David
13th Nov 2006, 05:25 pm
I'm often asked to recommend books on various topics. For a long time now, when asked to recommend a beginner's book on JavaScript, I've always pointed people in the direction of JavaScript for the World Wide Web by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith. However, I recently took a look at the new 6th edition of that book and despite the fact that it now includes the obligatory word "Ajax" in the title, it has otherwise failed to evolve with the changing landscape of JavaScript.
The status of JavaScript within web design has changed dramatically over the last few years. Initially being the "must have" addition to html and then falling out of favour as it was abused to make websites almost unusable - pop-ups etc. And, when thechniques for CSS rollovers became common currency, the most common use for it was lost.
Now, of course, JavaScript is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance and we're now told it can be used responsibly and in the context of the DOM it can be a very powerful tool.
A new era requires a new book or a complete rewrite of an old one. Sadly, Negrino and Smith haven't done enough to keep up. Sure, there are some new chapters on Ajax but they look like a bolt-on. So, I won't be buying or recommending the 6th edition.
From now on I'll be recommending Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax by Christian Heilmann. This is an excellent and throughly modern book that gives a firm grounding in JavaScript and it's contemporary uses. It still covers all the basic stuff like image rollovers and opening new windows, but it goes a lot further and despite being a beginners book, it covers such things as loading external files with Ajax. In fact, my only slight criticism is that maybe it goes too far for a "basics" book but that will depend on how confident a web designer you are.
If you are looking for a more gentle introduction, it's well worth looking at DOM Scripting (Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model) by Jeremy Keith. This book stops short of Ajax but gives a very good introduction to JavaScript and the DOM. Again, it's a throughly modern book and hightly recommended.
The status of JavaScript within web design has changed dramatically over the last few years. Initially being the "must have" addition to html and then falling out of favour as it was abused to make websites almost unusable - pop-ups etc. And, when thechniques for CSS rollovers became common currency, the most common use for it was lost.
Now, of course, JavaScript is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance and we're now told it can be used responsibly and in the context of the DOM it can be a very powerful tool.
A new era requires a new book or a complete rewrite of an old one. Sadly, Negrino and Smith haven't done enough to keep up. Sure, there are some new chapters on Ajax but they look like a bolt-on. So, I won't be buying or recommending the 6th edition.
From now on I'll be recommending Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax by Christian Heilmann. This is an excellent and throughly modern book that gives a firm grounding in JavaScript and it's contemporary uses. It still covers all the basic stuff like image rollovers and opening new windows, but it goes a lot further and despite being a beginners book, it covers such things as loading external files with Ajax. In fact, my only slight criticism is that maybe it goes too far for a "basics" book but that will depend on how confident a web designer you are.
If you are looking for a more gentle introduction, it's well worth looking at DOM Scripting (Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model) by Jeremy Keith. This book stops short of Ajax but gives a very good introduction to JavaScript and the DOM. Again, it's a throughly modern book and hightly recommended.