Reviews for Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting & Ajax: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional)

1. Excellent book if you are dedicated, probably not for novices.

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, June 12th, 2009

   While I can sympathise with some of the 2* reviewers, I am reluctant to rate this anything less than 5*. While I myself did (and still do) struggle with this book, it's fair to say that it really does its best to get you from novice TO professional in its 480 pages.
   
   Heilmann makes it clear that he isn't going to plod along with 'hello world' type examples and, after brief coverage of the 'core' elements of javascript (what Heilmann collectively names 'data and decisions', e.g. numbers, strings, arrays, objects and control structures), he jumps right into writing unobstrusive, progressively enhanced javascripts. In fact, barely a quarter of the way in, he is writing helper methods, that aren't fully expected to make sense yet, in order to write more efficient and cleaner scripts. All the while, he discusses such things as the role of javascript in web development, accessibility and cross-browser compatibility.
   
   By chapter 8 we are being introduced to Ajax and by the end of the book we are given coverage of third-party javascript including the discussion on the popular javascript libraries.
   
   I won't lie and pretend this is easy-going. It's not. But I think as a beginner that if you're willing to go with the flow and accept that not everything is going to make sense at first, and if you're prepared to write your own scripts (and accept they're not going to be as good as Heilmann's right away) you'll have here an invaluable resource. Not only does he cover a bunch of relevant examples (e.g. drop down menus, layer ads, form validation), but he does this well. When I go and write my own scripts, I never feel like i'm coming back to this book to 'look how it's done', rather it's that i'm coming back to 'see a better approach'.
   
   Bare in mind that Heilmann ain't gonna hold your hand all the way through the book and that it does get pretty involved pretty quickly and you'll be fine. I feel I have the perfect 2 books to get me going in this and O'Reilly's 'The Definitive Guide'. This book grows increasingly invaluable to me, still a relative beginner, owing mainly to the WAYS in which Heilmann goes about javascripting. When things do get maybe a bit too heavy, he does explain what he means to do in those spots and this itself is a good starting point for writing your own (be them work-in-progress) scripts.
   
   N.B. all code examples are available online for download to accompany this book. This is another handy facet.

2. Seriously underwhelmed

   Rated 1 out of 5 stars, January 12st, 2008

   Having got to the point where I was working on a site and needed some quick and easy insight into possible javascript solutions to common problems I ended up throwing this book across the room in frustration.
   
   Some people are good at explaining and good at teaching. Even just good at writing. You cannot say that about this book. The most annoying thing was the 'we're not going to do that, we're going to do something a bit different' concept.
   
   No, just do the simple thing, then I'll work out how to add the frills myself.
   
   If you're looking for a handy introduction that will later serve as a basic reference. Keep looking.

3. Great guide to cross browser DOM Scripting

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2007

   When I first started off with this book I thought I was going to be dissapointed because it was slow for the first few chapters. Having said that it's not for the novice. As I got further into the book it got better and better. The author takes a sensible approach to the use of javascript, maintaining accessability and degrading gracefully. Some of the code later on in the book is top notch. I haven't had to contact the author yet so I can't comment on the lack of support mentioned by another reviewer. The books pretty well written and I haven't had enough problems with it to warrent going to the site. As a professional java developer who has just over the past year took an interest in ajax rich client technologies I found it a thoroughly good read. The first 4/5 chapters covered knowledge it had taken me many months to amass by myself. Buy it now!

4. lack of respect

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, February 12th, 2007

   i tend to agree with previous poster
   my title goes like that because, for instance, author says one should use meaningfull names for variables, but then he himself uses names such as t, a, as and so on
   also, the book advertises as for beginers, which is totally an unapropriated statement! - author lacks the abillity to teach/explain what he uses, most of the time
   another bad thing is the book site [...] where one is directed if has a question to author, but you'll find there are there several buyers wating since december for an answer - looks like one has to attack the book to get a quick answer
   again, author shows no respect for the reader

5. Curate's egg

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, January 12th, 2007

   Chris Heilman is clearly a man who knows Javascript inside out, however this book is let down by unclear examples and limited exposition of important features. Layout is poor and very confusing , altogether a frustrating read.