book for learning Javascript

[Helpful person]

I have written my web site using FrontPage and have disvovered that
apart from producing code that does not validate it also creates a
horrible structure. I have been teaching myself HTML reasonably
successfully and have almost completed rewriting my web. However, a
major gap in my knowledge is javascript.

I am completely new to javascript and wish to learn this language. I
am looking for a book suitable for a beginner javascript user. (I
have extensive experience in other languages.) I paticularly need a
book that defines the syntax (It's driving me crazy trying to figure
it out without a good reference).

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

www.richardfisher.com (awful frontpage version)

 

[Peter Michaux]

I have written my web site using FrontPage and have disvovered that
apart from producing code that does not validate it also creates a
horrible structure. I have been teaching myself HTML reasonably
successfully and have almost completed rewriting my web. However, a
major gap in my knowledge is javascript.

I am completely new to javascript and wish to learn this language. I
am looking for a book suitable for a beginner javascript user. (I
have extensive experience in other languages.) I paticularly need a
book that defines the syntax (It's driving me crazy trying to figure
it out without a good reference).

Your suggestions will be appreciated.

www.richardfisher.com(awful frontpage version)

Great attitude!

Randy's advice is very good.

David Flanagan's book is the best option I know of for your needs. I
use it regularly as a first reference. You may find the following blog
reply I made helpful (along with all the other replies there.)

<URL: http://ajaxian.com/archives/lets-compile-a-list-of-ajax-dom-and-js-related-resources#comment-254951>

comp.lang.javascript is definitely the best resource on the web for
discussing JavaScript.

Peter

 

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

Randy's advice is very good.

Indeed. Yours isn't.

David Flanagan's book is the best option I know of for your needs. I
use it regularly as a first reference.

You should use it as second reference instead, after this newsgroup and the
online material referenced in its FAQ. The former has proven here to be
factually incorrect, and to propose bad practice. Probably not as much as
other books do, but there you are.

[...]
comp.lang.javascript is definitely the best resource on the web for
discussing JavaScript.

It isn't on the Web, but only mirrored there (e.g. on Google Groups); it
does not even really belong to the Internet (some people still use UUCP).

Subscribers are strongly advised to post directly to a well-maintained
Usenet server instead, using a locally installed newsreader application.
I can recommend Mozilla Thunderbird for Windows and KNode for GNU/Linux.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usenet


PointedEars

 

[Helpful person]

Thanks for the information. However, only one book has been
mentioned, that by Flanagan. Is this book a general reference or does
it also contain chapters on syntax, variable types, conventions etc.

Thanks.

www.richardfisher.com
(It's amazing how google picks up on these links and gives one a very
high position in page searches.)

 

[timsamshuijzen]

Thanks for the information. However, only one book has been
mentioned, that by Flanagan. Is this book a general reference or does
it also contain chapters on syntax, variable types, conventions etc.

Thanks.

www.richardfisher.com
(It's amazing how google picks up on these links and gives one a very
high position in page searches.)

The following link really helpt me:

http://www.nexes.org/sun/javascript/ajaxinaction/Ajax in Action_ApB.html

I just stumbled across it when learning Javascript myself. I know it
is not a book but I felt I understood Javascript a lot better when I
read this text. (At least a lot better than the book I read, which
just rambled on and on about browser differences). At the bottom of
the text these books are suggested:

- David Flanagan's JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly, 2001)
(already mentioned)
- Nicholas Zakas's Professional JavaScript for Web Developers

 

[Peter Michaux]

Thanks for the information. However, only one book has been
mentioned, that by Flanagan. Is this book a general reference or does
it also contain chapters on syntax, variable types, conventions etc.

Flanagan's book covers the JavaScript language (syntax etc) and the
browser scripting environment (DOM, events, Ajax, vector graphics and
even a little ActionScript). There is errata (some listed on the
O'Reilly site) but it is a good book and I think the one you want. I
can't say I like Flanagan's JavaScript programming style in all cases.
He has written books on Java and that language has affected his
JavaScript style a bit too much, I believe. Style is subjective, of
course.

Peter

 

[Helpful person]

The following link really helpt me:

http://www.nexes.org/sun/javascript/ajaxinaction/Ajax in Action_A...

I just stumbled across it when learning Javascript myself. I know it
is not a book but I felt I understood Javascript a lot better when I
read this text. (At least a lot better than the book I read, which
just rambled on and on about browser differences). At the bottom of
the text these books are suggested:

- David Flanagan's JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly, 2001)
(already mentioned)
- Nicholas Zakas's Professional JavaScript for Web Developers

Thanks for the link, it looks most interesting. I'm going to order
Flanagan's book (latest edition 2006). Thanks a lot.

www.richardfisher.com