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JavaScript & jQuery: The Missing Manual ... - Robert Guajardo

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About This Book<br />

Likewise, you’ll find good documentation on <strong>jQuery</strong> at http://docs.jquery.com/<br />

Main_Page. But it’s written by programmers for programmers, and so the explanations<br />

are mostly brief and technical. And while <strong>jQuery</strong> is generally more straightforward<br />

than regular <strong>JavaScript</strong> programming, this book will teach you fundamental<br />

<strong>jQuery</strong> principles and techniques so you can start off on the right path when enhancing<br />

your websites with <strong>jQuery</strong>.<br />

<strong>JavaScript</strong> & <strong>jQuery</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Missing</strong> <strong>Manual</strong> is designed to accommodate readers who<br />

have some experience building web pages. You’ll need to feel comfortable with HTML<br />

and CSS to get the most from this book, since <strong>JavaScript</strong> often works closely with<br />

HTML and CSS to achieve its magic. <strong>The</strong> primary discussions are written for advanced-beginner<br />

or intermediate computer users. But if you’re new to building web<br />

pages, special boxes called Up to Speed provide the introductory information you<br />

need to understand the topic at hand. If you’re an advanced web page jockey, on the<br />

other hand, keep your eye out for similar shaded boxes called Power Users’ Clinic.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y offer more technical tips, tricks, and shortcuts for the experienced computer fan.<br />

Note: This book periodically recommends other books, covering topics that are too specialized or tangential<br />

for a manual about using <strong>JavaScript</strong>. Sometimes the recommended titles are from <strong>Missing</strong> <strong>Manual</strong><br />

series publisher O’Reilly Media—but not always. If there’s a great book out there that’s not part of the<br />

O’Reilly family, we’ll let you know about it.<br />

This Book’s Approach to <strong>JavaScript</strong><br />

<strong>JavaScript</strong> is a real programming language: It doesn’t work like HTML or CSS, and it<br />

has its own set of (often complicated) rules. It’s not always easy for web designers to<br />

switch gears and start thinking like computer programmers, and there’s no one book<br />

that can teach you everything there is to know about <strong>JavaScript</strong>.<br />

<strong>The</strong> goal of <strong>JavaScript</strong> & <strong>jQuery</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Missing</strong> <strong>Manual</strong> isn’t to turn you into the next<br />

great programmer (though it might start you on your way). This book is meant to<br />

familiarize web designers with the ins and outs of <strong>JavaScript</strong> and then move on to<br />

<strong>jQuery</strong> so that you can add really useful interactivity to a website as quickly and easily<br />

as possible.<br />

In this book, you’ll learn the basics of <strong>JavaScript</strong> and programming; but just the<br />

basics won’t make for very exciting web pages. It’s not possible in 500 pages to teach<br />

you everything about <strong>JavaScript</strong> that you need to know to build sophisticated, interactive<br />

web pages. Instead, much of this book will cover the wildly popular <strong>jQuery</strong><br />

<strong>JavaScript</strong> library, which, as you’ll soon learn, will liberate you from all of the minute,<br />

time-consuming details of creating <strong>JavaScript</strong> programs that run well across<br />

different browsers.<br />

You’ll learn the basics of <strong>JavaScript</strong>, and then jump immediately to advanced web<br />

page interactivity with a little help—OK, a lot of help—from <strong>jQuery</strong>. Think of it this<br />

12 javascript & jquery: the missing manual<br />

www.it-ebooks.info

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