JavaScript in easy steps, 5th Edition

JavaScript in easy steps (5th edition) JavaScript plays a significant role in the emerging HTML 5 webprogramming standard. If you want a fast pass through this complextopic, "JavaScript in easy steps" is for you. The author's organizationand his revelation of concepts are thoughtful. I am giving this cleverlittle book five stars, although it irks me to do so. This because theauthor could have made things even easier! The instructive exampleswork well. They demonstrate the constructive logic of JavaScriptprogramming, and much to the author's credit, McGrath includesimportant things glossed over elsewhere, like web messaging. It simplyirks me that the author could have made this book truely easy to absorbby simply stating that using a localhost webserver requires that theexample *.html and *.js files be copied into the localhost defaultfolder. (Which happens to be the c:/inetpub/wwwroot directory whenusing Windows 7 Internet Information Services aka "IIS7".) InsteadMcGrath and the easy-steps editors dance around this criticalworkspace instruction. They do not seem to understand that theirgraphic hooha is more of interest to a spectator than informative to astudent trying to learn JavaScript. The fact is that several passesthrough a topic like JavaScript are required for the logic structure tosolidify into usable, working knowledge. "JavaScript in easy steps" is asolid step, one well worth the investment of time and money. There is the issue of paperback versus digital edition. Although I ama keyboard artist myself and an digital publisher (Solo ZonePublishing), I recommend that you buy the paperback, simply becausethe making of handwritten margin notes is so very important to effectivelearning.

Here is a well crafted intro to JavaScript with a hands on section that will let you see the basic flow of the language. The website contains all the example scripts that are in the text. JavaScript can be a little hard to wrap your head around, but this provides an easy to understand starter. Of course it is only the beginning of your education on this important scripting language.

I like Mike McGrath's book because of the short sections. This allows me to take a 15 minute break from the current job and get experience in a different programing language. I do not like the fact that Ineasysteps has no avenue for giving feedback or asking support question. Setting up perl just for chapter 10 seemed a little awkward.

I found it very straightforward. The one problem I have encountered is that he just sort of tells you to use a server that has echo.pl on it. If you have no knowledge of PERL, you are totally lost for one chapter, and if you are trying to learn JavaScript, why do you have to stop and learn PERL in order to follow him? He should have provided directions on setting up such a server. I'm using VS 2012 and this stumped me despite internet searches. I would also have liked to have seen more references along the lines of "for further information...."

JavaScript is an extremely important component of the modern Internet, allowing client side scripting and dynamic content, and increasingly more AJAX web applications. Like the authors other books in this series, this affordable little book covers the material in short, quick to read and easy to digest topics.

The book is clear and well written.It is a great book for a quick refresher or tutorial.If you need an in depth I also liked JavaScript the definitive guide by Orielly, which I read a few years ago.

Actually found a typo in the code instructions, the publisher admitted to it immediately.Other than that the book is okay for an adult learner.

This book is NOT for beginners. I am competent with HTML and CSS, and in this book I was lost within a few pages. The author is knowledgeable, but he doesn't understand how to communicate that knowledge to the reader, at least not so far as JavaScript is concerned. I am disappointed with the book because I expected it to be as useful as the author's books on HTML and CSS. No so.

The good thing about this book is that it gets you writing programs quickly, i.e every two pages you write a new little program, the left side is the theory, the right side is the code required for the program. A problem with this book is that in the code required for each little program part (the right hand side of each double page), the book gives some explanation, but explanation is too short and therefore you can struggle to understand exactly what's going on in the example programs. This book could be improved in the next edition by including more explanation about the code in the programs, even if it made the book a third longer or even twice as long, it would be much better. I found another book with more detailed explanation and progressed much faster iwth that one.

Avoid this book if you are looking to learn from scratchThe web resources are not as describedThe book assumes you have a good level of understanding of HTMLI'd intended o give this book as a gift to a friend who was starting outI cannot recommend this book for beginners - there are much better options out there

Nice book good for begener

I'm studying for a FdSc in computing and I needed to know a little about JavaScript and this was really helpful!

thanks - excellent job