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Javascript Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)

by Cliff Wootton (Author)

2.9 9 ratings

Covers programming concepts, definitions, core ECMAScript and JScript features, DOM levels 1 and 2, browser specific implementations, availability listings, server-side JavaScript, and Netscape Enterprise Server.

Amazon.com Review

JavaScript Programmer's Reference documents JavaScript, JScript, and ECMAScript to the degree that they're standardized, and goes on to catalog the extensions major browser publishers have added to the languages. In essence, this book is a resource for finding out how the major browsers (Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Opera) implement their Document Object Models (DOMs), both standard and proprietary, and how they access DOM elements through JavaScript and similar scripting languages.

This is a reference, so don't expect it to teach you JavaScript through any sort of tutorial (though reading the object descriptions can be very illuminating, indeed). Cliff Wootton has chosen to organize his work alphabetically, like a giant encyclopedia of objects, reserved words, operators, filters, and other aspects of JavaScript and the DOM standards. A cross-reference that associates individual properties, methods, and event handlers with the objects to which they belong appears as an appendix. Once you've located the entry of the object you want, you'll have easy access to inheritance information, a syntax summary, and plain-English advice on what the object does. Tables provide implementation details for each property, method, and event handler, so you know which versions of which browsers support the language feature you want to use. There also are references to standards documents, and, sometimes, illustrations of how to use the language element in working code. Illustrations are rare but generally effective in clarifying the significance of language elements and the relationships among objects.

A cool feature is Wootton's documentation of common errors and incorrect assumptions. For example, he's included an entry on Bar.visibility, a nonexistent property sometimes assumed to exist in the Netscape Navigator object model. The correct property is Bar.visible, the author points out. The book also has some strange ways of doing things: Operators and other non-character entries don't appear up front, before the "A" entries, as is conventional. They've been transliterated, if that's the word, so you have to look up "Add" in order to find out about the + operator. Overall, this is a fine JavaScript reference, made excellent by its companion CD-ROM that includes the entire body of printed reference material (plus some extra) in searchable form. --David Wall

Topics covered: The JavaScript, JScript, and ECMAScript scripting languages, and their implementations in popular browsers as well as in standards documents. Coverage includes JavaScript through version 1.5, JScript through version 5.5, and ECMAScript through version 3. The DOM1 standard is covered fully and the DOM2 standard is covered to the extent it's implemented in Netscape Navigator 6. Effectively, this means coverage includes Netscape Navigator through version 6.0, Internet Explorer through version 5.5, and Opera through version 5. There's also some coverage of server-side JavaScript under Netscape Enterprise Server.

About the Author

Cliff Wootton specializes in the development and integration of high performance media based Internet/Intranet systems. His clients are companies needing solutions for publishing, graphics, multimedia and Internet projects. Recent work includes architectural design and development of components for several award winning broadcast/entertainment web sites.

ISBN-10

1861004591
ISBN-13

978-1861004598
Publisher

Apress
Publication date

February 15, 2001
Language

English
Dimensions

6 x 2 x 8.75 inches
Print length

1000 pages
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Apress (February 15, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 1000 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1861004591
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1861004598
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.91 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 2 x 8.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #10,869,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,812 in JavaScript Programming (Books)
- #11,885 in Computer Programming Languages
- #29,626 in Programming Languages (Books)

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JCDrumKing

Worthless.

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2001

Verified Purchase

Like most Wrox buyers, I figured this book would be of excellent quality and value. I pretty much bought the book without even looking it over because I knew that it would be exactly what I needed. Guess again.
I realize that it is a reference, but in my opinion a good reference book still gives some explanation of what an item is and how it's used. This book doesn't do much of anything. It simply spews a huge, redundant list of object properties and gives absolutely no indication of what they are for or how they are used.
I actually bought this book when it first came out early this year. I tried to use it for a couple weeks and ended up throwing it on the shelf in disgust. What a waste of my time and money.
I managed to get through the Javascript programming I had to do on my own. But now I am once again looking for a good Javascript reference book. This book showed up on my Amazon search list, and I couldn't wait to see what other reviewers were saying about it. I am happy to see that I am not the only one who is appalled that Wrox allowed this book to be published.
I wish I could give it ZERO stars!
Unfortunately, now I have to question and heavily scrutinize a Wrox book before I buy it, where before it was a slam-dunk. It's a shame that one bad purchase has changed my opinion to this degree. But this book is SO AWFUL, it's clear that Wrox is simply publishing anything that anyone will write for them -- with no QA whatsoever.

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Amazon Customer

Decent reference that lacks detail and examples

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2001

I like to call this book enhanced "intellisense", for those of you familiar with Microsoft development environments. It basically is a listing of objects and all of their methods and properties on different browsers. But it offers little detail such as examples. It will give you a "WARNING" about a particular method, but often doesn't tell you what you're being warned about.
If you already know how to use a javascript method but are just curious about which browsers support it, this book is helpful. Otherwise, you should purchase "JavaScript: The Definitive Guide" by Flanagan. I can't wait until Flanagan comes up with a fourth edition because the latest one is getting outdated, but it is by far the best JavaScript book.
JavaScript Programmer's Reference is just not worth the money. Most of the information it provides is available via help files, and the book does not provide an useful index, but instead lumps everything into alphabetical order. Very disappointing.

7 people found this helpful

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Edwardson Tan

The CD-ROM is handy

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2002

Pleasantly surprised that this book contains a CD-ROM. What's amazing is that the disk contains not only the entire book but actually has more in it than the printed material. They say they would need to print two volumes to fit all the data in.
I don't use the book anymore. Besides being (deliberately) incomplete finding items is quicker using the CD-ROM. The electronic version is styled as webpages strewn with hyperlinks (I didn't and don't even bother checking out the pdf version). If you have enough hard disk space copy the entire CD-ROM and use that copy instead. Accesing the reference is much faster that way. Create a shortcut on your desktop or on the Quick Launch bar or anywhere it's most convenient.
Please note that this is not a beginner's book! Buy this only when you've gotten up to speed on JS programming. This is purely a dictionary-like reference for JS programmers. I myself bought it while my understanding of JS was at kindergarten stage. Needless to say 'reading' it then was a disappointing experience. My fault, not Wootton's. These days I refer to it every now and then to check on syntax and usage.

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Nkkc

Another must-have reference

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2001

Before reading this book, the book "Javascript-The Definite Guide" by David Flanagan is a must-have reference for every Javascript programmer. This book became my second "must-have" reference. The reason why this book is worth the money is that the examples inside the book are very much helpful to understand the Javascript in a deeper level. Too bad that Wrox has a traditionally lousy publishing format, and it caused reading uncomfortably. This book is no exceptional and that's why the "definite guide" is still No. 1. Wrox should not neglect this anymore.

6 people found this helpful

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Peter Christian Normann

Superb reference

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2006

While I havn't found the book useful, the CD ROM is priceless. I have used the accompanying reference for more than 5 years now, and it is still my primary reference for javascript programming being surprisingly comprehensive.

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Russell Kim

Don't waste your money

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2002

I don't know how I bought this book. At first glace of the book title, it seems very useful. I mean we all need quick indexed JavaScript reference. This book gives reference but not detailed reference. This just lists all properties and methods. Many times, it doesn't tell you how to use it. Usually, other books have small codes to show how to use them. This is almost like getting a W3 reference that's available for free for cost. Unreal! I will not buy book from Cliff Wootton, again. Further more, i will be more cautious about buying WROX book. Lately, their books haven't been very good. Either my programming skill gotten better where I no longer can read the level of their books or their books gotten worse, which I concured with the latter.
Any other JavaScript book is better than Cliff Wootton's book. I can write JavaScript book better than this guy. Anyone who programmed JavaScript can write book better than this guy. You can download free W3 or free JavaScript reference from Microsoft, it's better than this book. You can go to free website, it's still better than this book.
After my fraustration of this book, I've got "O'Reilly's JavaScript-The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan..." I highly recommend O'Reilly's book.
Mr. Cliff Wootton, go back and rewrite your reference book. Why? Because you haven't provided anything more than what people can get for free. In fact, even if yours is for free, it still wouldn't be worth money because i think there are other javascript reference book that's not 1000 pages long. Look at the David Flanagan's book. It gives tutorial, in case a programmer has forgotten something, client reference, javascript core reference, DOM reference, still less pages than yours...

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Javascript Programmer's Reference (Programmer to Programmer)

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