Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax From Novice to Professional

Book Description

JavaScript is one of the most important technologies on the web. It provides the means to add dynamic functionality to your web pages and serves as the backbone of Ajax-style web development. Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax is an essential guide for modern JavaScript programming; it's practical but comprehensive. It covers everything you need to know to get up to speed with JavaScript development to add dynamic enhancements to web pages and program Ajax-style applications.

Experienced web developer Christian Heilmann begins gently by giving you an overview of JavaScript--its syntax, good coding practices, and the principles of DOM scripting. Then he builds up your JavaScript toolkit, covering dynamically manipulating markup, changing page styling on the fly using the CSS DOM, validating forms, dealing with images, and much more. Then he takes you to advanced territory, with a complete case study illustrating how many new JavaScript techniques can work together, plus a great introduction to Ajax development.

Reviews From AMAZON.COM

Pretty good, but lacking something

I bought this book because I am a web designer, but I'm terrible with Javascript, so I intended to try to figure it out a little bit with this book. It seems promising, as it goes from the ground all the way up to Ajax, but it uses the annoying practice of code snippets interspersed throughout the text, which can get kind of confusing.

I'm also not positive all of the examples work, although that could be my own error. It's definitely not a bad book, but it is probably slightly over the heads of individuals such as I.

Poorly organized, sloppy examples, and HEAVY emphasis on accessibility standards compliance

I've had very positive experiences with Apress in the past, but I was really disappointed with this book....and it sounds like some of the other reviewers share my frustrations.

The example programs are sloppy and have errors (yes, the versions posted online work, but it's a massive pain in the a$$ to stare at the book for twenty minutes only to realize that there's an error in line x and line y doesn't even need to be there...and it's a bit unfair to expect the reader to know when to stop staring at the book and check the online version to see if it looks any different). Additionally, the author frequently dumps large amounts of code on the reader and instructs them to ignore parts (or to "ignore everything except for"). It happends over and over, and it gets annoying.

Also, from the beginning of the book, there is a heavy emphasis on web accessibility standards. Ensuring that your site can be accessed by visually impaired or otherwise disabled users is fine and great, but the examples get bloated because of it and, imho, it really gets in the way of learning the basic concepts.

If you want to learn Javascript and DOM, I'd recommend that you go to the Mozilla online docs for Javascript and DOM. The documentation and examples there are first rate. If, after learning Javascript and DOM, you want some recipes that *might* be helpful in ensuring compliance with accessibility standards, this book may be for you.