JavaScript lets you supercharge your HTML with animation, interactivity, and visual effects—but many web designers find the language hard to learn. This jargon-free guide covers JavaScript basics and shows you how to save time and effort with the jQuery library of prewritten JavaScript code. You’ll soon be building web pages that feel and act like desktop programs, without having to do much programming.
The important stuff you need to know:
Make your pages interactive. Create JavaScript events that react to visitor actions.
Use animations and effects. Build drop-down navigation menus, pop-ups, automated slideshows, and more.
Improve your user interface. Learn how the pros make websites fun and easy to use.
Collect data with web forms. Create easy-to-use forms that ensure more accurate visitor responses.
Add a dash of Ajax. Enable your web pages to communicate with a web server without a page reload.
Practice with living examples. Get step-by-step tutorials for web projects you can build yourself.
Getting Started with JavaScript
Chapter 1 Writing Your First JavaScript Program
Introducing Programming
How to Add JavaScript to a Page
Your First JavaScript Program
Writing Text on a Web Page
Attaching an External JavaScript File
Tracking Down Errors
Chapter 2 The Grammar of JavaScript
Statements
Built-In Functions
Types of Data
Variables
Working with Data Types and Variables
Tutorial: Using Variables to Create Messages
Tutorial: Asking for Information
Arrays
Tutorial: Writing to a Web Page Using Arrays
A Quick Object Lesson
Comments
Chapter 3 Adding Logic and Control to Your Programs
Making Programs React Intelligently
Tutorial: Using Conditional Statements
Handling Repetitive Tasks with Loops
Functions: Turn Useful Code Into Reusable Commands
Tutorial: A Simple Quiz
Getting Started with jQuery
Chapter 4 Introducing jQuery
About JavaScript Libraries
Getting jQuery
Adding jQuery to a Page
Modifying Web Pages: An Overview
Understanding the Document Object Model
Selecting Page Elements: The jQuery Way
Adding Content to a Page
Setting and Reading Tag Attributes
Reading, Setting, and Removing HTML Attributes
Acting on Each Element in a Selection
Automatic Pull Quotes
Chapter 5 Action/Reaction: Making Pages Come Alive with Events
What Are Events?
Using Events the jQuery Way
Tutorial: Introducing Events
More jQuery Event Concepts
Advanced Event Management
Tutorial: A One-Page FAQ
Chapter 6 Animations and Effects
jQuery Effects
Tutorial: Login Slider
Animations
Performing an Action After an Effect Is Completed
Tutorial: Animated Dashboard
Building Web Page Features
Chapter 7 Improving Your Images
Swapping Images
Tutorial: Adding Rollover Images
Tutorial: Photo Gallery with Effects
Advanced Gallery with jQuery FancyBox
Tutorial: FancyBox Photo Gallery
Chapter 8 Improving Navigation
Some Link Basics
Opening External Links in a New Window
Creating New Windows
Opening Pages in a Window on the Page
Basic, Animated Navigation Bar
Chapter 9 Enhancing Web Forms
Understanding Forms
Adding Smarts to Your Forms
Tutorial: Basic Form Enhancements
Form Validation
Validation Tutorial
Chapter 10 Expanding Your Interface
Organizing Information in Tabbed Panels
Adding a Content Slider to Your Site
Determining the Size and Position of Page Elements
Adding Tooltips
Ajax: Communication with the Web Server
Chapter 11 Introducing Ajax
What Is Ajax?
Ajax: The Basics
Ajax the jQuery Way
JSON
Chapter 12 Flickr and Google Maps
Introducing JSONP
Adding a Flickr Feed to Your Site
Tutorial: Adding Flickr Images to Your Site
Adding Google Maps to Your Site
Tips, Tricks, and Troubleshooting
Chapter 13 Getting the Most from jQuery
Useful jQuery Tips and Information
Using the jQuery Docs
Traversing the DOM
More Functions For Manipulating HTML
Advanced Event Handling
Chapter 14 Going Further with JavaScript
Working with Strings
Finding Patterns in Strings
Working with Numbers
Dates and Times
Putting It All Together
Writing More Efficient JavaScript
Creating Fast-Loading JavaScript
Chapter 15 Troubleshooting and Debugging
Top JavaScript Programming Mistakes
Debugging with Firebug
Debugging Tutorial
Appendix JavaScript Resources
References
Basic JavaScript
jQuery
Ajax
Advanced JavaScript
CSS
Colophon
Title:
JavaScript & jQuery: The Missing Manual, 2nd Edition
David Sawyer McFarland is president of Sawyer McFarland Media, Inc., a Web development and training company in Portland, Oregon. He's been building websites since 1995, when he designed an online magazine for communication professionals. He's served as webmaster at the University of California at Berkeley and the Berkeley Multimedia Research Center, and oversaw a complete CSS-driven redesign of Macworld.com. David is also a writer and trainer, and teaches in the Portland State University multimedia program. He wrote the bestselling Missing Manual titles on Adobe Dreamweaver, CSS, and JavaScript.
Comments about oreilly JavaScript & jQuery: The Missing Manual, 2nd Edition:
Engaging style, clear tutorials and useful examples. Overall I found this a great book to introduce me to the power and potential applications for JQuery.