book

JavaScript Absolute Beginner’s Guide

by Kirupa Chinnathambi

July 2016

Beginner

416 pages

8h 55m

English

Que

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Parlez-vous JavaScript?Contacting Me/Getting Help

What Is JavaScript?A Simple ExampleCode Editing ToolsThe HTML DocumentLooking at the Code: Statements and Functions
Using VariablesMore Variable StuffNaming VariablesMore on Declaring and Initializing Variables
What Is a Function?A Simple FunctionCreating a Function That Takes ArgumentsCreating a Function That Returns DataThe Return KeywordExiting the Function Early
The If/Else StatementMeet the Conditional OperatorsCreating More Complex ExpressionsVariations on the If/Else StatementPhewSwitch StatementsUsing a Switch StatementSimilarity to an If/Else StatementDeciding Which to Use
The for LoopThe Starting ConditionTerminating Condition (aka Are we done yet?)Reaching the EndPutting It All TogetherSome for Loop ExamplesStopping a Loop EarlySkipping an IterationGoing BackwardsYou Don’t Have to Use NumbersArray! Array! Array!Oh No He Didn’t!The Other LoopsThe while LoopThe do...while Loop
Meet the Three TimersDelaying with setTimeoutLooping with setIntervalAnimating Smoothly with requestAnimationFrame
Global ScopeLocal ScopeMiscellaneous Scoping ShenanigansDeclarations Using var Do Not Support Block ScopingHow JavaScript Processes VariablesClosures
Functions within FunctionsWhen the Inner Functions Aren’t Self-Contained
The Options on the TableApproach #1: All the Code Lives in Your HTML DocumentApproach #2: The Code Lives in a Separate FileThe JavaScript FileReferencing the JavaScript FileSo...Which Approach to Use?Yes, My Code Will Be Used on Multiple Documents!No, My Code Is Used Only Once, on a Single HTML Document!
What Are Comments?Single Line CommentsMulti-line CommentsCommenting Best Practices
Let’s First Talk About PizzaFrom Pizza to JavaScriptWhat Are Objects?The Predefined Objects Roaming Around
The BasicsString Properties and MethodsAccessing Individual CharactersCombining (aka Concatenating) StringsMaking Substrings out of StringsSplitting a String/splitFinding Something Inside a StringUpper and Lower Casing Strings
Strings Aren’t the Only ProblemLet’s Pick on Strings AnywayWhy This Matters
Creating an ArrayAccessing Array ValuesAdding Items to Your ArrayRemoving Items from the ArrayFinding Items in the ArrayMerging Arrays
Using a NumberOperatorsDoing Simple MathIncrementing and DecrementingSpecial Values—Infinity and NaNInfinityNaNThe Math ObjectThe ConstantsRounding NumbersTrigonometric FunctionsPowers and Square RootsGetting the Absolute ValueRandom Numbers
Meet the ObjectCreating ObjectsSpecifying PropertiesCreating Custom ObjectsThe this Keyword
Say Hello to Prototype...Again—Sort of!Extending Built-in Objects Is ControversialYou Don’t Control the Built-in Object’s FutureSome Functionality Should Not Be Extended or Overridden
The Boolean ObjectThe Boolean FunctionStrict Equality and Inequality Operators
NullUndefined
Writing a Simple IIFEWriting an IIFE That Takes ArgumentsWhen to Use an IIFEAvoiding Code CollisionsClosures and Locking in StateMaking Things Private
What HTML, CSS, and JavaScript DoHTML Defines the StructurePrettify My World, CSS!It’s JavaScript Time!Meet the Document Object ModelThe Window ObjectThe Document Object
Meet the querySelector FamilyquerySelectorquerySelectorAllIt Really Is the CSS Selector Syntax
DOM Elements Are Objects—Sort of!Let’s Actually Modify DOM ElementsChanging an Element’s Text ValueAttribute Values
Why Would You Set Styles Using JavaScript?A Tale of Two Styling ApproachesSetting the Style DirectlyAdding and Removing Classes Using classListAdding Class ValuesRemoving Class ValuesToggling Class ValuesChecking Whether a Class Value ExistsGoing Further
Finding Your Way AroundDealing with Siblings and ParentsLet’s Have Some Kids!Putting It All TogetherChecking Whether a Child ExistsAccessing All the Child ElementsWalking the DOM
Creating ElementsRemoving ElementsCloning Elements
Meet the Developer ToolsInspecting the DOMDebugging JavaScriptMeet the ConsoleInspecting ObjectsLogging Messages
What Are Events?Events and JavaScript1. Listening for Events2. Reacting to EventsA Simple ExampleThe Event Arguments and the Event Type
Event Goes Down. Event Goes Up.Meet the PhasesWho Cares?Event, Interrupted
Meet the Mouse EventsClicking Once and Clicking TwiceMousing Over and Mousing OutThe Very Click-like Mousing Down and Mousing Up EventsThe Event Heard Again...and Again...and Again!The Context MenuThe MouseEvent PropertiesThe Global Mouse PositionThe Mouse Position Inside the BrowserDetecting Which Button Was ClickedDealing with the Mouse Wheel
Meet the Keyboard EventsUsing These EventsThe Keyboard Event PropertiesSome ExamplesChecking That a Particular Key Was PressedDoing Something When the Arrow Keys Are PressedDetecting Multiple Key Presses
The Things That Happen During Page LoadStage Numero UnoStage Numero DosStage Numero ThreeThe DOMContentLoaded and load EventsScripts and Their Location in the DOMScript Elements—Async and Deferasyncdefer
How to Do All of ThisA Terrible SolutionA Good SolutionPutting It All Together

Overview

JavaScript Absolute Beginner's Guide

No experience necessary!

Make the most of JavaScript -- even if you've never programmed anything before. This book is the fastest way to learn JavaScript and use it together with CSS3 and HTML5 to create powerful web and mobile experiences. Learn how to do what you want, the way you want, one incredibly easy step at a time. JavaScript has never been this simple!

This is the easiest, most practical beginner’s guide to programming JavaScript with simple, reliable instructions for doing everything you really want to do! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn:

Learn why JavaScript is awesome

Organize your code with variables

Understand how functions make your code reusable

Use the popular if/else statement to help make a decision in code

Learn about switch statements and when to use them

Work with for, while, and do...while loops

Learn how to use global and local scope

Understand what closures are

Learn about the various places your code can live

Understand how to write comments and good commenting practices

Learn about the basic types of objects you'll run into in JavaScript

Find out that pizza has an educational value beyond just being deliciously awesome

Understand how text is treated in JavaScript

Learn how to perform common string operations

Use arrays to handle lists of data

Learn to create custom objects

Purchase of JavaScript Absolute Beginner's Guide in any format includes free access to the online Web Edition, which provides several special features to help you learn:

The complete text of the book online

Short videos by the author introducing each chapter

Interactive quizzes to test your understanding of the material

Updates and corrections as they become available

This Web Edition can be viewed on all types of computers and mobile devices with any modern web browser that supports HTML5.

Contents at a Glance

1 Hello, World!

Part I: The Basic Stuff

2 Values and Variables

3 Functions

4 Conditional Statements: If, Else, and Switch

5 Meet the Loops: For, While, and Do…While!

6 Timers

7 Variable Scope

8 Closures

9 Where Should Your Code Live?

10 Commenting Your Code

Part II: It’s an Object-Oriented World

11 Of Pizza, Types, Primitives, and Objects

12 Strings

13 When Primitives Behave Like Objects

14 Arrays

15 Numbers

16 A Deeper Look at Objects

17 Extending Built-in Objects

18 Booleans and the Stricter === and !== Operators

19 Null and Undefined

20 Immediately Invoked Function Expressions

Part III: Working with the DOM

21 JS, The Browser, and The DOM

22 Finding Elements in the DOM

23 Modifying DOM Elements

24 Styling Your Content

25 Traversing the DOM

26 Creating and Removing DOM Elements

27 In-Browser Developer Tools

Part IV: Dealing with Events

28 Events

29 Event Bubbling and Capturing

30 Mouse Events

31 Keyboard Events

32 Page Load Events and Other Stuff

33 Handling Events for Multiple Elements

34 Conclusion

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and much more.

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JavaScript Absolute Beginner's Guide, 2nd Edition

Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9780134498638Purchase book

JavaScript Absolute Beginner’s Guide

by Kirupa Chinnathambi

Overview

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

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