JavaScript Programmers Reference

Learn everything about utilizing the JavaScript language with the next generation of Rich Internet Applications from the accessible information in JavaScript Programmer's Reference, both a tutorial and a reference guide for web developers. Master methods for using Java with applications like Microsoft's Silverlight, Ajax, Flex, Flash and AIR by practicing with hands-on examples with practical, usable code. Employ this complete JavaScript reference to help you understand JavaScript Data Types, Variables, Operators, Expressions and Statements, work with JavaScript Frameworks and data, and improve performance with Ajax.

JavaScript is one of today''s most widely used scripting languages, and is an essential ingredient for building standards-based dynamic web sites and applications. While JavaScript has long enjoyed support within all major web browsers, a recent wave of browsers specifically boast significant improvement in JavaScript support and performance. This improvement, combined with new web standards such as HTML 5, makes learning JavaScript more important now than ever.

This book covers the JavaScript language in its entirety, showing you how to leverage its many features to create the next generation of standards-compliant Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) using Ajax, JSON, and much more.

Alexei White, a veteran programming instructor, provides you with both a practical tutorial and an easily accessible reference. The material presented reviews a range of topics from basic JavaScript syntax and core functions to advanced topics such as animation, debugging, remote server interaction, and offline storage.

As you progress through the chapters, you''ll advance yourJavaScript skills while gaining a strong understanding of the JavaScript language. You''ll also discover new tools to solve difficult real-world problems and find numerous reasons to keep this book within arm''s reach.

What you will learn from this book

• All the core features of JavaScript, including types, objects, operators, syntax, and regular expressions

• Various ways to create and work with functions, including the use of closures

• How to create dynamic effects using DHTML and CSS, and how to use Ajax techniques from the ground up

• Tips for mastering the quirks of and the differences between browsers with each new technique or feature of the language

• How to use object-oriented design principles correctly in JavaScript applications

• Ways to shorten your development time by mastering one of a number of available debugging tools such as Firebug or Fiddler

• Methods for persisting data across web sessions using offline storage

• How to avoid common traps and pitfalls like memory leaks and performance hogs to make your programs run smoother and save you time

Who this book is for
This book is written for web developers learning JavaScript for the first time, or seasoned veterans looking to brush up on the latest features of JavaScript.

Wrox Programmer''s References are designed to give the experienced developer straight facts on a new technology, without hype or unnecessary explanations. They deliver hard information with plenty of practical examples to help you apply new tools to your development projects today.

Alexei White is a programmer, designer, and speaker. He is the inventor of RobotReplay, a web sessiontracking technology acquired by Foresee Results, and an author of the book Enterprise Ajax, as well as the DVD training series Enterprise Ajax LiveLessons. He has contributed to major Web projects for Microsoft and Nintendo. His blog can be found at http://ambiguiti.es. When he's not working in Vancouver he can be found floating on a lake somewhere in the interior of British Columbia with a fishing pole in his hand. You may also find him on Twitter (@alexsaves).