Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference (2nd Edition)

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide

JavaScript Bible, Fifth Edition

Ajax in Action

Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Html Dynamic

JavaScript & DHTML Cookbook

Format: Paperback
Author: Danny Goodman
ReleaseDate: 01 April, 2003
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Rating:

Forget the rest..............GET THIS BOOK!
NET, there is asp. In the world of .net Profressional from Wrox Press. . . . . . . . . . NOW, in the world of JavaScript, there is this book. . . . . . . . . . . IT'S TREMENDOUS. . . . . . . . . . . . it's NOT ONLY a Cookbook, it has the theory behind JavaScript ESSENTIALS (variables, strings, objects, windows, document, the list goes on and on) THAT YOU WON'T FIND ELSEWHERE. I can't say enough about this book. I have "dabbled" in JavaScript for years, NEVER feeling comfortable with it. . . . . . . . . now, thanks to this book, I do!.

Excellent for what it is
Unlike food cookbooks you purchase when you have a specific culinary goal, scripting cookbooks are typically bought without much knowledge of the information that they are going to present to you. In the computer world, cookbook / tips / "hack" style books are a funny thing. This can be doubly so when you are purchasing from an online vendor that has not made the table of contents (TOC) available. At the time I write this, Amazon. com has not. O'Reilly's does, and I encourage you to visit this title's TOC page on O'Reilly's web site first before you purchase.

For what this book covers, it is covered very well. The included scripting projects are indeed useful, efficiently written, presented in a user friendly manner, and as a whole contain very few errors. Each script example is presented by introducing a web design problem, followed by a solution discussion, a working script, and a follow-up if needed. None of the code examples in the book are included, but again, O'Reilly's web site for this book has the files available for download.

This is not a stand-alone title, it is not for JavaScript beginners, and it is not a cookbook that provides generic solutions. This is a great companion book to the author's other book, "Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference" (ISBN 1565924940) and David Flanagan's title "JavaScript: The Definitive Guide" (ISBN 0596000480). Web developers looking to better utilize HTML and JavaScript will find (or already know) that these two mentioned books are invaluable. As for this cookbook, if you see something in the TOC that interests you, make the purchase and you certainly wont regret it. But if you don't, feel comfortable skipping it.
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Emphasis on Cookbook
I found it incomplete as a learning tool. The book was good, but definitely a cookbook style approach. While it gave examples and explained how they worked, there were a lot of things left lacking. You will be able to use examples from the book, if what you want is in there, and even be able to modify them, but to really learn to program javascript, you will need more.

A good book to have on the shelf, but not a course textbook.