2 comments about JavaScript(TM) Phrasebook (Developer's Library).

1. Sam's has done a few of these "Phrasebok" style books - small, pocketbook size, relatively short. This doesn't replace O'Reilly's "Javascript - the Definitive Guide" (and there is some overlap), but it's a handly little thing to augment it.
   
   It's all short code examples, with explanations. The assumption is that you already know some Javascript or will go look it up if not.
   
   I'm impressed by how much the author packs in here. It's like admiring a well packed suitcase: how did he manage to squeeze so much into such a small space?



2. Christian Wenz was writing about AJAX before AJAX was invented...er, coined, so he knows a lot about JavaScript. He can succinctly differentiate the marketing of DHTML from the usability of DOM as an object model and API. He has expertise in both the Microsoft and Open Source realms. And, Wenz helped create the Phrasebook series. This is not a book for "Dummies," this is the real thing.
   
   Lots of web sites are using AJAX libraries today, and way too many web designers have called upon JavaScript with client-side tricks downloaded over the years. What a typical developer needs are clear methods for tweaking AJAX, fixing buggy tricks, and just for making the quick hack on the client to solve a problem.
   
   While a book this small can't begin to cover everything, it has an intelligent outline that does cover many common code techniques. Best of all, the Phrasebook format has the right balance of explanation to code. It's tighter than an O'Reilly Nutshell edition, while handier than a Pocket Guide. Let's face it, a selection from the latter series does fit in your pocket, but at the expense of no explanations nor examples.
   
   Here's an example of a handy hack easily solved with the JavaScript Phrasebook, one that might not be so obvious to a JavaScript novice. You've got a dynamic iframe element inside of a static web page, and you want to pass a parameter from the static URL. Huh, aren't query strings for dynamic pages? Sure, but what's the hack? Wenz provides a short item on "Retrieving GET Parameters" in Chapter 2 on "Common Phrases" along with "Using Iframes" in Chapter 9 on Windows and Frames.
   
   So, if you are a developer in need of such essentials on the fly, you'll find the JavaScript Phrasebook to be handy. Oh yeah, it does fit in a pocket.

5 comments about JavaScript: Complete Concepts and Techniques, Second Edition.

1. This book is absolutely horrible, I am also using this book as part of a college class, there are errors in both projects 1 and 2, I am SO frustrated. There errata does not address the 2nd edition. Very poorly written, I pray I can get something done before I fail this class. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!



2. The first chapter sems to be ok, but once you get to chapter 3 you'll start to get confuse. I won't recomande this book if you are new to javascript.



3. If there was a 0 stars rating, this book would get it. How bad is it? When I sold it back to my college bookstore, I got a whopping $3! Even my crappy dreamweaver book netted me $5, but $3 isn't even enough to buy lunch. I guess it's all good, as I'd rather have my cheetos and Faygo than this book anyways. The numerous errors caused me to lose points on homework assignments, even though I did the project step by step as they are in the book. What a disgusting excuse for a text. And I've used lots of great books too, so I can tell the difference between one that has effort put into it, and one that's out of date and, for lack of a better term, a disgrace. I'm just happy I was able to buy it on the amazon marketplace instead of paying the $46 the college would have sold it to me for.
   
   If you get a class that ever uses this book, petition your board of cirriculum directors and have it changed, this book will help you learn javascript almost as much as a lobotomy will.



4. This book has some coding errors in it, but nothing I wasn't able to work around. If it wasn't the required book for the course I was taking I would not of bought this book. It is dated and uses HTML coding that has been deprecated and compares operating systems that are no longer suported. (Windows95/98). Find a book that is more current.



5. I had the misfortune of purchasing this textbook to refresh my JavaScript skills. Well, it's all here... the deprecated tags, the outdated syntax, and the errors... OH MY GOD!!! You will also find that the end of chapter exercises incorporate knowledge and features that were NOT EVEN COVERED in the preceding chapters!! Because I already knew JavaScript, I was able to ferret my way through this atrocious text. So it wasn't a total loss. This textbook is used at our local technical college, so I thought I was safe in purchasing it. Do NOT buy this book unless you know enough of JavaScript and HTML to make the corrections yourself. This is the second Shelly Cashman Series textbook that I've had the misfortune to purchase. From what I've seen, the Shelly Cashman Series is probably one of the worst I've ever encountered in the computer field.

5 comments about DHTML Utopia Modern Web Design Using JavaScript & DOM.

1. This is without doubt the worst book on DHTML/Javascript that I've ever read. The author tries to be cute, funny and authorative but ends up just plain painful. The examples are over-long and artificial, and would be difficult to incorporate into a real world application. The author peppers the book with snazzy shots like "It's the modern way!" but rarely explains the benefits of the methodology he's pushing, and glosses over any shortcomings.
   For instance, in discussing regular expressions he provides a simple expression for a telephone number, then points out that it's seriously flawed. But it's "suitable for our discussion" so onward we press, and a correct solution is never provided. Bad luck if you were after such a beast. (Footnotes abound - often just URLs to now broken links - so you have to wonder why he couldn't have provided the solution at the bottom of the page.) The part on Ajax is a joke - he just plugs in an out-of-date version of the Sarissa library and never scratches below the surface.
   Beware.



2. As a developer with no prior JavaScript experience, I've been very disappointed with this book. In the Introduction section, the author says "Some experience with JavaScript might also be useful, but it is by no means critical" (Page VIII) which isn't true.
   
   Throughout the book, the author will keep assuming (implicitly) that you already have a good programming background (he uses a more complex logic in his code),and will leave many things unexplained or explained too late. This alone will easily guarantee frustration. NO BOOK EVER frustrated me that much.
   
   Another issue is that the book uses some very complicated examples with complex logic. Unlike other decent coding books, instead of starting with simple functional examples and developing them\it as you read a chapter, the author uses one big example and "tries" to explain it part by part throughout the chapter. This might force you to "memorize" the script(s) since they contain too much code to understand (which is not the point). To make sure if the examples of the book suit you or not, download the free sample chapters from Sitepoint.com and check the "table highlight" example at the end of chapter 3. That's how most of the examples will be presented. (with more code of course)
   
   Now don't get me wrong, the topics covered in this book are great, but it seems that the only people who will really appreciate it are those who already have a good background in JavaScript (logic,functions,methods...etc) NOT beginners like myself. So if you're trying to learn JavaScript\DOM, then go find a better book (such as "DOM scripting").



3. (this was originally published on www.last-child.com)
   
   This is a difficult book to read for non-javascript programmers. If you are more comfortable with HTML and CSS, I'd recommend reading Jeremy Keith's DOM Scripting first. Keith explains the theories behind this book.
   
   That said, I did learn enough from DHTML Utopia to not look like a complete idiot during my job interview with Yahoo. This book is filled with project examples for you to follow along with. I will say that I tried several of the examples and had mixed results. I visited the book's web site to get updated code.
   
   If you've already worked with Javascript, this is a great book to have on the shelf. If you are a rookie, start with Jeremy Keith and follow up with DHTML Utopia.



4. This book has a lot of great stuff but you have to have the patience to sit down and read it line by line. Can't scan through the book and hope to learn something. Even need to type in the script and try it yourself. Some of the most important ideas the author just covered in two sentences. It does teach a lot of useful stuff but it is absolutely not a beginner's book. Save me from my job interview.



5. I agree with most reviews for DHTML Utopia; the book is middle level, leaving beginners in the dust but pros wanting more. It is, however, well written and contains very good code and coding standards. If you are not completely new to JavaScript and DOM scripting, but would like to learn more and make sure your code is up to today's standards, then this book is for you. If you are very familiar with web scripting and/or have been writing your own unobtrusive client side code then go with a more detailed book.

5 comments about JavaScript Bible, 4th Edition.

1. As a non-programmer (graphic designer), I am finding this book helpful. The author does a good job not assuming too much except familiarity with html. He uses real-life comparisons to make concepts understandable. The writing style is friendly and very thorough. I was struggling to learn Javascript from Paul Wilton's Beginning Javascript. This book is making things clear that I was stumped on by approaching it very methodically, building on the simplest examples. I have also ordered 'Official Netscape Javascript 1.2 Book' by Kent which I heard was beginner-friendly. I find programmers have a hard time relating to us non-programmers! Goodman seems to have a grasp of how to present these basics to the 'rest of us'.



2. I would give this book a five star rating for its content if it were easier to locate what I want. Particularly vexing is that the author has placed some of the content only on the CD with listings page such as 'CD-281.' After months of looking I can not find the files designated as 'CD' on the CD.



3. This book is great,coves probably everything there is to cover in javascript but...........if you have never doen anything like this before you should start out with something more siple first,although the book claims new people to web programming, the new people will have a hard time with it.



4. lo bueno es el comparativ de que funciona en que versión de cada producto, muy util para resolver chicharrones cuando se necesitaban certificar aplicaciones (funcionalidades)bajo varios navegadores



5. This book is a great resource for when you're looking for that specific line of code. Its terrible to read from front to back, but its an excellent way to find exactly what you're looking for. Its so much code, it'll make your eyes bleed.

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.

3 comments about Practical JavaScript, DOM Scripting and Ajax Projects.

1. I've been a fan of Frank Zammetti's writing since the first book I read of his. I was browsing through a local bookstore one day, taking a look at the Javascript and AJAX-related books available, and ran into another book by Frank Zammetti on a similar topic. One of the things I like to do when looking over technical books is read the dedication... authors tend to express themselves more openly in the dedication. In that book's dedication, I saw a Babylon 5 reference. That really caught my attention, and I pulled the book out to read more. It really paid off.
   
   
   The Pros
   
   Zammetti has a very "friendly" style of writing. His writing seems like he was actually speaking to the reader, and it's like he's talking to a friend. He intersperses humor into his writing rather regularly, in such a way that reading never becomes boring. His writing style makes the book very accessible, regardless of programming experience.
   
   Mr. Zammetti is a proponant of the "hands-on" approach. This book is all practical projects, all with full source code. (The source code is available from the publisher's web site.) Each chapter essentially breaks down a project, explaining why each section was written the way it was, and how to apply the theory behind it. This means a programmer can get a project working using the included source code, and then go through Zammetti's text to learn how it works. Working with this book feels like a hands-on project with a teacher available, as opposed to some other technical books which feel like a lecture.
   
   Despite the emphasis on getting hands-on with projects, this book can be utilized easily even without working with the included code, as Zammetti's descriptions and examples are all very well written for accessibility and ease of understanding. The selection of projects is varied and has a pretty wide range of subjects, and includes building your own Javascript library early on which contains many helpful functions not available in stock Javascript. Also, the introductory chapters of the book have a very good "refresher" on basic Javascript concepts and best practices. This section has a good deal of information I found valuable. (For instance, which string concatenation method takes 3000 milliseconds longer in IE than in Firefox?)
   
   
   The Cons
   
   Both of Zammetti's books showcase a wide variety of frameworks and extensions. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It's good in that it gives the reader knowledge about a large number of different frameworks (prototype, Dojo, etc). The downside is that it may result in reliance upon one or more of those frameworks.
   
   The other downside about this specific book is that it's hard to track down specific techniques within the projects themselves. For instance, an autocomplete field with a "drop-down" list of recommendations. This is only a minor inconvenience, as the goal of the book is on full working projects, not just the elements inside of the projects, and it's organized accordingly.
   
   Both of the aforementioned cons are really more a matter of personal preference than a problem with the book itself. I only use frameworks when absolutely necessary, for instance.
   
   
   Summary
   
   I'm very impressed with both of Frank Zammetti's coding books. This one was on pre-order for a good long while, and it was completely worth the wait. The focus is very tightly upon web applications independant of server backend, and it's a great read. I highly recommend picking this book up if you're wanting to improve your understanding of DOM and Javascript techniques.



2. To be honest I wasn't expecting too much from Practical JavaScript, DOM Scripting and AJAX Projects, I was anticipating a cut down version of the AJAX part of his Practical Ajax Projects with Java Technology book, but it was so much. In fact it has taught me so much that I'm still trying to work out why some of the concepts weren't in some other AJAX/JavaScript books I have read and how I had gone for so long without encountering them.
   
   Usually AJAX in Action is given as the yardstick for measuring AJAX books, and I found Frank's first book a good compliment for AiA when you're integrating with Java, but Practical JDAP (if I may call it that) is something else again, and still a very strong contender for the web-developer's bookshelf. The main reason is that while it provides coverage of JavaScript with a view towards use of the latest technologies and practices in web development, its approach is complimentary rather than overlapping. For example only the last chapter covers AJAX explicitly, with the main focus of the book being the manipulation of the data on the client.
   
   On the down side, most of the hints and gems in the book are hidden in the text and are not marked up to bring them to your attention. If you browse the book or only implement parts of the examples you may miss some of these items.
   
   So while I wasn't expecting to learn from this book, I found it filled a niche between general JavaScript and AJAX that I wasn't aware existed.



3. It was one of those Friday afternoon surprises. Rewrite the code in a customer facing document and it needs to go out on Monday. The problem was that I had never written an AJAX program and hadn't written much JavaScript. This book really helped me to put together simple and correct examples over the weekend and inspired this ASP.NET bigot to keep learning more about these technologies. I owe the author a big one!

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

1. As someone who learned JavaScript from the first edition of this book, I was excited see what Thau! had in store for the second edition. He did not disappoint! Once again, he explains the most complicated concept clearly, and makes programming a breeze. The new reference section is especially useful. Thanks, Thau!!



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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 comments about JavaScript by Example (By Example).

1. I think chapter 8 misuses the term "inheritance", which will muddy the waters for someone trying to understand inheritance. It says "Each object has a prototype whose properties it inherits". Would it be better to say "You can tack new methods or properties on to an existing class (eg: String) using the prototype property"?



2. A few discrepancies between the examples, explanations, and especially the CD, eg: where I think she changed a file or variable name in one place and forgot to change it in the other, so you spend some time trying to reconstruct what she meant to say.
   Otherwise well paced, good for learning.



3. Wether or not this book is right for you, really depends on what you need from a Javascript text book. Armed with some basic knowledge of HTML, this was the perfect text to put me up to speed on the topic. There are many examples (as the title implies), giving you an exhaustive treatment of all topics. This treatment doesn't leave anything out, and though it would be nice to have the answers to the exercises, anything which stumps you can be solved by going over the examples again.
   
   There are many explanations for every example given, but it's quite easy to skip around to what you need if you know some of the material already.
   
   Excellent self-study tool.



4. Terrific book, a little (editing) problems in the book, but if you have a little experience in Javascript they can be overlooked. Actually the few errors keep you on your toes!



5. I was reading JavaScript by Example in parallel with Beginning JavaScript, 2nd Edition for a class. I found that Quigley was trying too hard to jam too much information into a small space. As someone new to JavaScript, I found her explanations difficult and her writing unclear. In comparison, Beginning JavaScript is bigger, but kinder and more comprehensible to the new reader. If weight is an issue, buy Quigley. Otherwise, you are better off with Beginning JavaScript.

No comments about An Introduction to PHP for Scientists and Engineers: Beyond JavaScript.

4 comments about The Art & Science of JavaScript.

1. I just received my latest book in the SitePoint collection, The Art & Science of JavaScript.
   
   As always SitePoint has gathered some of the greatest minds in modern JavaScript to collaborate on an amazingly easy to follow book.
   
   The Art & Science covers some great topics including Google Maps and Flickr mashups, building your own fully accessible 3D maze, draggable and sortable table columns, and much more!
   
   SitePoint has always amazed me with the beautiful layout and design of their books. Code is easily readable in a fixed-width font with a blue background. The book also displays Tips, Notes, and Warning icons to help expand upon certain points.
   
   This book is geared towards anyone who is familiar with JavaScript and wants to take their skills to the next level.



2. This is a very interesting book for anyone who is interested in going to the 'next level' of JavaScript. It's not a book for absolute beginners, but everything is very well explained without wasting time on trivia.
   
   The chapter on metaprogramming (self-modifying code) is my favourite. Not only because it presents some very useful ideas, but also because it finally made me understand how JavaScript does certain things under the bonnet.
   
   James Edward's Maze game is nothing short of a-maze-ing. It's a fine example of what you can do if you have the ability to think outside the box. (Way outside, in this case!)
   
   The only negative part is the first chapter. Not because it's not useful -- it is! -- and not because it's badly written -- it isn't. The reason is that the code samples use XHTML markup but the JavaScript code will not work if that markup is served as real XHTML. The JavaScript relies on the HTML DOM, e.g., that nodeName properties are returned in uppercase. The use of character entity references is also ill-advised for XHTML.
   
   Unfortunately, there isn't any informtion about this in the text. Someone who isn't well-versed in the fundamental differences between HTML and XHTML would learn some harmful practices.
   
   The sad part is that it would have been so easy to write the JavaScript in a way that would have worked in both the HTML DOM and the XML DOM.
   
   The remainder of the book contains good code examples which don't sacrifice accessibility.
   
   Having said that, I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn how to use JavaScript for something other than validating form input.



3. §
   
   I saw a bunch of things I *wanted* to criticize about this book but ended up being more positive as I began to see the educational value of the chapters. This book is not for absolute beginners by any means, however the material is presented in a smooth way as each script addition is explained separately.
   
   Do NOT expect to come away from the book's chapters with code that can be immediately applied to a typical professional application or Web site. Things like a JavaScripted maze game can be great for learning some cool things but that is all.
   
   Even the practical-sounding features like table column sorting and table column dragging could not be applied to a production situation without considerable modification. For instance, the column dragging scenario depends on all columns having similar width. If not, then the result is pretty messy. And we all know that data tables can be messy in the best of cases!
   
   The index is miserable, but that is pretty much the rule for computer tech books.
   
   The ensemble of authors is top-notch and some, like Christian Heilmann, (Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax: From Novice to Professional) have written excellent books you may want to check out. You really can't go wrong with this book for a solid advance in your script education.
   
   §



4. As identified by the previous reviewers as one of those people wanting to take my Javascript to the next level, I am finding this book just right.
   
   Just enough code to help me along (note: Not all code is in the book, no CD, but can be downloaded), with enough explanations that leave me space to think, i.e. not all spoon fed. The style is free and easy to read, put down, and come back to later after having thought about it for a while.
   
   I originally bought it because of the Google Maps mashup in the last chapter, but have avidly read the others too. Although some rely on information in previous chapters, most can be read as stand-alone projects.