5 comments about The Book of JavaScript, 2nd Edition: A Practical Guide to Interactive Web Pages.

1. I bought this book becuase I read several reviews that stated this book would be great for those who are more advanced in scripting as well as the beginner. I did not find that to be the case. The one good thing I will say is that it was clear and easy to read, so if you're new to the world of JS, this book will suit your needs.



2. If you want to learn Javascript, this is an excellent book. It's a good read. Even though thau is an internet god, there's no ego in this book. It's clear he only wants to share his knowledge and bring more people into the web development fold.
   
   I hope he's getting rich.



3. I looked at this book, the Visual QuickStart Book (Negrino/Smith), and the Dummies book (Vander Veer). I also looked at a couple of other basic books. This is by the far the best. This one will get you up and running doing some basic, though nifty, Javascript tasks. And it is very well written.
   
   It was better organized than the Dummies book, and much more clear than the Visual Quickstart Guide. It was also more advanced than books like 'Javascript Demystified' or the Sam's Teach Yourself. The only bad thing I could say about the book is that it is a bit wordy at points.
   
   If you need to do more advanced stuff, you can get one of the more advanced books.



4. First off, ***very*** disappointed that No Starch Press has decided to cheapen the book's look and feel by reprinting the current batch with thinner paper (~24 or 28-lb. paper, a bit heavier than plain copier paper) compared to the nice "hardcover-book-quality" 60-lb. paper stated in the colophon, even though the colophon still lists the paper used as being 60-lbs. A previous printing of the book also had blue-colored text, which really added a welcome "visual comfort" that's now sadly lacking. Look at a copy from the older print run in your local public library and you'll see what I mean. It simply looks and feels like a cheaper product now.
   
   Having said all that, I think this is a very decent book for newbies, with a fairly "traditional textbook" approach to learning JavaScript. By "fairly traditional" I mean that its pedagogy is straightforward and the material is covered in the way you'd expect (nothing like "Head First JavaScript," which I also recommend as a good companion learning tool to this title [since you really can't expect to learn with just one book, especially if you're a newbie to programming]). I especially like how an English-Italian translation program is developed in the later parts of the book, tying together the various JavaScript and Ajax concepts explored.
   
   So I would have given the book three stars for being a good, solid if unspectacular text but the cheaper paper and lack of blue ink in addition to black makes me unhappy.



5. I just needed a hand to automate some forms and this book did it for me quickly and painlessly. There may be better Javascript books around but this one makes it easy. He presents the information in a simple way that you can start using right away. The biggest problem for people starting out is too much detailed explanation that you can learn later as you get the hang of the language. This book is organized in a logical and practical approach. You can start writing code almost right away and you don't have to be a rocket surgeon. The back of the book has projects, a language reference section and a good index. The proof is in the pudding; it works.

5 comments about Programming the Web Using XHTML and JavaScript.

1. Wow. Very few programming books I've read do much for me. Most of them are of no more use than a reference manual. But this book....this book is different. After just an hour of reading, I now understand the basics of JavaScript. The book does a great job explaining it. The other topic this book covers is XHTML, the successor to HTML. I admire the author's constant reminders to remain standards-complient in XHTML. Good job.

   I got this book for a class, but I'll be keeping it forever. Scary, eh?




2. I got this book for a class, taught by Lagerstrom, and loved it. It does a great job explaining XHTML and JavaScript. I had never been exposed to any type of programming, but this book made it simple. When I originally bought the book, I was sharing it with two other people. However, we all found it so helpful that we had to each buy our own to keep it on the shelf.



3. I bought this book for a class that I took at UC Berkeley and it's a great book because it teaches the reader xhtml and java in a simple way. I was amazed as to how easy it was understand all the terminology in the book. Usually I sell off my books at the end of the semester but this one was a keeper.



4. A good book. Topics are all well explained and good programming examples are provided. The target audience is more for people with little or no programming experience. But, experienced software developers can gain some insights, too. Overall, I highly recommend if you are looking for a book on this subject which doesn't contain in-depth technical details.



5. I would def. buy something from this seller again. He was wonderful and fast. He saved me from failing my class.

5 comments about New Perspectives on JavaScript, Comprehensive (New Perspectives on).

1. The tutorials in the book are written well, but the exercises are just too confusing! They want you to take everything from previous chapters and incorporate it to write new code. They expect you to build new ideas based of what you just reviewed. The case exercises do not follow the tutorial. I find this extremely difficult for beginners and time consuming. Be prepared to research Javascript on the net and other books along with this one.



2. This text is written in a very odd way for beginning students. The chapters, called "tutorials", walk you through the process of coding javascript by telling you how to do this or that in a series of handholding steps that seem decent for beginners. It is a natural assumption that once a person has finished a tutorial, they should be able to tackle the case studies at the end of the tutorial with minimal problems. This assumption would be very wrong. The case studies were not meant for the beginners like the tutoprials were. They are far too complicated, assuming that the average student has just become fluent in javascript after the over-simplified, step-by-step tutorial. As Mark Mattix states in his review, be VERY prepared to need other sources to help explain the concepts the case studies in this text were designed for.



3. This book says Copyright 2006, and looks like it was released in late 2005. However, judging by the discussions on browsers and the lack of any mention of the latest uses of Javascript (Web 2.0, Ajax, etc) this book seems more like it was written in 2003. It mentions version 4 browsers all over the book. Makes no mention of Firefox or Safari, and does not discuss versions of IE and Netscape that were out even in 2005.
   
   
   The Chapters, called Tutorials, are overall pretty good at explaining the topics. However, there are at times where they aren't really explaining "why" you're doing something, just showing you how to do it. This approach is not very educational.
   
   Another complaint was in the wasted half chapter on using "filters" that only work in IE. I'm taking a class that is using the book. After going over these topics, the instructor took a vote on how many (out of 30 people) found these IE only parts helpful...about 3 people thought so. Most people, me included, felt it was a waste of time. Most of the IE filters can be done with other technologies that are cross-browser compatible, making it pretty bad practice to use them at all. So, here, the author just wasted space - and class time.
   
   I can't compare this to any other Javascript books, but I can compare it to there computer books. It's just OK. I'm sure there are better books out there that cover more timely topics, include discussions of the latest browsers (even for 2005!), don't waste time on teaching proprietary technologies (IE filters), and cover topics that explains more of the "whys" rather that just "hows".



4. If you're looking to get into JavaScript for the first time, this book is probably for you. If you're trying to create commercial sites or become a JS pro, probably not. It's good for classes where students can follow the tutorials.



5. Perhaps due to the presence of coauthor Frank Canovatchel, there is slightly more clarity of thought and rigor applied to program logic presentation than in the other Carey book I reviewed (XML).
   
   However, I have to agree that the Review exercises at the end of each tutorial (I'm at Chap 04) tend to leave out critical information that doing the chapter tutorial should have taught. It doesn't.
   
   And to make matters worse, the index is incomplete. A pet peeve of mine is text books where you can't find information you either thought you read [and want to review] or want to know if it is somewhere in the book you plan to read [but haven't read yet].
   
   Case in point: Review exercise of Tutorial 4, Step 5 says "Use the getObject() function to create three variables..." but the closest thing to a "getObject()" function mentioned in the chapter (or the book as far as I can tell) is the getElementById() which does not appear to be what is intended in this exercise. To make matters worse, the index does not list a getObject() function. Googling online revealed numerous tangentially related topics, mostly appearing to do with Microsoft and VB. So....one simple missing step and the exercise is dead in the water. Very typical of Thomson Course Technology textbooks I might add.
   
   So two stars because the chapter tutorials proper can usually be copied line for line (legal transcriptionist style) and will often work (not always, for example Chapter 03 tutorial created a opening HTML table tag and never ended it. Makes me wonder how well the code was tested.). No more stars because the end of chapter exercises are only moderately clear and tend to require that you somehow intuit exactly what logic the author had in mind at the time he was writing, and book is nearly useless as a reference to find more data. It is not for loss of words. The author writes like he is paid by the word. The exact same code is repeated three times in consecutive order but slightly different text formatting (for reasons known only to the author or publisher) and the verbosity of writing style would make a politician green with envy - yet seldom does it clearly and categorically really 'say' anything. Definitely not K & R.
   
   Lastly, the text mentions color in several places. For example, p. 172 states "In the figure, object names are highlighted in red, methods are displayed in blue, and parameter values are diplayed in green". I need not state the obvious: The book is printed in black and white. Obviously, a printing decision was made after the text was written and nobody bothered to proof for mention of color. Not to mention the resulting loss of information.
   
   I only bought this book because it was required for a class - I previously had the displeasure of another Carey/Thomson Course Technology book [XML] and know better than to buy one voluntarily.
   
   [btw, It doesn't help that IE7 javascript debugger gives clues about as illuminating as tea leaves. "Expected object, line 54, 1" - which is perfectly good, only said object is a container for all the code written in the exercise....well now that really narrows things down!!! :-( ]

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours (4th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. I like to know more detail than this book provided and by trying to keep it 'light', they weren't giving me enough information to really understand the core of what was being done. I found myself struggling through the chapters trying to keep up with the concepts and ultimately gave up.



2. I think a lot of us can agree that there just aren't a lot of great quality Javascript instruction books out there. Somebody make one! However, I will say that after reading this book I feel that I have a solid enough footing in the language to branch out into more complex examples. The key to learning any programming language is not simply to read these guidebooks, but to create some independent projects that reinforce what you have just learned. To get the most out of this book make sure you actually do each of the exercises at the end of each hour. The problem with this is, of course, that not all of the answers for the exercises are provided on the web site. (As a matter of fact the web site does not seem to have been updated in quite some time.) I do recommend posing questions in the website's forum, which is quite active.
   
   TIP: If you are new to programming, don't begin your education with this book; start with an HTML/CSS primer to get you going, preferably one which gives you a taste of Javascript. Then start looking at Javascript. Having had a year-long Java course in the past, and prior knowledge of basic HTML, I'll say that this book does presume a certain level of knowledge. If I were entirely unfamiliar with syntax and terms (which the author whizzes through very quickly and often with poor explanation), then I am certain I would have been very lost about halfway through the book. The section on arrays could do with some major modification, for example. And the CSS and AJAX snippets just weren't given enough contextual treatment. All in all, if you have some basic knowledge and are looking for a guide that will give you the fundamentals, this is a satisfactory enough book.



3. This is not a bad book. It's really a well written book, but it does require some prior knowledge from the user. It would help if a user has some basic knowledge of Java. Some rudimentary knowledge of Java will help to understand the JavaScript object model and methods like toString(), etc.
   
   Compare to what I consider to be the main competitor for this type of book, the O'Reilly JavaScript book, this book is superior for beginners. It explains the document object, math object, etc. simply and clearly. It gives nice examples that you can either type in as an automaton, or that you can elaborate and experiment on. Either way, the explanations are great -- assuming you have a rudimentary knowledge of Java.
   
   I own and have used extensively over 20 of the O'Reilly books, so it's obvious I like them. The O'Reilly JavaScript book is not bad, it's just not the best to learn from. My suggestion is to learn the basics from this book, and then go to the O'Reilly JavaScript: The Definitive guide book.
   
   Can you really learn JavaScript in 24 hours? If you follow the book word for word, page by page, and type in the examples exactly as stated, then you can finish in 24 hours. If you like to experiment and try different variations of the examples (what I do), then it can take longer. Either way the book is a nice introduction to JavaScript. At least, now I know what the document model can do !!!



4. The Sam's PHP books made them my preferred publisher of tech books, this book didn't live up to my expectations. If you are somewhat competent this book will frustrate you. It doesn't provide much detail on the fundamental concepts. The last third of the book goes further and is devoted to examples that have "cook book" value but not a lot of educational value.
   
   It's not a bad book by any means. I think it may even be a great book, for the right reader. The right reader I think is someone who: knows just a bit about html, what javascript is in vague terms, and wants to get something up and working quickly. If have a basic knowledge of javascript already and are looking to strengthen your foundation this may not be the best book for you.



5. Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours
   
   It is a very pleasant surprise to learn Sams Teach Yourself series has been improved into a very well-organized book. Each chapter is limited with 12-14 pages. It is easy to read entire chapter during short break. It includes the latest programming practices like object-oriented JavaScript, DOM Level 2 Scripting, Feature-sensing, Unobtrustive Scripting in CSS, JavaScript and AJAX. It helps you to review the content by reading Q&A and Quiz questions. Each chapter comes with good examples and sample codes.
   
   Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours (4th Edition) (Sams Teach Yourself)

5 comments about JavaScript: Your Visual Blueprint for Building Dynamic Web Pages, 2nd Edition.

1. Updated:
   The publisher has now provided me with a corrected copy so I would like to update on my negative remarks made previously. This an excellent book for beginning JavaScript programmers and it also makes a good reference (or cookbook) for experienced programmers. If you need a jumpstart into the world of clientside scripting this is the book I recommend. Give it 5 stars now.
   
   
   [Old review: I have just received this book in its first printing of the 2nd edition.
   Unfortunately the publishers have let the author down badly.
   This book would have rated 5 stars from me if it did not contain bad printing errors which cause most of example code in the diagrams to be invisible.
   Hold off on this one until the next corrected printing.]



2. I bought this book and it had some printing errors, but I contacted the publisher and got a new copy overnight. They have fixed the problem since so I don't believe you will find the same issue. If you like learning step-by-step, this is the book for you. Easy to follow and great for some new to Javascript. The book is well organized and explaines javascript concepts in quick concise explainations. All of the examples are easy to follow and focus on one topic at a time.



3. Please note that the printing issue has been fixed in all available product. Any future books shipped will have correct text and code.
   Thank you.



4. This is a decent book on JavaScript. The format consists of a detailed explanation of a concept or technique then example code. It's filled with many useful examples both large and small. This book has a lot of good information and probably could have benefited from being a bit longer. Many areas were covered including event handling, debugging and objects. There was also a great chapter on cascading style sheets (Probably just a setup for the next chapter on DHTML).
   
   The code is displayed using screens shots of the code in a notepad window on the author's computer. At times it was difficult getting the whole picture of the code across multiple screen shots. It was sometimes difficult reading and typing code from these screen shots as well. I had a lot of errors because I couldn't tell the difference between a single and double quote or between a comma and period. This was more of a problem with the lengthier scripts. Also, the order of the chapters wasn't very helpful either since many concepts were used in early chapters but not explained until a later chapter.
   
   This book is definitely more of a reference than a book on actually teaching the fundamentals of the language. Though as a reference it has far fewer pages compared to a code bible or cookbook. It's probably better for someone who wants to cut and paste code or is already fairly fluent in another programming/scripting language.



5. As someone else noted, the examples are in tiny type.
   
   More seriously, I found the examples to be hard to follow because of overly-similar variable names and unnecessary complexity. Often tries to show several concepts combined in one long example instead of one short example for each.
   
   Good concept but trying to cram too much material into too few pages.

5 comments about Dojo: Using the Dojo JavaScript Library to Build Ajax Applications (Developer's Library).

1. This book provides a good introduction to Dojo. It answers these questions:
   1. What is Dojo?
   2. What can Dojo do for me?
   3. How can I start using Dojo right now?
   
   You've probably created at least a few (if not many) web forms to gather input from your users and thought "Shouldn't there be an easier way to (insert your complaint here)?" The author goes through a list of these common gripes and shows how you can tackle each one with Dojo. In the beginning, he highlights a few key areas - such as form widgets, validating fields, and form submission. Once you begin to grasp the power and usefulness of Dojo, he goes through a deeper look into all the widgets (form, layout, and specialized) and the base Dojo libraries (string utilities, AJAX utilities, event handling, etc.)
   
   This book is not a complete reference to all things Dojo, but it does a great job of focusing on the common and most used features to get you started. This approach allows you to wade into the Dojo pool at your own pace rather than diving into the deep end and getting quickly overwhelmed by the total package that Dojo offers.



2. "Dojo: Using the Dojo JavaScript Library to Build Ajax Application" is a book for developers. You should know JavaScript and HTML well before starting. There are three main sections of the book which were so different to the point where I thought I was reading three separate books.
   
   The first part rips apart an HTML form then shows how to use Dojo to improve it. I liked the attention to accessibility along with error handling and validation. Dojo was introduced in pieces through example. Except for a couple overly long examples, such as a full page of the HTML source for the 50 states, this section was good. Things build up slowly and clearly so long as you are willing to suspect disbelief about how Dojo works.
   
   The second part introduces Dojo widgets with a picture, API description and examples. Except for the picture, it seemed very similar to the API. This part of the book didn't add much value for me as I can look at the API and examples online.
   
   The third part gets good again. It goes into the details of how Dojo works and some more advanced concepts. It also goes into history and the problems Dojo solves. It was nice having this later in the book so the beginning could be more substantial. I did like how the author went from high level to low level - both with the three parts and even within part three itself. Some pieces stayed a bit to high level such as the AOP and object discussion chapters.
   
   Overall, I was mixed between the three books. The first and third were good and the second I wouldn't pay for.



3. The book is a good book on getting you stated in Dojo and the examples are good. The book though seems a bit rushed to market there is errors in the code everywhere I seen typos to just completly wrong code in the book. I would have rated this higher but the errors are a problem if you try and follow the code in the book. My suggestion is you need to download the code from the authors website. Follow that code instead. I have read the other dojo books and they have a simular problem. Dojo is very powerful and there just isn't very many people to review the books for mistakes. If you looking for documentaion on Dojo and you do a lot of server side programming then it is worth buying this book as it was meant for you..



4. This is a very good introduction to Dojo. If you have not used any other Ajax toolkit, and you want to learn Dojo, then this is the book for you. At the moment, this is the easiest to understand tutorial of Dojo. Unfortunately, it does not tackle DojoX very much, which contains some modules that are very useful, like the Grid. It also doesn't show examples of handling XML (handleAs: "xml"). Anyway, the perfect companion to this book, like other Dojo books, is the Book of Dojo, found in Dojo's website.



5. This is a nice intro. It is in three parts and runs a little contrary to the normal flow in a book like this. The first section is a hands on tutorial, the middle section is reference and the last section contains definitions, more of an introduction and information on using capabilities that are not tied to widgets.
   
   There's a sentence in chapter 15 that mentions using widgets later. This makes me think that editors moved around the order of the book - because in most computer books the stuff in the third section would be first.
   
   I personally liked this change. It got me in and running immediately on using some code. I didn't need to work through a bunch of explanation first. The widget documentation is o.k. I guess, though not really necessary. I would have enjoyed more in depth examples and explanations.
   
   I think this book would best serve someone new to javascript and libraries of this type. It gives enough to help a beginner get going and be immediately successful, so that they don't give up. A more experienced developer might be frustrated with the repetition between the sections and the high-level overview on most material.
   
   But for anyone who wants to learn a new technology and doesn't want to get bogged down in a massive volume that covers every single bit of minutiae - this is a good start.

5 comments about JavaScript, Third Edition.

1. This is a well written book covering (almost) all areas of JavaScript. A lot of excercises and MCQ's are also available. But, beware of some printing errors.



2. It is amazing to me that a third edition could contain as many errors as this book has! There are even errors in the exercises, which could have been tested easily by cutting and pasting from the publisher's layout program (e.g. QuarkExpress) to an actual web page. My suspicion, given the discussion of objects in chapter 6 and cookies in chapter 9, is that the publisher never bothered to correct the errors because the book is so bad that HUGH sections would have to be totally re-written. I agree that the publisher, Course Technologies does a bad job of editing in the 2 books I have studied, but I also agree with another reviewer that this author doesn't have a clue. I emailed the publisher's tech support to ask for an errata list, and the tech emailed back "if there is an errata sheet, you instructor should have a copy in the instructor's package." The tech didn't even check if there WAS one. There wasn't. Great service, fine editing, genius author. Don't think so.



3. I must say I was very excited to read this book and throughout the book I was explained in great detail all that JavaScript has to offer. I concur with everyone here this is a must have for anyone planning to learn JavaScript. This book will show you how to use all the math functions, string function, perform complex calculations, manipulate array's, security and even database connectivity!



4. I agree with some of the other reviews in that this is not the best book to learn JavaScript without any prior knowledge of the language. I am using the book for a JavaScript class, but I am having to supplement it with other books on the subject. Gosselin's explanations are not that clear, and I am finding myself lost at times.



5. I'm taking a JavaScript class using this book, and it is probably the worst textbook in my 3+ years of college. I have learned almost nothing from it, and have had to search the Internet for better explanations of the concepts I am supposed to be studying just to complete my homework.
   
   One problem (among many) is that it seems to have been poorly edited in going to the third edition. It seems they may have rearranged some of the content in the chapters, but left the assignments/projects in the same place so that when trying to do a project, don't assume everything you need in the book precedes the assignment.
   
   If you are taking an online class and this is the textbook you are stuck with, you'll want to look for additional help online or with a better book. If you're interested in learning JavaScript on your own, start (and finish) somewhere else!

5 comments about Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: from Novice to Professional).

1. Don't let the all-inclusive title of this book fool you - it really doesn't seem to teach that much more than what you could learn by reading DOM Scripting (from Friends of ED). DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model
   
   I keep running into a custom object in the code examples of the book called "DOMhelp". While I like the author's ideas about scripting in a more object oriented way, this does not help at all when trying to demonstrate DOM Scripting. For example, instead of using the actual DOM methods to get all the links on the page and loop through them, he shows you a line of code that just says "DOMhelp.getlinks". Yes, that line does the same thing by accessing his object and running the regular DOM functions, but what does it teach me? Nothing. That alone is a big enough annoyance to regret buying this book.
   
   This book also pulls the "we'll explain that part later" trick one too many times. It's not that this book is completely awful, it's really that you can find a much better book to teach you more useful (and universal) things with DOM Scripting.



2. I liked this book - it has many real applications and explanations. I found myself slipping in markers on lots of pages so that I could come back for information that I knew I needed or showed a better way to code something that I had already done.



3. He makes me cringe because he describes a lot of practices that are just really cheesy and annoying. People new to programming who start with this book are not going to advance the state of javascript enabled websites. Also, the examples are overly long. There's a 4 page example for each concept.



4. Just be aware of what you're getting into when you buy this book. It is *for beginners*, not for experienced developers. It spends the first 90 pages covering for- and while-loops, if-tests, and the rest of the machinery that you already know if you're an experienced programmer. It is the fate of most computer books, I'm afraid, that they either address rank beginners or professional software developers, with few addressing those in the middle.
   
   After every chapter, I had to take a second to recapitulate what I had just learned into the terminology that I'm aware of from my experience with other languages. One large section, for instance, is devoted to namespace-collision issues -- but the word "namespare" appears nowhere in the index. If you need a book that will jumpstart to "Here's how you solve the namespace-collision problem in JavaScript," this book is not for you.
   
   I had lots of specific questions, having just come to JavaScript. How do I set up a callback *chain*, for instance, on something like the window.onload event? This book is not at that level. It will be unable to answer that question for you. It spends so much time on beginners that it doesn't have enough time to help with best practices or common, cookbook-type programming problems.
   
   And yet it does seem confused about exactly who its audience is. Right after a chapter on basic flow control, Heilmann tosses off "XSLT" as though he expects his readers to know what that is. I submit that those who needed the first chapter will not need the XSLT bit, and conversely.
   
   So just be aware what you're getting into. I'm actually not blaming Heilmann, though I do blame whoever gave the book its title; it's much more about novices than professionals. If you look on the back of this book, you'll see the flow chart that Apress recommends: start with Heilmann's book, and progress into "Pro JavaScript Techniques" and "Pro CSS Techniques." "Pro Javascript" will be my next step.



5. I have been going through a lot of javascript books to find that all of them want to teach you the trivial things javascript can do. Not only are the examples trivial, they teach the reader horrible habits. This book doesn't have any "Hello World" examples. It gets into what javascript SHOULD be used for, and how to use it correctly. Other reviews have said that the examples do not work. Do not let that throw you off. I went through the ENTIRE book and every single example worked for me. There are a few towards the end that require a server or a local host like xampp, but either way they still worked. Another review also complained about the DOMhelp library that Chris creates. Chris explains EVERY method in that library before you use it. The library does not do trivial things like "getLinks" You learn how to do that the regular way with the DOM. I think that reviewer got that method mixed up with DOMhelp.getTarget which gets the correct target that a user clicked on depending on which browser the user is using. That is mostly what Chris developed the library for, browser cross compatibility so you don't have to write extensive code. Simply put, some of the other reviews were not very well thought out. If you want to learn useful javascript the right way with plenty of examples to help you learn it, then this is the book for you.

5 comments about JavaScript for Dummies.

1. I have several complaints about this book. Firstly, the author assumes you don't even know how to turn on a computer. Who would be bothering to learn about JavaScript if they don't even know how to power up a PC? Come on! The author should spend less time detailing the basic boot up process on the PC and how to open your text editor, and more time explaining the way JavaScript works, and how it depends on the browser that the person visiting your website is using to work correctly. Also, a lot of the examples given in this book don't work. (Unfortunately, I've found that is common with JavaScript books.) Also, the book seems to waste a lot of time going on and on about useless nonsense. I know it's a "dummies" book, but this book expects its readers to truly be morons.

   I'm only thankful I purchased the book at a discount bookstore for only $3.99.




2. I've been learning and using JavaScript for quite some time, and of all of the books I've used, this one has by far been the worst. The examples that the author uses are not very helpful, and often concepts are poorly explained. A lot of the code you will need to write will require you to creatively use the skills you've acquired to solve a problem; this book, however, likely won't equip you with the tools you need to be able to do this. If you're looking for a good place to start, I'd start with JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by David Flanagan. It does have flaws of its own, but it is a good place to start.



3. This book is good for a quick introduction to JavaScript. There's lots of general tricks and techniques, plenty of ideas, and code snippets to reuse (on the CD). However, the descriptions of HOW the code worked I found lacking. There were various details about exactly WHAT the Js interpreter was doing to parse the code. The book left me feeling that I had lots of great ideas, but that when I sat down to apply them and make something original--there'd be lots of bugs based on details that I wasn't told about. Good starter, good reference--definitely not "text-book" quality--but it was fun to play with.



4. Javascript for dummies, by Emily Van der Veer, is not up to the reputation of clarity, simplicity and usefulness of the books in the "For Dummies" collection. The explanations of the basic concepts of the language (primary datatypes, objects, arrays, functions, properties, methods, etc.) are garbled and confusing. The examples are badly selected, they don't go step by step, they mix trite and complex elements, and do not really explain things. This book will delay by several years, as it did for me, your understanding of Javascript. I finally understood and began to be able to use the language after having read "Javascript, the definitive guide" by David Flanagan.



5. This book reads like it was slapped together from a small handful of quick notes. Actually, I would think someone could make better notes than that. The disc does not contain the example codes the book says it does. It's a rather expensive way to waste your time in an attempt to learn something. The explanations are weak and much too brief for a beginner or even someone with programming experience. I thought it would be a fun way to get started before I moved on to more advanced books, but it is incomprehensible and a great frustration to read. Buyer beware, and notice how poorly this book has been rated.

5 comments about JavaScript Bible, Fifth Edition.

1. An overwhelming amount of information without a simple beginning. The author jumps from beginning level information to way too sophisticated so fast that it will lose any non-technical person.



2. Definitively it's the javascript bible.
   
   If you want to fine tune your AJAX apps you'd better buy this book.
   
   It's extensive object and fuction reference does not leave anything in the shadows.
   
   This book is worth every cent.



3. This "Bible" covers everything that is needed for JavaScript programming. Everything is very well written and very easy to understand with clear code examples and real world applications. The beginning tutorial is a great way to get beginners started then the more advanced topics are covered in the Book or on the CD with all of the examples listed on the CD as well.
   
   This is a book that I will continue to use.



4. Pro: really good reference work for most people
   Cons: 1) Not for someone who doesn't know either javascript basics or another scripting language. 2) Organization is good, but it isn't an encyclopedia and it isn't a start-to-finish tutorial. 3) Poor typeface decisions.
   
   This book is the greatest for several different types of people. First, anyone who knows the basics of javascript, from advanced beginner to advanced js user. Second, anyone who wants to learn javascript and already knows some programming; you can use it as a tutorial, but only if you don't need much explanation about scripts and object-oriented programming.
   
   It really is just excellent for someone who has previously learned something about one of the chapters but needs a refresher and/or more detailed/comprehensive walkthrough.
   
   Four stars instead of five for a completely unnecessary mistake. Unfortunately, the W3c ignores people who do not have eagle-sharp vision and will fill a page full of semicolons and colons, or parens and curly brackets. If you don't have a font that clearly distinguishes these, it is a major source of semantic errors and eyestrain. The font chosen to print the code in this book could not be worse. Colons and semicolons are almost impossible to distinguish (not to mention periods and commas),and curly brackets look like thin lines with no curls.
   
   C'mon guys. There are fonts of every type where periods and commas are easier to distinguish, and curly brackets have a distinct shape. USE THEM FOR PUBLISHING CODE!!



5. I own several Javascript books, all of which seem to be littered with mistakes, and code that doesn't work across all browsers, except for this one. Developing web pages is the hardest of all development technologies, you have to know a lot about different technologies, and make them work across all browsers. Thankfully Netscape, which was a major problem in the past, has come a long way and caught up to the rest. However, making Javascript work for each browser is hard enough, and this book really comes to the rescue. It tells you what works for which browser. The authors have done their research, and has helped me tremendously with the work I do for my clients. I will continue to support the Javascript Bible series, and I hope the authors continue to produce a great reference.