JavaScript Application Cookbook

Basic JavaScript Programming Strategy

Whenever you build an application, JavaScript or not, it is in your best interest to have a strategy. This helps organize your thoughts and code and also speeds the development and debugging process. There are scores of worthy publications that get down to the nitty-gritty of step-by-step application design, and you’ll probably want to adopt a strategy that works best for you. So I won’t spend too much time here. Keeping the following things in mind, however, before, during, and after you code your way between the <SCRIPT></SCRIPT> tags will surely save you some headaches. It’s pretty simple: just answer what?, who?, and how?

What Are the Application Features?

First, what is the application going to do? Be as specific as possible. What will the application not offer? Suppose you want to develop an HTML form to send email. Consider these questions.

• How many fields will the form include?

• Will users enter the email address themselves or choose it from a select list?

• Do you want to validate the form input before sending it? If so, what are you going to validate? The message? The email address? Both?

• What happens after the email is sent? Do you want to redirect the user to another page or have nothing happen at all?

This barrage of questions could certainly continue. The good news is that if you take the time to consider such questions, you will have a much better idea of what you want.

Who Is Your Audience?

Identifying who will be using the ...