JavaScript books

Ajax, or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, exploded onto the scene in the spring of 2005 and remains the hottest story among web developers. With its rich combination of technologies, Ajax provides a strong foundation for creating interactive web applications with XML or JSON-based web services by using JavaScript in the browser to process the web server response.

Ajax Design Patterns shows you best practices that can dramatically improve your web development projects. It investigates how others have successfully dealt with conflicting design principles in the past and then relays that information directly to you.

The patterns outlined in the book fall into four categories:

• Foundational technology: Examines the raw technologies required for Ajax development
• Programming: Exposes techniques that developers have discovered to ensure their Ajax applications are maintainable
• Functionality and usability: Describes the types of user interfaces you'll come across in Ajax applications, as well as the new types of functionality that Ajax makes possible
• Development: Explains the process being used to monitor, debug, and test Ajax applications

Ajax Design Patterns will also get you up to speed with core Ajax technologies, such as XMLHttpRequest, the DOM, and JSON. Technical discussions are followed by code examples so you can see for yourself just what is-and isn't-possible with Ajax. This handy reference will help you to produce high-quality Ajax architectures, streamline web application performance, and improve the user experience.

Michael Mahemoff holds a PhD in Computer Science and Software Engineering from the University of Melbourne, where his thesis was "Design Reuse in Software Engineering and Human-Computer Interaction." He lives in London and consults on software development issues in banking, health care, and logistics.

"Michael Mahemoff's Ajax Design Patterns is a truly comprehensive compendium of web application design expertise, centred around but not limited to Ajax techniques. Polished nuggets of design wisdom are supported by tutorials and real-world code examples resulting in a book that serves not only as an intermediate to expert handbook but also as an extensive reference for building rich interactive web applications."
--Brent Ashley, remote scripting pioneer

As a Java developer, you want a guide that shows you how to add Ajax functionality to your web applications with a minimum of effort. Well look no further than Pro Ajax and Java Frameworks. In this book, recognized Java experts and authors of the best-selling Apress title, Foundations of Ajax, will show you how.

The authors begin by recapping Ajax basics. Then they unveil a comprehensive Java/Ajax toolkit. Tools include JSEclipse for code editing, Venkman for JavaScript debugging, and Dojo Compressor for code compression. They also explain Log4js (and other tools) for JavaScript logging, JsUnit (and others) for testing, and various libraries like AjaxTags, DWR, and Script.aculo.us for rapid code development.

The last part of the book shows you how to build up a series of professional Java/Ajax applications. These will incorporate some of todays most popular frameworksSpring, JSF, Struts, and Tapestrygiving you all you need to incorporate Ajax into your everyday work and become an Ajax expert!

Wicked Cool PHP capitalizes on the success of the "Wicked Cool" series from No Starch Press. Rather than focus on the basics of the language, Wicked Cool PHP provides (and explains) PHP scripts that can be implemented immediately to simplify webmasters' lives. These include unique scripts for processing credit cards, checking for valid email addresses, templating, overriding PHP's default settings, and serving dynamic images and text. Readers will also find extensive sections on working with forms, words, and files; ways to harden PHP by closing common security holes; and instructions for keeping data and transactions secure. By exploring working code, readers learn how to customize their webserver's behavior, prevent spammers from adding annoying comments, scrape information from other web sites, and much more. This is a book that's sure to appeal to PHP programmers who have been there and done that and who want a book that delivers meaty content, not only promise.

“Ryan clearly understands the GWT value proposition and how GWT integrates into a diverse web technology stack–and not just in a theoretical way. With the popularity of gpokr.com and kdice.com, Ryan can speak with the authority of concrete success.”

–Bruce Johnson, creator of Google Web Toolkit

“This book distinguishes itself from other books on GWT in that it walks through the entire process of building several nontrivial GWT applications, not the toy applications that most books present.”

–R. Mark Volkmann, Object Computing, Inc.

“Google™ Web Toolkit Applications is an excellent resource for any GWT developer. Solutions to challenges commonly encountered in GWT are presented through the design and development of actual applications. The applications developed throughout the text demonstrate best practices from simple UI design all the way to custom code generation, and are presented with little pretext about the amount of Java knowledge a given developer may have. Advanced concepts are not withheld but are presented in a way that will be understood by both novice and seasoned developers alike. Good application development practices and proper Model View Controller design is reinforced throughout the book, nearly guaranteeing that the reader will come away a better programmer. “

–Jason Essington, Senior Web/Java Engineer, Green River Computing

“Dewsbury’s Google™ Web Toolkit Applications is a book for both experts and beginner programmers who want to discover this open source Java software development framework, as well as write Ajax applications. A very detailed book!”

–Massimo Nardone, Advisory IT Security Architect

Accelerate and Simplify Ajax Development with Google Web Toolkit

Get the edge you need to deliver exceptional user experiences with Google™ Web Toolkit Applications, a guidebook that provides web developers with core information and instructions for creating rich web applications. Whether you’re a developer who needs to build a high-performance front end for Java, PHP, or Ruby applications, or to integrate with external web services, this resource from expert Google Web Toolkit (GWT) developer Ryan Dewsbury delivers the in-depth coverage you’ll need.

In this valuable book, insider Ryan Dewsbury provides instructions for using the robust tool set and gets you on your way to creating first-class web applications by providing a comprehensive overview of GWT technology. In addition, he shares his “in-the-trenches” insights on

• Building elegant and responsive user interfaces with Cascading Style Sheets and GWT’s Widgets and Panels

• Creating seamless user experiences through asynchronous communication with HTTP, REST, JSON/JSONP, and RPC Interoperating with web standards–such as XML, RSS, and Atom–and web services–such as Google Maps, Amazon Books, Yahoo! Search, Flickr, and Blogger

• Overcoming browser security restrictions, such as HTTP’s two-connection limit and the Same-Origin policy

• Accelerating development, using software engineering, code generation, internationalization, application patterns, and Java tools

• Deploying for optimal performance with resource compression and caching

• Building five non-trivial applications: a gadget application with a rich drag-and-drop interface, a multi-search application that makes requests to many search engines, a blog editor application for managing entries across multiple blogs, a web-based instant messenger, and a database manager for a traditional web page

This practical guide to GWT introduces you to the technology; provides techniques, tips, and examples; and puts you on the road to delivering top-notch user experiences for your web applications.

JavaScript is one of the most popular scripting languages for producing dynamic web pages, and is popular not just because it is easy to learn, but also because it is platform-independent, meaning that most web browsers can handle it. It can be used to create sites which are vibrant, user-friendly and arresting. As a way of enhancing the contents of a website, JavaScript is enormously successful.

Whether you have web development experience or have never programmed before, Stefan Koch provides an excellent introduction to programming with JavaScript, using motivating examples and clear, concise language. Rather than simply providing ready-made scripts, the author encourages you to try modifying and enhancing the programs yourself so that you can harness the potential of JavaScript to give you exactly what you need.

The Manual of Style approach allows readers to get the basics and begin programming immediately. Examples show "before" and "after" affects of coding so that programmers can reuse code in multiple areas of documents that have similar needs. This valuable information is aimed at the JavaScript programmer just getting started.

The total number of web pages today has been estimated at over 3 billion

The JavaScript Programming Language provides a brief introduction to the JavaScript language that is now an important component of every programmer's tool box. It offers an overview of JavaScript to students interested in pursuing advanced programming skills. Clear and concise, The JavaScript Programming Language is an excellent primer to this popular dynamic language and is ideal for use on its own or when coupled with one of Jones and Bartlett's outstanding introductory computer science texts.

If youre a Java developer already versed in Ajax-style programming, and you want to take your knowledge to the next level, then this is the book for you. Practical Ajax Projects with Java Technology provides the ultimate learn-by-example experience, featuring seven complete example applications for you to learn from and then adapt for use in your own projects. During each application, the author will lead you through the planning, design, and implementation stages.

The book begins with a few quick chapters to recap Ajax basics and build up a complete development environment, and then moves on to the applications. The seven applications are diverse: an auto-complete application, an Ajax game, a two-way chat application, a webmail client, an RSS aggregator, an online calendaring/scheduling system, and a Flickr-style photo gallery application. Technologies covered include Apache, Ant, Ajax Tags, Struts, Prototype, DWR, Dojo, and more. Overall, this book will save you countless hours of development time, and help further your Java Ajax knowledge!

Web 2.0 entrepreneur and Microsoft MVP Omar Zabir shows ASP.NET 2.0 developers how to build a cutting edge web portal using ASP.NET, the Microsoft AJAX Framework, Silverlight, and .NET 3.5.

1. First title to show ASP.NET developers how to implement Web 2.0 principles and practices, using post-ASP.NET 2.0 technologies, including ASP.NET AJAX, .NET 3.5 and Silverlight: Many experienced ASP.NET 2.0 developers are under increasing pressure from customers and clients to provide them with the functionality and user experience found at Ajax-enabled sites such as PageFlakes, Google Start and others. Programming Web 2.0 with ASP.NET AJAX and .NET 3.0 assumes readers have mastered the core functionality of ASP.NET 2.0 and are looking for the new skills they need to take their sites to the next level. Newer technologies covered by the book include ASP.NET AJAX, .NET 3.5, Silverlight, LINQ and more.
2. Written by Pageflakes co-founder and Microsoft MVP Omar AL Zabir: Omar AL Zabir is co-founder of PageFlakes (http://www.pageflakes.com/ ), an award-winning Start page. He maintains a popular blog on Microsoft technologies (http://msmvps.com/blogs/omar/) and frequently contributes articles to (see The Code Project ).
3. Includes a complete Web 2.0 application built using Microsoft technologies and services:Building a Web 2.0 Portal includes code for a complete sample application that demonstrates how ASP.NET AJAX, .NET 3.5 and other technologies from Microsoft and third parties can be used to build a state of the art customer facing or enterprise portal. Code will be available for free download from the book site and from a site maintained by the author.