Eloquent JavaScript : A Modern Introduction to Programming

JavaScript is at the heart of almost every modern Web application, whether it's Google Apps, Twitter, or the newest browser-based game. Though it's simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is not a toy-it's a flexible and complex language that can be used to build full-scale applications. Eloquent JavaScript dives into this flourishing language and teaches you to write code that's beautiful and effective. By immersing you in example code and encouraging experimentation right from the start, the author quickly gives you the tools you need to build your own programs. As you follow along with examples like an artificial life simulation and a version of the classic game Sokoban, you'll learn to: -Understand the essential elements of programming: syntax, control, and data -Use object-oriented and functional programming techniques to organize and clarify your programs -Script the browser and make basic Web applications -Work with tools like regular expressions and XMLHttpRequest objects And since programming is an art that's best learned by doing, all example code is available online in an interactive sandbox for you to experiment with. With Eloquent JavaScript as your guide, you can tweak, expand, and modify the author's code, or throw it away and build your own creations from scratch. Before you know it, you'll be fluent in the language of the Web. Read more... Abstract: JavaScript is at the heart of almost every modern Web application, whether it's Google Apps, Twitter, or the newest browser-based game. Though it's simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is not a toy-it's a flexible and complex language that can be used to build full-scale applications. Eloquent JavaScript dives into this flourishing language and teaches you to write code that's beautiful and effective. By immersing you in example code and encouraging experimentation right from the start, the author quickly gives you the tools you need to build your own programs. As you follow along with examples like an artificial life simulation and a version of the classic game Sokoban, you'll learn to: -Understand the essential elements of programming: syntax, control, and data -Use object-oriented and functional programming techniques to organize and clarify your programs -Script the browser and make basic Web applications -Work with tools like regular expressions and XMLHttpRequest objects And since programming is an art that's best learned by doing, all example code is available online in an interactive sandbox for you to experiment with. With Eloquent JavaScript as your guide, you can tweak, expand, and modify the author's code, or throw it away and build your own creations from scratch. Before you know it, you'll be fluent in the language of the Web

"A concise and balanced mix of principles and pragmatics. I loved the tutorial-style game-like program development. This book rekindled my earliest joys of programming. Plus, JavaScript!" —Brendan Eich, creator of JavaScript

JavaScript is the language of the Web, and it's at the heart of every modern website from the lowliest personal blog to the mighty Google Apps. Though it's simple for beginners to pick up and play with, JavaScript is not a toy—it's a flexible and complex language, capable of much more than the showy tricks most programmers use it for.

Eloquent JavaScript goes beyond the cut-and-paste scripts of the recipe books and teaches you to write code that's elegant and effective. You'll start with the basics of programming, and learn to use variables, control structures, functions, and data structures. Then you'll dive into the real JavaScript artistry: higher-order functions, closures, and object-oriented programming.

Along the way you'll learn to:

• Master basic programming techniques and best practices
• Harness the power of functional and object-oriented programming
• Use regular expressions to quickly parse and manipulate strings
• Gracefully deal with errors and browser incompatibilities
• Handle browser events and alter the DOM structure

Most importantly, Eloquent JavaScript will teach you to express yourself in code with precision and beauty. After all, great programming is an art, not a science—so why settle for a killer app when you can create a masterpiece?

Eloquent JavaScript is a guide to JavaScript that focuses on good programming techniques rather than offering a mish-mash of cut-and-paste effects. The author teaches readers how to leverage JavaScript's grace and precision to write real browser-based applications. The book begins with the fundamentals of programming-variables, control structures, functions, and data structures-then moves on to more complex topics, like object-oriented programming, regular expressions, and browser events. With clear examples and a focus on elegance, Eloquent JavaScript will have the reader fluent in the langua Content: On programming -- Why language matters -- What Is JavaScript? -- Trying programs -- Overview of this book -- Typographic conventions -- Basic values, variables, and control flow -- Functions -- Data structures : objects and arrays -- Error handling -- Functional programming -- Object-oriented programming -- Modularity -- Regular expressions -- Web programming : a crash course -- The document object model -- Browser events -- HTTP requests. Introduction Basic values, variables, and control flow Functions Data structures: Objects and Arrays Error Handling Functional Programming Searching Object-oriented Programming Modularity Regular Expressions Web programming: A crash course The Document-Object Model Browser Events HTTP requests "Provides information and examples on writing JavaScript code, covering such topics as syntax, control, data, regular expressions, and scripting"--Provided by publisher