Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (Wrox Professional Guides)

Written for experienced web developers, Professional Ajax shows how to combine tried-and-true CSS, XML, and JavaScript technologies into Ajax. This provides web developers with the ability to create more sophisticated and responsive user interfaces and break free from the "click-and-wait" standard that has dominated the web since its introduction. Professional Ajax discusses the range of request brokers (including the hidden frame technique, iframes, and XMLHttp) and explains when one should be used over another. You will also learn different Ajax techniques and patterns for executing client-server communication on your web site and in web applications. By the end of the book, you will have gained the practical knowledge necessary to implement your own Ajax solutions. In addition to a full chapter case study showing how to combine the book's Ajax techniques into an AjaxMail application, Professional Ajax uses many other examples to build hands-on Ajax experience. Some of the other examples include: web site widgets for a news ticker, weather information, web search, and site search preloading pages in online articles incremental form validation using Google Web APIs in Ajax creating an autosuggest text box Professional Ajax readers should be familiar with CSS, XML, JavaScript, and HTML so you can jump right in with the book and begin learning Ajax patterns, XPath and XSLT support in browsers, syndication, web services, JSON, and the Ajax Frameworks, JPSpan, DWR, and Ajax.NET. JavaScript is a scripting language that enables you to enhance static web applications by providing dynamic, personalized, and interactive content. This improves the experience of visitors to your site and makes it more likely that they will visit again. You must have seen the flashy drop-down menus, moving text, and changing content that are now widespread on web sitesthey are enabled through JavaScript. Supported by all the major browsers, JavaScript is the language of choice on the Web. It can even be used outside web applicationsto automate administrative tasks, for example. This book aims to teach you all you need to know to start experimenting with what it is, how it works, and what you can do with it. Starting from the basic syntax, you'll move on to learn how to create powerful web applications. Don't worry if you've never programmed beforethis book will teach you all you need to know, step by step. You'll find that JavaScript can be a great introduction to the world of programming: with the knowledge and understanding that you'll gain from this book, you'll be able to move on to learn newer and more advanced technologies in the world of computing. In order to get the most out of this book, you'll need to have an understanding of HTML and how to create a static web page. You don't need to have any programming experience. This book will also suit you if you have some programming experience already, and would like to turn your hand to web programming. You will know a fair amount about computing concepts, but maybe not as much about web technologies. Alternatively, you may have a design background and know relatively little about the Web and computing concepts. For you, JavaScript will be a cheap and relatively easy introduction to the world of programming and web application development. Whoever you are, we hope that this book lives up to your expectations. You'll begin by looking at exactly what JavaScript is, and taking your first steps with the underlying language and syntax. You'll learn all the fundamental programming concepts, including data and data types, and structuring your code to make decisions in your programs or to loop over the same piece of code many times. Once you're comfortable with the basics, you'll move on to one of the key ideas in JavaScriptthe object. You'll learn how to take advantage of the objects that are native to the JavaScript language, such as dates and strings, and find out how these objects enable you to manage complex data and simplify your programs. Next, you'll see how you can use JavaScript to manipulate objects made available to you in the browser, such as forms, windows, and other controls. Using this knowledge, you can start to create truly professional-looking applications that enable you to interact with the user. Long pieces of code are very hard to get right every timeeven for the experienced programmerand JavaScript code is no exception. You look at common syntax and logical errors, how you can spot them, and how to use the Microsoft Script Debugger to aid you with this task. Also, you need to examine how to handle the errors that slip through the net, and ensure that these do not detract from the experience of the end user of your application. From here, you'll move on to more advanced topics, such as using cookies and jazzing up your web pages with dynamic HTML and XML. Finally, you'll be looking at a relatively new and exciting technology, remote scripting. This allows your JavaScript in a HTML page to communicate directly with a server, and useful for, say, looking up information on a database sitting on your server. If you have the Google toolbar you'll have seen something like this in action already. When you type a search word in the Google toolbar, it comes up with suggestions, which it gets via the Google search database. All the new concepts introduced in this book will be illustrated with practical examples, which enable you to experiment with JavaScript and build on the theory that you have just learned. The appendix provides solutions to the exercises included at the end of most chapters throughout the book. During the first half of the book, you'll also be building up a more complex sample applicationan online trivia quizwhich will show you how JavaScript is used in action in a real-world situation. Professional JavaScript for Web Developers, 2nd Edition, provides a developer-level introduction along with the more advanced and useful features of JavaScript. Starting at the beginning, the book explores how JavaScript originated and evolved into what it is today. A detailed discussion of the components that make up a JavaScript implementation follows, with specific focus on standards such as ECMAScript and the Document Object Model (DOM). The differences in JavaScript implementations used in different popular web browsers are also discussed. Building on that base, the book moves on to cover basic concepts of JavaScript including its version of object-oriented programming, inheritance, and its use in various markup languages such as HTML. An in-depth examination of events and event handling is followed by an exploration of browser detection techniques and a guide to using regular expressions in JavaScript. The book then takes all this knowledge and applies it to creating dynamic user interfaces. The last part of the book is focused on advanced topics, including performance/memory optimization, best practices, and a look at where JavaScript is going in the future. This book is aimed at three groups of readers: Experienced developers familiar with object-oriented programming who are looking to learn JavaScript as it relates to traditional OO languages such as Java and C++ Web application developers attempting to enhance the usability of their web sites and web applications Novice JavaScript developers aiming to better understand the language In addition, familiarity with the following related technologies is a strong indicator that this book is for you: Java PHP ASP.NET HTML CSS XML This book is not aimed at beginners who lack a basic computer science background or those looking to add some simple user interactions to web sites. These readers should instead refer to Wrox's Beginning JavaScript, 3rd Edition (Wiley, 2007). This book covers: What Is JavaScript?--Explains the origins of where it came from, how it evolved, and what it is today. Concepts introduced include the relationship between JavaScript and ECMAScript, the Document Object Model (DOM), and the Browser Object Model (BOM). A discussion of the relevant standards from the European Computer Manufacturer's Association (ECMA) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is also included. JavaScript in HTML--Examines how JavaScript is used in conjunction with HTML to create dynamic web pages. Introduces the various ways of embedding JavaScript into a page, including a discussion surrounding the JavaScript content-type and its relationship to the element. Language Basics--Introduces basic language concepts, including syntax and flow control statements. Explains the syntactic similarities of JavaScript and other C-based languages and points out the differences. Type coercion is introduced as it relates to built-in operators. Variables, Scope, and Memory--Explores how variables are handled in JavaScript given their loosely typed nature. A discussion about the differences between primitive and reference values is included, as is information about execution context as it relates to varia...

Professional JavaScript for Web Developers

JavaScript is an important feature of every major browser because it enables enhanced user interaction on both Web sites and Web applications. While exploring everything from its history to today's advanced features, this book shows you how to use this powerful language to its full potential in order to develop your own applications that solve the business problems facing Web developers today.

You'll gain a clear understanding of the components that make up a JavaScript implementation, plus you'll examine critical areas including events, regular expressions, and browser detection techniques so that you can build dynamic user interfaces. You'll also learn how to extend the language to meet your specific requirements as well as create seamless client-server communication without intermediaries such as Java or hidden frames.

What you will learn from this book

• ECMAScript basics, object-oriented programming techniques, and important Document Object Model (DOM) concepts
• How to implement regular expressions for data validation and string manipulation
• Methods for handling events to tie JavaScript to a Web user interface
• Techniques for validating data, sorting tables, and dealing with errors
• How to communicate between JavaScript and browser plugins
• All about security issues, optimization, and intellectual property protections

Who this book is for

This book is for Web developers who want to use JavaScript to dramatically improve the usability of their Web sites and Web applications.

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

JavaScript is the preferred programming language for Web page applications, letting you enhance your sites with interactive, dynamic, and personalized pages. This fully updated guide shows you how to take advantage of JavaScript's client-side scripting techniques for the newest versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer, even if you've never programmed before. You will begin with basic syntax and learn about data types and how to structure code for decision-making. Then you'll learn to use dates, strings, and other basic objects of JavaScript. Next, you will see how to use JavaScript to manipulate objects provided by the browser, such as forms and windows. From there you will move into advanced topics like using cookies and dynamic HTML. After you have a solid foundation, you will explore dynamic generation of Web content using server-side scripting and back-end databases. And you'll practice what you learn by building a sample application as you go. This book is for anyone who wants to learn JavaScript programming. You should have some understanding of HTML and how to create static Web pages, but no prior programming experience is necessary. Dispels the myth that JavaScript is a'baby'language and demonstrates why it is the scripting language of choice used in the design of millions of Web pages and server-side applications Quickly covers JavaScript basics and then moves on to more advanced topics such as object-oriented programming, XML, Web services, and remote scripting Addresses the many issues that Web application developers face, including internationalization, security, privacy, optimization, intellectual property issues, and obfuscation Builds on the reader's basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and the Web in general This book is also available as part of the 4-book JavaScript and Ajax Wrox Box (ISBN: 0470227818). This 4-book set includes: Professional JavaScript for Web Developers (ISBN: 0764579088) Professional Ajax 2nd edition (ISBN: 0470109491) Professional Web 2.0 Programming (ISBN: 0470087889) Professional Rich Internet Applications: Ajax and Beyond (ISBN: 0470082801) "While exploring everything from its history to today's advanced features, this book shows you how to use this powerful language to its full potential in order to develop your own applications that solve the business problems facing Web developers today." "You'll gain a clear understanding of the components that make up a JavaScript implementation, plus you'll examine critical areas including events, regular expressions, and browser detection techniques so that you can build dynamic user interfaces. You'll also learn how to extend the language to meet your specific requirements as well as create seamless client-server communication without intermediaries such as Java or hidden frames."--Jacket Introduction to JavaScript and the Web Data types and variables Decisions, loops, and functions an object-based language Programming the browser HTML forms : interacting with the user Windows and frames String manipulation Date, time and timers Common mistakes, debugging, and error handling Storing information : cookies Dynamic HTML in early browsers Dynamic HTML in modern browsers JavaScript and XML Using ActiveX and Plug-Ins with JavaScript Server-side scripting with ASP Databases. Assuming a familiarity with HTML, this guide explains how to manage complex data with objects in the JavaScript language, manipulate strings, locate syntax and logical errors, use cookies, jazz up web pages with Dynamic HTML, and insert server-side scripting into a web page using active server pages (ASP). A sample online trivia quiz application running throughout the book ties the concepts together. Annotation : 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Assuming no prior programming knowledge, this book helps readers learn JavaScript and use this knowledge for practical purposes on their Web sites to create interesting, useful and dynamic sites. Its primary focus is on practical application of JavaScript to Web site creation. What Is Ajax? -- Ajax Basics -- Ajax Patterns -- Xml, Xpath, And Xslt -- Syndication With Rss/atom -- Web Services -- Json -- Web Site Widgets -- Ajaxmail -- Ajax Framework. Nicholas C. Zakas, Jeremy Mcpeak, Joe Fawcett. Programmer To Programmer--cover. Includes Index. Around 1992, a company called Nombas began developing an embedded scripting language called C-minus-minus (Cmm for short).