rtfm?

[Kimmo Laine]

One of the major problems in developing javascript (in contrast to
developing php) is the lack of one specific place where one could find the
manual. If I want to know something about php, I go to php.net. If I want to
know something about javascript, I type a few keywords to google and hit
search. Something comes up usually. Still, it might be outdated, buggy,
whatever. So... where can I Read the Fucking Manual? What's the "official"
place where javascript is entirely documented? Is there a site that will
explain what will work and what will not work in browser x? And if there is
one... how could it become The One, the site people instantly go to when
they think javascript? I mean for HTML/CSS there's w3c.org, for php there's
php.net... Where's javascript.com?

 

[Michael Winter]

So... where can I Read the Fucking Manual? What's the "official"
place where javascript is entirely documented?

The official language specifications[1] are produced by ECMA, but that's
probably not what you're really looking for...

Is there a site that will explain what will work and what will not
work in browser x?

So you actually want information about browser object models? Well,
that's a little different and harder to answer as they differ quite
markedly.

There are standards[2], developed by the DOM Working Group at the W3C,
but like HTML and CSS, support isn't complete across the board. Then
there is DOM 0 - the defacto objects and methods like the location
object and setTimeout function - that don't have any formal definitions.
However, the old JavaScript 1.3 Reference[3] from Netscape comes fairly
close.

Knowing what works, where comes mainly from experience and looking at
the documentation released by the various vendors. QuirksMode[4] might
be useful in some respects, though. So is the group FAQ[5].

[snip]

Where's javascript.com?

It exists, but I don't think it's as 'definitive' as it claims to be.
I'd steer clear, personally.

Mike


[1]
<URL:http://www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-262.htm>
[2] <URL:http://www.w3.org/DOM/DOMTR>
[3]
<URL:http://devedge-temp.mozilla.org/library/manuals/2000/javascript/1.3/reference/>
[4] <URL:http://www.quirksmode.org/>
[5] <URL:http://www.jibbering.com/FAQ/>

 

[Ivan Marsh]

One of the major problems in developing javascript (in contrast to
developing php) is the lack of one specific place where one could find
the manual. If I want to know something about php, I go to php.net. If I
want to know something about javascript, I type a few keywords to google
and hit search.
Something comes up usually. Still, it might be outdated, buggy,
whatever. So... where can I Read the Fucking Manual? What's the
"official" place where javascript is entirely documented? Is there a
site that will explain what will work and what will not work in browser
x? And if there is one... how could it become The One, the site people
instantly go to when they think javascript? I mean for HTML/CSS there's
w3c.org, for php there's php.net... Where's javascript.com?

Have you tried Netscape's site... the people that invented javascript.

 

[Gus Richter]

Have you tried Netscape's site... the people that invented javascript.

Netscape's DevEdge was pulled by Netscape/AOL.

Mozilla's DevMo has mirrored DevEdge:
<http://devedge-temp.mozilla.org/index_en.html>
Expect DevMo to eventually be the best source.

Sun seems to be archiving some of their documentation:
<url: http://docs.sun.com/>

You can also find archives at:
<http://web.archive.org/web/20030805065555/http://devedge.netscape.com/>