JavaScript® Programmer's Reference

Introduction

Since its introduction by Netscape over fourteen years ago, JavaScript has become one of the most widely used scripting languages in existence. Today, virtually every personal computer on the planet has a JavaScript engine on it, whether it's a Mac, Windows PC, or Linux computer. It helps developers create rich user experiences on the web, and is a contributing factor to the development of the Internet as a viable platform for business applications.

This book is intended to be more than a simple collection of tutorials and reference material. It's meant to be a comprehensive and accurate resource for both new and experienced developers. It's the kind of book you'll want to keep next to your computer at all times to flip through to remind yourself of techniques, browser compatibility, and in-depth explanation on some of the most bleeding-edge features of the language. It moves from the basics of syntax, general characteristics, and flow-control, to advanced approaches to object oriented inheritance, offline storage, Ajax, and debugging. Still, you don't need to read this book from cover-to-cover. It uses discrete examples instead of large reference applications, and clear meaningful headings for easy browsing. You can jump to any point in the material, and provided you have at least some understanding of the preceding chapters, you should be able to jump right in. Finally, this book differs from other JavaScript books by pushing you beyond casual familiarity, and by providing ...