Web Development Recipes

Modern web development takes more than just HTML and CSS with a little JavaScript mixed in. Clients want more responsive sites with faster interfaces that work on multiple devices, and you need the latest tools and techniques to make that happen. This book gives you more than 40 concise, tried-and-true solutions to today's web development problems, and introduces new workflows that will expand your skillset.

You'll see a full spectrum of cutting-edge web development techniques, from UI and eye candy recipes to solutions for data analysis, testing, and web hosting.

Make buttons and content stand out with simple cross-browser styles; do animations that work on mobile devices without plugins; build and test HTML emails; and build a flexible layout that works on desktops and mobile devices. You'll use the Backbone and Knockout JavaScript frameworks to build responsive user interfaces, and you'll learn how tools like CoffeeScript and Sass offer better ways to develop and maintain your client-side code. You'll write tests for your code that run in multiple web browsers, use Git to keep track of your work, and even get a little one-on-one time with the Apache web server.

Whether you're new to front-end development, or you've got a few years of experience, you'll become a more versatile developer by finding out how--and why--to use these solutions in your next web development project.

What You Need:

Your favorite text editor, Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or higher, Google Chrome or Safari, and a working knowledge of HTML and JavaScript.

Brian P. Hogan is an author, editor, trainer, and web developer who's been building web sites professionally since 1995 as a freelancer and consultant. He enjoys teaching and writing about technology, particularly web design, accessibility, and development. When not hacking on Ruby or JavaScript code, he's writing songs, watching "The Simpsons," or spending quality time with his wife and daughters.

Chris Warren is a developer and support lead at Zencoder. He's been creating websites since teaching himself HTML in 1998, and after stints with ASP and ColdFusion development he came across Ruby and Rails. In addition to programming he enjoys cycling, photography, and going on adventures with his wife.

Mike Weber is a web developer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He's been developing professionally since 2005, almost exclusively with Ruby on Rails. When not counting whitespace he enjoys running, swimming and golfing as well as spending time with his wife and dog.

Chris Johnson is a web developer and technology consultant living outside of Madison, Wisconsin. He has been developing websites professionally since 2003 when he got his first paycheck as a freelancer. When he's not developing, he enjoys tinkering with technology and mechanical things, photography, video games, playing hockey and spending time with his wife and their two dogs.

Aaron Godin is a programmer and designer. If he's not deep in a Rails application or programming in Ruby, he spends his time working with all things front-end. Besides being a Macophile, his other interests include electronic music, martial arts, skateboarding, and making fun of iPad commercials.