "Javascript Bible", one should be at ease with the language, or at least understand all the concepts laying behind the language; a beginner would start with an appropriate book such as "A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript" so that all the base concepts would be assimilated. After having done that, I can say it's the best reference book I've ever read so far. Everything you should know about JavaScript is written, even obscure things that nearly everybody has forgotten for ages.
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Oscar Gascón Arjol
5.0 out of 5 stars Claro y muy completo
Reviewed in Spain on November 9, 2014
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Este libro no es para tomarlo a la ligera. Requiere ciertos conocimientos previos sobre programación JS aunque todos los conceptos son expuestos de forma clara. Es más una obra de referencia que un libro para leer de tirón. No busques ninguna referencia a jQuery u otros frameworks. Sus más de 900 páginas está dedicados a JS/EcmaSript puro. Eso sí, es una joya.
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