Useful Books and Software

Ajax turns static web pages into interactive applications. Now you can deploy rich-client applications to clients without sacrificing the easy deployment of web applications. But to many folks, Ajax seems difficult. That's why we produced this book. As a Pragmatic guide, it strips away the mystery and shows you the easy way to make Ajax work for you.

We cover the the basics of DHTML, JavaScript, and the infamous XmlHttpRequest call. You'll see how to add Ajax to existing programs, and design new applications to exploit the power of Web 2.0. Learn the three layers of Ajax framework, and when (and how) to use each. See how to create rich clients, use visual effects, add client-side validation, and handle forms. Write applications that degrade gracefully if clients don't support JavaScript. And see how to integrate your Ajaxified clients into Java, .NET, and Ruby on Rails server frameworks.

With Pragmatic Ajax, you'll:

• Understand the breadth of the Ajax/Web 2.0 landscape, and go-indepth on how Ajax works
• Learn how JavaScript works with your server-side framework
• See how to easily apply Ajax techniques to an existing application--and when not to
• Know what's coming by looking at new features and frameworks currently in active development.

Writing dynamic applications isn't that hard. Folks are awed by Google Maps, but it isn't rocket science (apart from the satellite pictures). As a special bonus, see how to implement your own Google Maps-like application using DHTML.

New Price: $15.17 / Used Price: $6.50

JavaScript is the preferred programming language for Web page applications, letting you enhance your sites with interactive, dynamic, and personalized pages. This fully updated guide shows you how to take advantage of JavaScript’s client-side scripting techniques for the newest versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer, even if you’ve never programmed before.

You begin with basic syntax and learn about data types and how to structure code for decision-making. Then you learn to use dates, strings, and other basic objects of JavaScript. Next, you see how to use JavaScript to manipulate objects provided by the browser, such as forms and windows. From there, you move into advanced topics like using cookies and dynamic HTML.

After you have a solid foundation, you explore dynamic generation of Web content using server-side scripting and back-end databases. And you practice what you learn by building a sample application as you go.

What does this book cover?

Here are some of the things you'll find in this book:

• What types of data are used in JavaScript
• How to identify and correct flaws in your code
• Techniques for programming the browser
• How to use Microsoft Script Debugger and Netscape Script Debugger
• Ways to manage cross-browser issues
• How JavaScript interacts with XML and HTML

Who is this book for?

This book is for anyone who wants to learn JavaScript programming. You should have some understanding of HTML and how to create static Web pages, but no prior programming experience is necessary.

Publisher: Wrox
Author: Paul Wilton
Release Date: 2004-05-07
ISBN/EAN:

New Price: $31.99 / Used Price: n.a.

Web applications are getting richer and richer, with more interaction baked in every day. But JavaScript, DOM, CSS and a full host of other Web standards are quite complex, and the result isn't always browser compliant.

The Prototype and script.aculo.us libraries are veritable treasure troves, smoothing over all the usual nitty-gritty differences between browsers, and making most common features a breeze to implement. With this book, you can quickly wield the whole power of these extraordinary libraries.

Dive into Prototype, the library that makes JavaScript so much more powerful, and it looks a lot like Ruby code. Exploring the DOM, handling events, taming AJAX, and radically simplifying most of your scripting code: it all becomes easy-and very portable-with Prototype.

When it comes to advanced UI features, script.aculo.us is every web developer's dream come true: whether you need to create auto-completed text inputs, implement in-place editors, provide customized drag-and-drop behaviors, capture your users' attention with visual effects or simply build DOM fragments more efficiently, it's all there, and lightweight too.

This book guides you through all the details of these features, letting you use many technologies on the server side, such as PHP, vanilla Ruby, and Ruby On Rails, in countless examples illustrating every aspect. Power users will also learn the design philosophies of the libraries, and how to contribute to them and augment them for their own needs.

Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf
Author: Christophe Porteneuve
Release Date: 2007-12-17
ISBN/EAN: 1934356018 / 9781934356012

New Price: $19.57 / Used Price: $19.23

ASP.NET is a wonderful new enabling technology that allows developers to create business solutions much more effectively than ever before. However, there is room for improvement. Developers often do not see the potholes and pitfalls related to this technology until they stumble. Real World ASP.NET Best Practices helps readers to avoid just such frustrations. The book's in-depth coverage includes data handling, caching, JavaScript, user and server controls, distributed programming, configuration, and deployment.

Real World ASP.NET Best Practices goes far beyond the documentation to teach ASP.NET development best practices based on the authors' real-world experience. The book's emphasis is on helping developers perform tasks correctly and avoid mistakes, not on teaching ASP.NET in general.

New Price: $10.98 / Used Price: $3.93

If you are a Perl programmer looking to explore Perl's XML capabilities or an XML developer with a basic understanding of Perl, this book will provide you with all the tools required for XML processing with Perl. XML and Perl teaches you to create portable, powerful, and extensible applications when you use XML and Perl together. You'll also learn to customize your XML processing facilities to accomplish unique tasks.

Authors Mark Riehl and Ilya Sterin, who have written Perl XML modules and administer the official Perl XML web site (www.perlxml.net), have filled this book with practical code samples and exercises that will help you test drive your new knowledge. With this book, you'll quickly see the advantages of using XML and Perl together, and you'll be able to perform even complicated tasks more easily with powerful Perl XML modules.

New Price: $6.30 / Used Price: $6.30

This comprehensive, hands-on guide focuses on two of the most popular and feature-rich shells, bash and zsh. From Bash to Z Shell: Conquering the Command Line is a book for all skill levels. Novices will receive an introduction to the features of shells and power users will get to explore the benefits of zshone of the most powerful, versatile shells ever written. Intermediate users will uncover hints, recipes, and ideas to enhance their skill sets.

The book covers shell programming, but is unique in its thorough coverage of using shells interactivelya powerful and time-saving alternative to windows and a mouse. This strong author team has written an immediately useful book, packed with examples and suggestions that users of Unix, Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows can readily apply.

New Price: $20.72 / Used Price: $23.89

“Ryan clearly understands the GWT value proposition and how GWT integrates into a diverse web technology stack–and not just in a theoretical way. With the popularity of gpokr.com and kdice.com, Ryan can speak with the authority of concrete success.�

–Bruce Johnson, creator of Google Web Toolkit

“This book distinguishes itself from other books on GWT in that it walks through the entire process of building several nontrivial GWT applications, not the toy applications that most books present.�

–R. Mark Volkmann, Object Computing, Inc.

“Google™ Web Toolkit Applications is an excellent resource for any GWT developer. Solutions to challenges commonly encountered in GWT are presented through the design and development of actual applications. The applications developed throughout the text demonstrate best practices from simple UI design all the way to custom code generation, and are presented with little pretext about the amount of Java knowledge a given developer may have. Advanced concepts are not withheld but are presented in a way that will be understood by both novice and seasoned developers alike. Good application development practices and proper Model View Controller design is reinforced throughout the book, nearly guaranteeing that the reader will come away a better programmer. “

–Jason Essington, Senior Web/Java Engineer, Green River Computing

“Dewsbury’s Google™ Web Toolkit Applications is a book for both experts and beginner programmers who want to discover this open source Java software development framework, as well as write Ajax applications. A very detailed book!�

–Massimo Nardone, Advisory IT Security Architect

Accelerate and Simplify Ajax Development with Google Web Toolkit

Get the edge you need to deliver exceptional user experiences with Google™ Web Toolkit Applications, a guidebook that provides web developers with core information and instructions for creating rich web applications. Whether you’re a developer who needs to build a high-performance front end for Java, PHP, or Ruby applications, or to integrate with external web services, this resource from expert Google Web Toolkit (GWT) developer Ryan Dewsbury delivers the in-depth coverage you’ll need.

In this valuable book, insider Ryan Dewsbury provides instructions for using the robust tool set and gets you on your way to creating first-class web applications by providing a comprehensive overview of GWT technology. In addition, he shares his “in-the-trenches� insights on

• Building elegant and responsive user interfaces with Cascading Style Sheets and GWT’s Widgets and Panels

• Creating seamless user experiences through asynchronous communication with HTTP, REST, JSON/JSONP, and RPC Interoperating with web standards–such as XML, RSS, and Atom–and web services–such as Google Maps, Amazon Books, Yahoo! Search, Flickr, and Blogger

• Overcoming browser security restrictions, such as HTTP’s two-connection limit and the Same-Origin policy

• Accelerating development, using software engineering, code generation, internationalization, application patterns, and Java tools

• Deploying for optimal performance with resource compression and caching

• Building five non-trivial applications: a gadget application with a rich drag-and-drop interface, a multi-search application that makes requests to many search engines, a blog editor application for managing entries across multiple blogs, a web-based instant messenger, and a database manager for a traditional web page

This practical guide to GWT introduces you to the technology; provides techniques, tips, and examples; and puts you on the road to delivering top-notch user experiences for your web applications.

New Price: $41.20 / Used Price: $41.20

With this book you can get to know JavaScript; Jump-start your Web Site with ready-to-use scripts; write basic scripts from scratch, add versatility; plus use the interactive lesson plan to try the scripts for yourself.

Publisher: Ventana Communications Group
Authors: Peter Kent, John Kent
Release Date: 1997-06
ISBN/EAN: 1566046750 / 9781566046756

New Price: $45.94 / Used Price: $0.81

As a web developer, you’ll already know that JavaScript is a powerful language, allowing you to add an impressive array of dynamic functionality to otherwise static web sites. But there is more power waiting to be unlocked—JavaScript is capable of full object–oriented capabilities, and by applying OOP principles, best practices, and design patterns to your code, you can make it more powerful, more efficient, and easier to work with alone or as part of a team.

With Pro JavaScript Design Patterns, you’ll start with the basics of object–oriented programming in JavaScript applicable to design patterns, including making JavaScript more expressive, inheritance, encapsulation, information hiding, and more. With that covered, you can kick–start your JavaScript development in the second part of the book, where you’ll find detail on how to implement and take advantage of several design patterns in JavaScript, including composites, decorators, façades, adapters, and many more.

Each chapter is packed with real–world examples of how the design patterns are best used and expert advice on writing better code, as well as what to watch out for. Along the way you’ll discover how to create your own libraries and APIs for even more efficient coding.

• Master the basics of object–oriented programming in JavaScript, as they apply to design patterns.
• Apply design patterns to your kick–start your JavaScript development.
• Work through several real–world examples.

What you’ll learn

• How to apply object–oriented programming techniques in JavaScript
• How to take advantage of inheritance, interfaces, and encapsulation and information hiding to kick–start your JavaScript development
• How to implement several design patterns in your JavaScript projects, including factory, façade, bridge, composite, adapter, decorator, flyweight, proxy, command, observer, and chain of responsibility
• How to make your code easier to manage in a team environment, as well as on your own
• How to create your own libraries and APIs

Who is this book for?

This book will be an invaluable learning tool for any experienced JavaScript developer.

About the Apress Pro Series

The Apress Pro series books are practical, professional tutorials to keep you on and moving up the professional ladder.

You have gotten the job, now you need to hone your skills in these tough competitive times. The Apress Pro series expands your skills and expertise in exactly the areas you need. Master the content of a Pro book, and you will always be able to get the job done in a professional development project. Written by experts in their field, Pro series books from Apress give you the hard–won solutions to problems you will face in your professional programming career.

New Price: $32.86 / Used Price: n.a.

JavaScript Design shows designers how to create interactive JavaScript applications for the web. It provides detailed descriptions of JavaScript structures, statements and objects, using JavaScript to create different elements of a web page,controlling a page's overall design and function with JavaScript, passing data and variables between clients and servers. Also covered are advanced topics server-side languages: PHP, Perl, ASP, CGI, XML, connections to Java and Cold Fusion. The line between developers and designers is fading. Designers are challenged with projects that require them to have a strong knowledge of the server side issues traditionally fielded by a web developer. Designers are looking for books that teach them the web developer knowledge in a language in which they are accustomed.

New Price: $4.94 / Used Price: $0.85