Beginning JavaScript (Programmer to Programmer)

What is this book about?

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 begin with basic syntax and learn about data types and how to structure code for decision-making. Then you learn to use dates, strings, and other basic objects of JavaScript. Next, you see how to use JavaScript to manipulate objects provided by the browser, such as forms and windows. From there, you move into advanced topics like using cookies and dynamic HTML.

After you have a solid foundation, you explore dynamic generation of Web content using server-side scripting and back-end databases. And you practice what you learn by building a sample application as you go.

What does this book cover?

Here are some of the things you'll find in this book:

• What types of data are used in JavaScript
• How to identify and correct flaws in your code
• Techniques for programming the browser
• How to use Microsoft Script Debugger and Netscape Script Debugger
• Ways to manage cross-browser issues
• How JavaScript interacts with XML and HTML

Who is this book for?

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.

Paul Wilton. After an initial start as a Visual Basic applications programmer at the Ministry of Defense in the U.K., Paul found himself pulled into the Net. Having joined an Internet development company, he spent the last 5 years helping create Internet solutions and is currently working on an e-commerce website for a major British bank.
Paul’s main skills are in developing web front ends using DHTML, JavaScript, VBScript, and Visual Basic, and back-end solutions with ASP, Visual Basic, and SQL Server. Currently, in between web development projects, he is learning Palm OS programming.