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JavaScript: A Beginner's Guide
JavaScript is a client-side scripting language that allows you to add various features and effects to your web site (like image rollovers
and alert messages) and which also allows you to perform useful tasks such as form validation. This book is written in a style that allows
both those with and without programming experience to learn the basics of JavaScript coding.
The book has special features to help you
grasp what you need to know in each chapter. Chapters begin with a set of critical skills, and include checkpoints along the way to test
what you have covered. Also, there are projects that allow you to code scripts similar to those discussed in the chapter on your own
and check your results in the browser or by looking at the downloadable code on this site. At the end of each chapter is a Mastery
Check which asks you a few questions related to the content of the chapter, with answers in the appendix.
What the Book Covers
This book covers the basics of the JavaScript language and ends with a couple of
chapters that briefly look at a few advanced techniques that a beginning JavaScript coder may encounter. Below is a
listing of the chapters in the book:
- Introduction/What You Need to Get Started.
Includes a brief introduction to the language and tells you what type of tools you will need in order to
use JavaScript.
- Placing JavaScript in an HTML File.
How to add the <SCRIPT></SCRIPT> tags to a page inline, and how to use external JavaScript files.
- Using Variables.
Explains what a variable is, and shows how to use variables in JavaScript.
- Using Functions.
Explains what a function is and how to use functions in JavaScript.
- Basic Operators.
Covers the basic operators such as mathematical, assignment, and logical operators.
- Conditional Statements/Loops.
Covers the use of conditional statements such as if/else and switch, as well as loops such as for and while.
- Event Handlers.
Covers the basic event handlers such as onMouseOver and onClick.
- Objects.
Explains how to create your own JavaScript objects, and how to use the properties and methods of the object you create.
- Document Object.
Shows the properties and methods of the document object with examples on how to use them.
- Window Object.
Shows the properties and methods of the window object with examples on how to use them.
- JavaScript Arrays.
Explains what arrays are and shows how to use regular arrays and associative arrays.
- Math, Number, and Date Objects.
Shows the properties and methods of the math, number, and date objects with examples on how to use them.
- Handling Strings.
Discusses the basic string handling methods such as indexOf() and charAt().
- Working with Forms.
Explains how to use JavaScript to access the contents of forms, and how to use form elements for web site navigation.
- Working with Frames.
Explains how to use JavaScript to access different frames, how to store and use information in a frame, and how
to change multiple frames at the same time.
- An Introduction to Advanced Techniques.
Shows techniques for debugging scripts, rollover scripts, and covers the basics of regular expressions and cookies.
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