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JavaScript for the World Wide Web, Fifth Edition (Visual QuickStart Guide)
By Tom NegrinoDori Smith ( Peachpit Press )
Release Date: 2003-07-24
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List Price: $21.99
Price: $14.95
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Product Description
The Web doesn't stand still—not even for a minute—and neither do the languages that Web pages are based on. That's why you need this eagerly anticipated update to the popular JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide. Through a combination of task-based instruction and strong visuals, best-selling authors and Web gurus Tom Negrino and Dori Smith take you step by step through all of today's JavaScript essentials: creating navigation bars and other user interface elements, producing dynamic images and smart forms, controlling and detecting browsers, creating and manipulating windows, validating user entries in Web forms, and more. Whether you're a beginning scripter who wants a thorough introduction to the topic or a more advanced scripter who needs a convenient reference, you'll find what you need here—in straightforward language peppered with tips and techniques drawn from the authors' years of experience. By the end of the volume, you'll be able to smoothly integrate HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to bring your Web sites to life.
Amazon.com Review
JavaScript is great, but at best it is a complementary language for Web development. JavaScript for the World Wide Web offers a productive, how-to style that lets you solve a problem or pick up a trick and then move on with the rest of your work.

Consistent with other members of Peachpit's Visual QuickStart Guide series, this title makes wise use of side-by-side explanations and screen shots, as well as code snippets and their analysis. This approach gives readers the feeling that the authors are sitting by their side and showing them how to code scripts. Most subjects are handled with numbered steps, such as "Validating Zip Codes," and useful tips punctuate the text.

The book introduces the whole concept of JavaScript in a fast-moving but readable chapter and then moves into solving real-world challenges. The authors do a good job of covering JavaScript's capabilities, from eye-catching graphics tricks to data-entry form processing and cookie management. Particularly enjoyable is the way the book spells out many of the differences between Netscape and Microsoft dynamic HTML approaches.

The JavaScript object model is laid out in an appendix, along with object compatibility between various browser flavors. To complement the book, the publisher offers a Web site that makes all of the example code easily downloadable for your use. This is a great little guide for both busy coders and JavaScript novices. --Stephen W. Plain

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Product Reviews:
  Good Quick Start ( bodillinc )
This book is as the cover states; "Visual QuickStart Guide....pictures rather than lengthy explanations." It was a great help in getting started with JavaScript. It is not an in-depth tutorial, but then, it doesn't claim to be.

I liked it.

Bo
  do not even think about buying it 
It's downloads don't work, and the book requires that they be used.
the examples will not run as written in the book.
They do not conform to the w3schools standards.
it cannot be used outside Microsoft products.
Like Firefox.
  Excellent Material 
This book was well packaged for delivery. I like it for the clarity with which the authors present the various lessons.

I hope to derive a lot from it and to add to my skills.

I am still going through it and so far it has been very exciting. Thank you for the good business. A value for the money.
  Useful 
This is useful as a reference book or to learn JavaScript. I do not use it often, but when I need it I am very glad to have it on my shelf. Good examples.
  Not very good explanations ( bestbookvalues )
The authors are not very good at explaining things, even relatively simple things such as the prompt() method or the dot syntax. It could be much clearer and they could do it with fewer words. The authors take a rambling tone that doesn't quite give you the information you need. You can't depend on the authors to give you meaningful explanations. You have to experiment and try different things.
It's possible to learn JavaScript with this book, but it will take much more time than is necessary. In five editions, why couldn't they have improved this book? What are they doing? Other Visual Quickstart Guides are the same way. I hope the Visual Quickstart Guides go out of business and some other company takes over the market share. They've been cavalier toward their customers and don't deserve to be in business much longer.
Other books like JavaScript: The Definitive Guide by Flanagan, and JavaScript: The Complete Reference by Powell and Schneider are better at explaining the language even though they are considered to be more advanced books.
The same authors have published JavaScript & AJAX for the Web, which has almost the exact same content only it has a couple of AJAX chapters thrown in. Check out the review by another customer (at this point it is the only review). His critique is very similar to this one.
On the positive side, the authors manage to get most of the information across and the content is relevant for the majority of users.
If you choose to buy this book, use it as more of a guide and do not depend on it. Purchase other books to supplement it.