JavaScript for Dummies
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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 2.18Customer Rating: 2
Summary: Javascript Professionals learn by doing, not reading!
Comment: I, as well was not too impressed with the book. Fortunately, I know some Java so that JS was not too difficult. But, if you are a total novice and know nothing about object-oriented or object-based programming, then you are going to be totally lost. I think that the author dives into functions and object methods way too early. There are some useful scripts in the book, especially for client-side form validation. But, if you are not familiar with Javascript you're going to be lost. My suggestion to the author is that she also have exercises to test the reader's knowledge - you can only learn this stuff by doing. If any novice is reading this review, my suggestion would be to first visit Joe Burns' javagoodies (http://www.javagoodies.com)site and go through the 30 javascript primers that are there. The best thing about them is that they're free! Also, if Joe's new book on Javascript (Javascript Goodies) is anything like his web tutorials or his HTML Goodies book, then I would save your money and wait for that one to come out.
Customer Rating: 1
Summary: I'll Stick With the Moron's Edition
Comment: I have several complaints about this book. Firstly, the author assumes you don't even know how to turn on a computer. Who would be bothering to learn about JavaScript if they don't even know how to power up a PC? Come on! The author should spend less time detailing the basic boot up process on the PC and how to open your text editor, and more time explaining the way JavaScript works, and how it depends on the browser that the person visiting your website is using to work correctly. Also, a lot of the examples given in this book don't work. (Unfortunately, I've found that is common with JavaScript books.) Also, the book seems to waste a lot of time going on and on about useless nonsense. I know it's a "dummies" book, but this book expects its readers to truly be morons.
I'm only thankful I purchased the book at a discount bookstore for only $3.99.
Customer Rating: 1
Summary: A big disappointment
Comment: I bought this book with a basic knowledge of HTML but very little knowledge of Javascript. Being a fan of other "Dummies" books, I thought this would be a great place to start learning Javascript. Do I feel ripped off! In the Introduction, the author states the book is for those with little or no knowledge of Javascript, which I don't think at all to be the case. She claims to use "real-world examples", most of which I find to be fairly abstract and very poorly explained. She also claims that all the sample codes are contained on the CD-ROM, which is a flat out lie, the applications are similar but the coding is very different from the book, which combined with the author's hard-to-follow explanations leaves the reader very confused and frustrated. On top of all that there are several typos, one of which refering to Microsoft Windows as a word processing program, and poorly written HTML, missing several tags. The author definately knows Javascript, but how good she is as an author is questionable.