Professional JavaScript For Web Developers 2005

How Is This Book Structured?

1. What Is JavaScript?

This chapter explains the origins of JavaScript: where it came from, how it evolved, and what it is today. Concepts introduced include the relationship between JavaScript and ECMAScript, the Document Object Model (DOM), and the Browser Object Model (BOM). A discussion of the rele­vant standards from the European Computer Manufacturer’s Association (ECMA) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is also included.

2. ECMAScript Basics

This chapter examines the core technology upon which JavaScript is built, ECMAScript. This chapter describes the basic syntax and concepts necessary to write JavaScript code, from declar­ing variables and functions to using and understanding primitive and reference values.

3. Object Basics

This chapter focuses on the foundations of object-oriented programming (OOP) in JavaScript. Topics covered include defining custom objects using a variety of different methods, creating object instances, and understanding the similarities and differences to OOP in JavaScript and Java.

4. Inheritance

This chapter continues the exploration of OOP in JavaScript, describing how inheritance works. The various methods of achieving inheritance are discussed, and these methods are compared and contrasted with inheritance in Java.

5. JavaScript in the Browser

This chapter explains how to include JavaScript in Web pages made with a variety of languages, including Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), and XML User Interface Language (XUL). This chapter also introduces the Browser Object Model (BOM) and its various objects and interfaces.

6. DOM Basics

This chapter introduces the DOM as implemented in JavaScript. It includes an introduction to DOM concepts of specific value to Web developers. These concepts are applied later in exam­ples using HTML, SVG, and XUL.

7. Regular Expressions

This chapter focuses on the JavaScript implementation of regular expressions, which are a pow­erful tool for data validation and string manipulation. The origins of regular expressions are explored, as well as its syntax and usage across a variety of programming languages. The chap­ter ends with an explanation of the similarities and differences in JavaScript’s implementation.

8. Browser and Operating System Detection

This chapter explains the importance of writing JavaScript to run on a variety of Web browsers. The two methods of browser detection, object/feature detection and user-agent string detection, are discussed; the advantages and disadvantages of each approach are listed.

9. All about Events

This chapter discusses one of the most important concepts in JavaScript: events. Events are the main way to tie JavaScript to a Web-user interface regardless of the markup language being used. This chapter describes the various methods of handling events and the concept of event flow (including bubbling and capturing).

10. Advanced DOM Techniques

This chapter introduces some of the more advanced features of the DOM, including ranges and style-sheet manipulation. I give examples of when and how to use these technologies, and I also discuss how to achieve cross-browser support given the differences in implementations.

11. Forms and Data Integrity

This chapter discusses the importance of data validation when using forms. As I introduce tech­niques for handling validation, I apply concepts introduced earlier, such as regular expressions, events, and DOM manipulation.

12. Sorting Tables

This chapter applies a number of language features described earlier to accomplish dynamic sorting of tables on the client. It includes an in-depth discussion of sorting in JavaScript as well as using events, DOM manipulation, and comparison operators to develop a generic table-sorting protocol that can be used in a number of different Web browsers.

13. Drag and Drop

This chapter explains the concept of drag and drop as it applies to JavaScript and Web browsers. The concept of system drag and drop versus simulated drag and drop is discussed, ending with the creation of a standard drag-and-drop interface that can be used across browsers.

14. Error Handling

This chapter introduces the concept of error handling in JavaScript by discussing the use of the try...catch statement and the onerror event handler. Other topics explored are the creation of custom errors using the throw statement and the use of JavaScript debuggers.

15. XML in JavaScript

This chapter presents the features of JavaScript used to read and manipulate eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data. I explain the differences in support and objects in various Web browsers, and I offer suggestions for easier cross-browser coding. This chapter also covers the use of eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) to transform XML data on the client.

16. Client-Server Communication

This chapter explores the various JavaScript methods of communicating back to the server. These methods include the use of cookies and JavaScript-based HTTP requests. This chapter also explains how to achieve both GET and POST HTTP requests without the use of hidden frames.

17. Web Services

This chapter looks at how to consume Web Services using JavaScript. The different methods used in Internet Explorer and Mozilla are discussed, along with a basic solution to the problem of adding Web Service support to browsers that don’t have built-in support.

18. Interacting with Plugins

This chapter explains the various methods of communication between JavaScript and browser plugins such as Java applets, SVG documents, and ActiveX controls. Other topics include how to program plugins for use with JavaScript.

19. Deployment Issues

This chapter focuses on what happens after the completion of JavaScript coding. Specifically, it describes what should happen before you deploy a JavaScript solution on either a Web site or in a Web application. Topics covered include security issues, internationalization, optimization, intellectual property protection, and Section 508 compliance.

20. The Evolution of JavaScript

This chapter looks into the future of JavaScript to see where the language is headed. ECMAScript 4 and XML for ECMAScript are discussed.
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