JavaScript in easy steps Fifth 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.

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...."

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.

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.

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.

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.

Excellent

I've tried several JavaScript books and this is by far the clearest and easiest to understand and learn. Each section has easy to follow examples that you can expand on in your own time if you wish to. Lots of other reviewers commented on being lost in chapter 10. I agree with them here but I knew about it ahead of time due to the reviews. You need to have perl installed on your computer and added to IIS in order for the examples in this chapter to work. You also have to have the echo.pl file he is referencing in your folder. Those items can be found in the following locations:Perl Install for Windowshttp://www.activestate.com/activeperl/downloadsAdding Perl to IIS instructionshttp://www.howtogeek.com/50479/how-to-install-perl-on-iis-7-for-windows-server-2008/echo.pl file (scroll down to the JavaScript in easy steps, 5th edition) this will give you all the code examples in the book. Find the one for chapter 10 and it will have the echo.pl file you needhttp://ineasysteps.com/resource-centre/downloads/Other than that it is a great book and one of the few that i have actually been able to make it all the way through in a few days. Excepet for chap 10, there is no difficult setup steps in order to be able to execute the examples which makes it a quick and easy read in which you learn a lot. Plus there is a lot of white space around the text to allow for lots of comment space if you are that type of person like i am. :)Hope you enjoy it and find it as easy to learn as I did!