book

JavaScript® and AJAX for Dummies®

Name: JavaScript® and AJAX for Dummies®
Author: Andy Harris
ISBN: 9780470417997

by Andy Harris

December 2009

Beginner

496 pages

9h 46m

English

For Dummies

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Copyright
About the Author
Author's Acknowledgments
Publisher's Acknowledgments
Introduction
What You Will NeedHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Programming with JavaScriptPart II: Using JavaScript to Enhance Your PagesPart III: Moving Up to AJAXPart IV: The Part of TensIt's Even on the Internet!Icons Used in This BookWhere to Go from HereA Final Word
I. Programming with JavaScript
1. Taking the Web to the Next Level
1.1. Building Something Cool1.2. Getting Started1.2.1. Overview of the Core Technologies1.2.2. Choosing your computer1.3. Picking an Editor1.3.1. Avoiding the problem tools1.3.2. Using a WYSIWYG editor1.3.3. Introducing programmer's editors1.3.4. Getting familiar with some important editors1.3.5. Introducing Aptana1.4. Creating Your Browser Collection1.4.1. Setting the standard1.4.2. Picking a browser or two1.5. Turning Firefox into a Development Machine1.5.1. Web Developer Toolbar1.5.2. HTML Validator extension1.5.3. Firebug
2. Writing Your First Program
2.1. Becoming a Programmer2.1.1. Choosing a JavaScript editor2.1.2. Picking your test browser2.1.3. Adding a script to your page2.1.4. Embedding your JavaScript code2.1.5. Creating comments2.1.6. Using the alert() method for output2.1.7. Adding the semicolon2.2. Introducing Variables2.2.1. Creating a variable for data storage2.2.2. Asking the user for information2.2.3. Responding to the user2.3. Using Concatenation to Build Better Greetings2.3.1. Comparing literals and variables2.3.2. Including spaces in concatenated phrases2.4. Understanding the string Object2.4.1. Introducing object-oriented programming (and cows)2.4.2. Investigating the length of a string2.4.3. Using string methods to manipulate text2.5. Understanding Variable Types2.5.1. Adding numbers2.5.2. Adding the user's numbers2.5.3. The trouble with dynamic data2.5.4. The pesky plus sign2.6. Changing Variables to the Desired Type2.6.1. Using variable conversion tools2.6.2. Fixing the addInput code
3. Changing Program Behavior with Conditions
3.1. Working with Random Numbers3.1.1. Creating a die to die for3.1.2. Rolling the dice3.2. Using if to Control Flow3.2.1. If and only if3.2.2. Using conditions3.2.3. Comparison operators3.3. Do What I Say or Else3.3.1. Using else-if for more complex interaction3.3.2. The mystery of the unnecessary else3.4. It's Time to Switch Your Thinking3.4.1. Creating an expression3.4.2. Switching with style3.5. Nesting if Statements3.5.1. Building the nested conditions3.5.2. Making sense of nested ifs
4. Loops and Debugging
4.1. Building Counting Loops with for4.1.1. Building a standard for loop4.1.2. Making a backwards loop4.1.3. Counting five at a time4.2. Looping for a while4.2.1. Creating a basic while loop4.2.2. Avoiding loop mistakes4.3. Introducing Some Bad Loops4.3.1. Managing the reluctant loop4.3.2. Managing the compulsive loop4.4. Debugging Your Code4.4.1. Letting Aptana help4.4.2. Debugging JavaScript on IE4.4.3. Finding errors in Firefox4.4.4. Catching syntax errors with Firebug4.5. Catching Logic Errors4.5.1. Logging to the console with Firebug4.5.2. Looking at console output4.6. Using an Interactive Debugger4.6.1. Adding a breakpoint4.6.2. Running the debugger4.6.3. Using the Debug perspective4.6.4. Examining Debug mode with a paused program4.6.5. Walking through your program4.6.6. Viewing expression data4.6.7. Using the Firebug debugger

5. Functions, Arrays, and Objects
5.1. Breaking Code into Functions5.1.1. Inviting ants to the picnic5.1.2. Thinking about song (and program) structure5.1.3. Building the antsFunction.html program5.2. Passing Data into and out of Functions5.2.1. Examining the main code5.2.2. Looking at the chorus line5.2.3. Handling the verses5.2.3.1. Passing data to the verse() function5.2.3.2. Determining the distraction5.2.3.3. Creating the text5.3. Managing Scope5.3.1. Introducing local and global variables5.3.2. Examining variable scope5.4. Building a Basic Array5.4.1. Storing a list of data in an array5.4.2. Accessing array data5.4.3. Using arrays with for loops5.4.4. Visiting the ants one more time5.5. Working with Two-Dimensional Arrays5.5.1. Setting up the arrays5.5.2. Getting a city5.5.3. Creating a main() function5.6. Creating Your Own Objects5.6.1. Building a basic object5.6.2. Adding methods to an object5.6.3. Building a re-usable object5.6.4. Using your shiny new objects5.7. Introducing JSON5.7.1. Storing data in JSON format5.7.2. Building a more complex JSON structure
II. Using JavaScript to Enhance Your Pages
6. Talking to the Page
6.1. Understanding the Document Object Model6.1.1. Navigating the DOM6.1.2. Changing DOM properties with Firebug6.1.3. Examining the document object6.2. Harnessing the DOM through JavaScript6.2.1. Getting the blues, JavaScript-style6.2.2. Writing JavaScript code to change colors6.3. Managing Button Events6.3.1. Setting up the playground6.3.2. Embedding quotes within quotes6.3.3. Writing the changeColor function6.4. Interacting with Text Input and Output6.4.1. Introducing event-driven programming6.4.2. Creating the XHTML form6.4.3. Using getElementById() to get access to the page6.4.4. Manipulating the text fields6.5. Writing to the Document6.5.1. Preparing the HTML framework6.5.2. Writing the JavaScript6.5.3. Finding your innerHTML6.6. Working with Other Text Elements6.6.1. Building the form6.6.2. Writing the function6.6.3. Understanding generated source code
7. Getting Valid Input
7.1. Getting Input from a Drop-Down List7.1.1. Building the form7.1.2. Reading the list box7.2. Managing Multiple Selections7.2.1. Coding a multiple-selection select object7.2.2. Writing the JavaScript code7.3. Check, Please — Reading Check Boxes7.3.1. Building the checkbox page7.3.2. Responding to the check boxes7.4. Working with Radio Buttons7.4.1. Interpreting radio buttons7.5. Working with Regular Expressions7.5.1. Introducing regular expressions7.5.2. Characters in regular expressions7.5.3. Marking the beginning and end of the line7.6. Working with Special Characters7.6.1. Matching a character with the period7.6.2. Using a character class7.6.3. Specifying digits7.6.4. Marking punctuation characters7.6.5. Finding word boundaries7.7. Repetition Operations7.7.1. Finding one or more elements7.7.2. Matching zero or more elements7.7.3. Specifying the number of matches7.8. Working with Pattern Memory7.8.1. Recalling your memories7.8.2. Using patterns stored in memory
8. Moving and Grooving
8.1. Making Things Move8.1.1. Looking over the HTML8.1.2. Getting an overview of the JavaScript8.1.3. Creating global variables8.1.4. Initializing8.1.5. Moving the sprite8.1.6. Checking the boundaries8.2. Reading Input from the Keyboard8.2.1. Building the keyboard page8.2.2. Looking over the keyboard.js script8.2.3. Overwriting the init() function8.2.4. Setting up an event handler8.2.5. Responding to keystrokes8.2.6. Deciphering the mystery of keycodes8.3. Following the Mouse8.3.1. Looking over the HTML8.3.2. Setting up the HTML8.3.3. Initializing the code8.3.4. Building the mouse listener8.4. Automatic Motion8.5. Image-Swapping Animation8.5.1. Preparing the images8.5.2. Building the page8.5.3. Building the global variables8.5.4. Setting up the interval8.5.5. Animating the sprite8.5.6. Improving the animation with preloading8.6. Working with Compound Images8.6.1. Preparing the image8.6.2. Setting up the HTML and CSS8.6.3. Writing the JavaScript8.6.4. Setting up global variables8.6.5. Building an init() function8.6.6. Animating the sprite8.7. Movement and Swapping8.7.1. Building the HTML framework8.7.2. Building the code8.7.3. Defining global variables8.7.4. Initializing your data8.7.5. Animating the image8.7.6. Updating the image8.7.7. Moving the sprite
III. Moving Up to AJAX
9. AJAX Essentials
9.1. AJAX: Return to Troy9.2. AJAX Spelled Out9.2.1. A is for asynchronous9.2.2. J is for JavaScript9.2.3. A is for ... and?9.2.4. And X is for ... data?9.3. Making a Basic AJAX Connection9.3.1. Building the HTML form9.3.2. Creating an XMLHttpRequest object9.3.3. Opening a connection to the server9.3.4. Sending the request and parameters9.3.5. Checking the status9.4. All Together Now: Making the Connection Asynchronous9.4.1. Setting up the program9.4.2. Building the getAJAX() function9.4.3. Reading the response
10. Improving JavaScript and AJAX with jQuery
10.1. Introducing JavaScript Libraries10.2. Getting to Know jQuery10.2.1. Installing jQuery10.2.2. Importing jQuery from Google10.2.3. Using jQuery with Aptana10.3. Writing Your First jQuery App10.3.1. Setting up the page10.3.2. Meet the jQuery node object10.4. Creating an Initialization Function10.4.1. Using $(document).ready()10.4.2. Discovering alternatives to document.ready10.5. Investigating the jQuery Object10.5.1. Changing the style of an element10.5.2. Selecting jQuery objects10.5.3. Modifying the style10.6. Adding Events to Objects10.6.1. Adding a hover event10.6.2. Changing classes on the fly10.7. Making an AJAX Request with jQuery10.7.1. Including a text file with AJAX10.7.2. Building a poor man's CMS with AJAX
11. Animating jQuery
11.1. Getting Prepared for Animation11.1.1. Writing the HTML and CSS foundation11.1.2. Initializing the page11.1.3. Working with callback functions11.2. Hiding and Showing the Content11.2.1. Toggling visibility11.2.2. Sliding an element11.2.3. Fading an element in and out11.3. Changing an Element's Position with jQuery11.3.1. Creating the HTML framework11.3.2. Setting up the events11.3.3. Don't go chaining...11.3.4. Building the move() function with chaining11.3.5. Building time-based animation with animate()11.3.6. Move a little bit: Relative motion11.4. Modifying Elements on the Fly11.4.1. Building the basic page11.4.2. Initializing the code11.4.3. Adding text11.4.4. Attack of the clones11.4.5. It's a wrap11.4.6. Alternating styles11.4.7. Resetting the page11.4.8. More fun with selectors and filters
12. Using the jQuery User Interface Toolkit
12.1. Looking Over the ThemeRoller12.2. Visiting the Theme Park12.3. Wanna Drag? Dragging and Dropping Elements12.4. Downloading the Library12.5. Resizing on a Theme12.5.1. Examining the HTML and standard CSS12.5.2. Importing files12.5.3. Making a resizable element12.5.4. Adding themes to your elements12.5.5. Adding an icon12.6. Dragging, Dropping, and Calling Back12.6.1. Building the basic page12.6.2. Initializing the page12.6.3. Handling the drop12.6.4. Dropping out can be fun12.6.5. Cloning the elements
13. Improving Usability with jQuery
13.1. Multi-Element Designs13.1.1. Using the Accordion widget13.1.2. Building a tabbed interface13.1.3. Using tabs with AJAX13.2. Improving Usability13.2.1. The dating game13.2.2. Picking numbers with the slider13.2.3. Selectable elements13.2.4. Building a sortable list13.2.5. Creating a custom dialog box
14. Working with AJAX Data
14.1. Getting an Overview of Server-Side Programming14.1.1. Introducing PHP14.1.2. Writing a form for PHP processing14.1.3. Responding to the request14.2. Sending Requests AJAX-Style14.2.1. Sending the data14.2.2. Responding to the results14.3. Building a More Interactive Form14.3.1. Creating an AJAX form14.3.2. Writing the JavaScript code14.3.3. Processing the result14.3.4. Simplifying PHP for AJAX14.4. Working with XML Data14.4.1. Review of XML14.4.2. Manipulating XML with jQuery14.4.3. Creating the HTML14.4.4. Retrieving the data14.4.5. Processing the results14.4.6. Printing out the pet name14.5. Working with JSON Data14.5.1. Understanding JSON14.5.2. Reading JSON data with jQuery14.5.3. Managing the framework14.5.4. Retrieving the JSON data14.5.5. Processing the results
IV. The Part of Tens
15. Ten Amazing jQuery Plugins
15.1. Using the Plugins15.2. ipwEditor15.2.1. Adding a basic editor with editable15.2.2. Incorporating more advanced editing with FCKedit15.3. jQuery Cookies15.4. flot15.5. Tag Cloud15.6. Tablesorter15.7. Jquery-translate15.8. Droppy15.9. galleria15.10. Jmp3
16. Ten Great Resources
16.1. jQuery PHP library16.2. JSAN — JavaScript Archive Network16.3. W3Schools tutorials and examples16.4. Google AJAX APIs16.5. Aflax16.6. MochiKit16.7. Dojo16.8. Ext JS16.9. YUI16.10. DZone
BC1. XHTML Foundations
BC1.1. HTML and XHTMLBC1.1.1. Deciding between HTML and XHTMLBC1.1.2. Setting up a basic HTML pageBC1.1.3. Creating an XHTML pageBC1.2. Fleshing Out Your PageBC1.2.1. Adding imagesBC1.2.2. Including linksBC1.2.3. Building lists and tablesBC1.2.4. Making tablesBC1.3. Creating a FormBC1.3.1. Form structure tagsBC1.3.2. Building text inputBC1.3.3. Creating password fieldsBC1.3.4. Building a multi-line text boxBC1.3.5. Forming drop-down listsBC1.3.6. Making check boxesBC1.3.7. Adding radio buttonsBC1.3.8. Adding action buttonsBC1.4. Validating Your Pages
BC2. Formatting with CSS
BC2.1. Introduction to CSSBC2.1.1. Overview of CSSBC2.1.2. Working with colorsBC2.1.3. Using ids and classesBC2.1.4. Managing levels of CSSBC2.2. Managing the Appearance of Your PageBC2.2.1. Understanding hex colorsBC2.2.2. Modifying textBC2.2.3. Joining the Border PatrolBC2.2.4. Adding background imagesBC2.3. Using Float PositioningBC2.3.1. Understanding the display typesBC2.3.2. Having a block partyBC2.3.3. Floating to a two-column lookBC2.3.4. Cleaning up the formBC2.3.5. Using absolute positioning

Overview

Learn to use these powerful tools together and build Web sites that work

If you want to build Web pages that offer real value to your site's visitors, JavaScript and AJAX are top tools for the job. Even if you're new to Web programming, this book helps you create sites any designer will admire. With easy-to-understand steps and an emphasis on free tools, you'll be able to jump right into building a site using the same techniques as the pros.

Down to basics — learn your way around JavaScript and choose an editor and test browser
Manage complexity — use functions, arrays, and objects to create more sophisticated programs
Page magic — discover how to control what happens on your pages, animate objects, and put pages in motion
Get beautiful — Use the jQuery User Interface library to add sliders, tabbed interfaces, and custom dialogs to a site
Come clean with AJAX — build AJAX requests into your programs, use jQuery, and work with AJAX data

Open the book and find:

How to choose a test browser
How to discuss string concatenation with a straight face
Tips for debugging your code
How to add useful information to a dropdown list
Why AJAX connections should be asynchronous
The exciting possibilities of the jQuery library
How to use the Aptana editor
Online resources for JavaScript programmers

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