Pro JavaScript Techniques

by John Resig

This book addresses today’s approach to JavaScript in modern browser support, including information on Internet Explorer 7; Object-Oriented JavaScript; testing and debugging; unobtrusive JavaScript techniques using DOM Scripting; Ajax; creating and using blocks of reusable code, and the future of JavaScript. All the concepts expressed in this up-to-the-minute reference are thoroughly backed up with real world examples and full-scale case studies. The book offers reusable functions for readers to use in their own projects, a significant time-saver. Also included are several reference sections that allow developers to look up details quickly and easily.

Genres: Programming, Nonfiction, Technology, Technical, Coding, Computer Science

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapters 2 and 3 are great. The rest is a review of many other sites on the internet.

[Theopract · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's ok for absolute beginners or maybe to refresh knowledge after long break.

[Chris Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although slightly dated, Resig's Pro Javascript Techniques does an excellent job explaining many of the basic building blocks of modern javascript libraries: DOM interaction, code minimization techniques, debugging tools, rich interactivity with timed behavior, and basic AJAX techniques for non-blocking server access. This is a very helpful book for anyone wanting a quick and basic overview.

That said, this book, given its date, does not spend much time covering closures, execution context (e.g. this), and the Object prototypal chain which have today become pre-requisites for OO design techniques such as encapsulation and inheritance. If you are looking for the truly advanced javascript techniques, don't look here. Because of that, I'm expecting (and hoping) that Resig's next work (Secrets of the Javascript Ninja) will provide a more thorough treatment of the subject.

[Seto Elkahfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, this pretty-old book is closing my 2016 Reading Challenge.

It's written before Google Chrome, in the early days of jQuery. Reading this book give me understanding how JavaScript framework -jQuery particularly, since the author is its creator- is working under the hood.

Nobody codes jQuery anymore, you might say. It is true. Ten years (since this book published) is like forever in software engineering fields. Today, the technique mentioned in this book can be easily done with the help of modern JS framework. But like I mentioned earlier, this book gives you an understanding on the deep level, beyond the framework, pure JS.

If you're expert on JS, maybe you'll get boring by the topics. But if you intermediate or beginner JS programmer and curious about how the language is constructed under the framework layer, this book worth to read.

P.S. i'm still improving my english :p

[Craig Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's get this straight right away: the author is John Resig, the creator of the jQuery library, so obviously this guy knows what he is talking about. And just like jQuery, Resig presents a solid base by describing how to write reusable, unobtrusive, object-oriented JavaScript code. Then, he gets right to it by providing chapter after chapter of real-world examples of how to build useful stuff from this base. While he doesn't use jQuery in his code examples, per se, along the way you will learn how and why jQuery was constructed. Lots of good stuff to learn here that you can directly apply to your own projects, no matter what library (if any) that you use.

[Will Meurer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you want to see how JavaScript frameworks are thought out and created. Not so useful if you know the language and are looking for architectural techniques. Resig is a decently terse writer though, so it's not as long-winded as JavaScript: The Definitive Guide. There are some incidental techniques that Resig uses that were pretty cool tricks to pick up.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the best book I've read to explain the document object model and Javascript namespaces.

This is the only Javascript book I've read cover to cover, all others are used for reference.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone with only mediocre JavaScript skills, I found the book to be quite helpful. It's just like the title suggests: a collection of recipes and best practices for writing better JavaScript. However, the book probably isn't as useful for more advanced JavaScript programmers.

[Amit Saurav · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was simply awesome! Even if you know JavaScript as a language, this book teaches you how to harness the power of this language and take your projects to the next level. Totally loved it. Waiting for the next book by John Resig: Secrets of the JavaScript Ninjas. :)

[Ilyá Belsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is too old.
Javascript techniques have a tendency to become old very quickly.
Today these techniques are hidden inside the libraries like jquery and an average front-end developer never uses them.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the author of jQuery, the foremost library in use today. Advanced techniques that any JavaScript programmer should know.

[Mark Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will learn the guts of javascript which is what is needed to be a ninja.

[Hazem Saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about JavaScript Techniques by the jQuery Creator.

[Ant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.