Product Description
This title is the ideal step-by-step introduction for developers who want to learn ASP.NET scripting technology, which offers powerful new possibilities for writing clean, reusable, scalable code for Web pages. It offers a solid, practical introduction to ASP+ and related technologies, including the common language runtime, Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Visual C# .NET, and the Microsoft .NET Framework. It also provides real-world examples and code samples to help developers solve daily Web challenges.Amazon.com Review
Aimed at all developers of all levels who want to program Web applications on Windows, Microsoft ASP.NET Step by Step provides a perfectly pitched introduction to the world of ASP.NET ideal for those with a little experience with the older ASP standard, but also suitable for the raw beginner.

This text sets a high standard for clarity and approachability, as well as excellent production value, with color printing (using blue) to highlight important points. The author assumes little programming knowledge on the part of the reader and the focus is on using ASP.NET with Visual Basic .NET (with a nod to C#) to create real Web applications, rather than getting bogged down in the richness of the new .NET platform. Essential material on the structure of ASP.NET pages (with a new emphasis on event handling), Web form control processing, and database basics (with ADO.NET) make for a worthwhile tour of the fundamentals you need to get productive with ASP.NET in a hurry. Sections on programming language basics will also bring the novice along. Throughout this text, the author provides highlighted sections of what's new and different in ASP.NET, which will bring readers who have used the older ASP version onboard with the new platform.

Later chapters show off more advanced techniques, like creating custom server-side controls and a good introduction to the much-touted Web services used with ASP.NET. While these sections add depth to a capable tutorial, it's the rock-solid tour of the basics that makes this book a winning choice for busy Web developers. Final sections on the new caching abilities in ASP.NET are a must for running your applications effectively, as is the discussion on the nuts and bolts of deploying Web applications.

A final section highlighting the changes between ASP and ASP.NET will help introduce you to the .NET version quickly, as will the bulleted lists of task-based tips at the end of the chapter. With its Step By Step series, Microsoft Press has apparently added a winning format to its catalog, and ASP.NET Step by Step shows off its advantages with a new emphasis on approachability, excellent use of color (all too rare in programming books), and an excellent set of examples and material on the most important aspects of the new ASP.NET. This title is quite simply one of the best available getting-started guides to Web development on .NET. --Richard Dragan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Book Deserves More Credit
I have to disagree with other reviewers who said that this book should not be called a step by step book. Although I admit that the style is a bit dry, once you get into the programming examples in Part IV, the step by step format this author uses is perfect for someone like me, with some programming background in VB.Net, but without web programming experience, who is trying to learn ASP.NET. Not only that, but there is adequate explanation of concepts instead of just telling you what steps to follow. I would have liked to have seen more examples using Visual Studio .Net as well as Notepad, but the author gave enough instructions that I was able to follow the examples in Notepad and repeat them again in Visual Studio to see how it's done using the code-behind technique. Another thing I liked about the book is that all the examples I tried actually worked, unlike some other books out there purporting to teach ASP.Net. The dry chapters in Parts II and III are also necessary to include as a reference. I am under a tight deadline at work to learn how to create web pages and I am finding this book to be one of the best for getting me up and running.

Typos make this book useless
It's not really a step by step book, and having made it halfway through, doing all the examples, I haven't learned much more than how to type. Granted, I have learned a little about syntax, format and other generalities.

There are so many typos and outright errors, though, that I'm giving up, and moving on to another book.

Not the Steps I was Looking For
You would think that, with a title that includes the phrase 'step by step,' this book would help you learn ASP.NET in a step-wise approach including examples and maybe even exercises. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I found this book disappointing.

"ASP.NET Step by Step" contains articles that give a good theoretical understanding of ASP.NET. Had I been looking for this sort of information, I would have found this book more useful.

The content of the book is good. It just isn't right for me.

Recommend: Questionable
Keep for Reference: No

Not a"Step - By - Step"Book
I purchased this book with the hope of having a relatively straight forward book that would walk me through the creation of an ASP.net Application "Step-by-Step".I guess I had set my hopes too high.I am already 300 pages into the book and I have only encountered one really useful example (in my opininon).
This book does contain some very useful information, but it should not have been called a "Step-By-Step" book.

Just a side note:C# is mentioned occasionally but this book is mainly discusses VB.net.

Where is the first step?
This is not a step by step book; it was designed as reference type of book. I'm not rating the contents of this book. I'm rating the disappointment this book will cause the readers. If I buy a book with a "step by step" clearly indicated on its title, I'm expecting to be walked through a project explaining the different features of ASP.net. Instead the author has used a style that is totally alien to the phrase "step by step". He should have looked at other "step by step" books to see how they present their subject to the reader before he committed himself to writing this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The JavaScript Bible, Gold Edition covers the new powerful functionality JavaScript gains with the release of the new fifth generation revisions of Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator. The book includes all the great content included in the JavaScript Bible, 4th Edition, an international bestseller, plus over 400 pages of new material. The Gold Bible features essential new JavaScript information, additional ready -to-use JavaScript applications and scores of additional JavaScripts and Web page routines. This book will bring programmers and non-technical professionals, including casual programmers and scripters, painlessly up to speed on all aspects of mastering JavaScript. Key topics include programming fundamentals, JavaScript language elements and how to use them effectively, and how to easily and efficiently add powerful new functionality to HTML documents and Java applets. The JavaScript Bible, Gold Edition also comes with a Windows/Mac CD-ROM which includes over 100 sample scripts, on -screen quick-reference, and hundreds of megabytes of usable Web design elements and software. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Important Pages are Missing!
The book is a very fine work and quite definitive but the pages that deal with some basic concepts are only on the CD. The CD is protected so that you can't even print the material. You need a PC to get read this book.

Great guide for the IT professional.
I rely on it as my primary JS reference, even though I have several titles on this topic. I have been able to find more information in this book than other books I personally own. This book is well worth the money, provided you make your living as a web developer. I highly recommend the book.....

Javascript Bible is good but missing
I just bought Javascript Bible Gold Edition.I am grateful that I only paid $28.00 from Amazon.Not $69.99, no thanks.I don't buy it in a store.I buy it only at Amazon.So I notice there is something missing in the book.It only show code language.It doesn't explain clear, only brief.No pictures and no codes example.I suggest you not just buying this book.Also Dummies and other good books that go with Javascript Bible.For all javascript languages, I recommend this book.

Good reference
the Gold editon of Javascript Bible is a giant book with comprehensive reference to just about everything there is to JavaScript.I rely it as my primary JS reference, even though I have several titles on this topic, because I have been able to find more information in this book than others.Realize that a big book like this has both advantages and shortcomings.

...just Reference, reference and more reference...
Very bad book for beginners, it buys thinking it that could be my best and unique book about JavaScript, my biggest error was not to have read a little in a store. In the reader level it says:from beginning to advanced, but a principiant does not learn with one minimal introduction and more than 1000 pages of reference... it seems like a dictionary. What a mistake ! ... Read more

Product Description
JavaScript made easy. Developing interactive HTML application using JavaScript is a breeze when you have Jason Manger's JavaScript Essentials next to your keyboard. Jargon-free, it packs scores of valuable code examples plus easy-to-follow tutorials structured around small reusable programs that guide you through Navigator 3.0 and highlight all its latest features. The bundled CD-ROM puts ready-to-run applets and source code segments at your fingertips-so you can create and manipulate JavaScript objects and integrate them into your Web sites quickly and easily. You also get clear, step-by-step guidelines for using JavaScript statements, hyperlinks and built-in objects... creating dynamic documents... interfacing Java with JavaScript... building HTML frames... and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
This is the one and only book that I've ever used for JavaScript. It carefully explains all concepts in a method that is excellent for both experienced programmers as well as beginners. Highly recommended!

Excellent technical writing
I concur with the author's assessment of Darkwynd comments. While this book does not attempt to compete with the reference tome written by David Flanagan, it is exceptionally well written with a highly consistent style. Of particular value, it seems that all of the examples are self explanatory. If you get lost in in a particular place, you can still learn something from the next chapter. Also, many technical books suffer from the "casting pearls of wisdom" syndrome, where it is apparent that the author is being influenced by his new fame. This does not appear to be the case with Mr. Manger. Good work !

This book is COOL!
I used this book and made awsome homepage in the net. I am 12 and think this book rocks!!!

Sub-Par and digressive
Poorly written and badly organized. A vociferous NO for beginners and almost useless for anyone with some experience ... Read more

Product Description
Designed to guide the reader in developing web sites that can use the new features and capabilities for using Style Sheets and Layers in both Cascading Style Sheet Syntax and JavaScript Syntax reflected in Netscape's Navigator 4.0+ browser.Softcover.CD-ROM included. DLC: DHTML (Document markup language).Amazon.com Review
DHTML & JavaScript offers plenty of instruction on using DHTML features as implemented in Netscape's Navigator 4+ browsers. This book contains a wealth of information about style sheets and other elements of Dynamic HTML; however, readers should be forewarned that there is no mention of Microsoft Internet Explorer compatibility whatsoever.

The title features dual coverage of the cascading style sheets syntax and JavaScript syntax implementations of DHTML. It delves deeply into the added features of JavaScript 1.2 and covers the changes presented with JavaScript 1.3. The first part of the book focuses on style and layer implementation, while the subsequent parts go into the aforementioned JavaScript dialects. The material is presented with text that's easy to understand; however, the book's formatting is a bit distracting. The author uses unusually prominent headings and excessively underlines text.

Loads of code samples illustrate all of the concepts, and charts summarize the language syntax, properties, and events. The accompanying CD-ROM provides the book's content in HTML and Adobe Acrobat formats as well as supplemental documents such as Netscape guides. Although this book's presentation is rather unconventional, its excellent code examples and detailed index make it great as an everyday how-to reference. --Stephen W. Plain ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

I use it as a reference
Ouch! Most of the reviews seem to trash this book.I've had this book for many years and I use it as a reference source for CSS syntax, and obscure properties.The CD comes with the examples already typed in and they work.Layers are an interesting concept and fun to try.The used book price was at less than $5 as I write this and that would be a great bargain for a reference book.

Total trash!
I'm no expert, but I've got some idea about Javascript.I signed this book out of the library to look up some stuff for a project I'm doing.

This book LOOKS good, until you try to do something with it.It's complicated in every way--layout, writing, topic, organization.It covers a lot of ground, starting from the middle (apparently the writer originally planned to concentrate on layer effects).It gives adequate but not great explanations.All of this makes it completely useless for a real novice.

Still, I've got some idea of the code.I should be able to puzzle out what's going on by comparing what the writer says to the code and pictures in the examples, right?Well, the examples are in black and white, which makes that a bit disorienting.But then I notice there's a CD, so I figure I'll load 'em up and compare on my computer.

Turns out, the Javascript in the CD examples is totally buggy.From what I can tell, it's all written specifically for Netscape.Since I'm using Internet Explorer, I may as well not HAVE a computer.It's not like this was necessary.You can usually write Javascript so it's compatible with multiple browsers.But not a SINGLE ONE of his examples that I tried worked.

You know what?I'm dropping my rating of this book.I was going to give it 2 stars, but now I think about it, that kind of carelessness doesn't deserve it.There's no excuse for a writer to pull that kind of narrow-minded garbage these days.Code that only works for one program is code that should be scrapped.

I Don't like this book much
This book does serve for a decent reference for seeing how to use code, but the theory is nonexistent.It basically says here is some code and this is what its doing.There are very few paragraphs that are not explaining code.It doesn't tell why to do things nor what is and isn't bad code.Other reviewers were right when they called this book bizarre.To the books benefit I did learn quit a bit from reading it.If you have object programming experience or are familiar with object programming "JavaScript The Definitive Guide" from O'Reilly publishing is a much better book.

Thank god I didn't buy it
I didn't actually buy this book, thank god; I got it from the local public library. This has to be one of the most disorienting books I've ever tried to read. The first chapter dives right into syntax, with no explanation of what the stuff being talked about actually *means*. I've only made it a few pages in, and am just going to return it, because flipping through it makes me realize that the rest of it is like this as well.

This may be an excellent book for the experienced user of this technology who needs a reference; unfortunately, that is not what I wanted.

High Hopes
This book has a lot of examples.So many that most people would not use all of them for 5 different webpages.The only problem is it is not user friendly.Good for someone who knows the language, but NOT reccommended for a person trying to learn the language. ... Read more

Product Description

Ajax Starter Kit

Phil Ballard

Everything you need to start learning Ajax today!

Ajax Programmer’s Toolkit

• For Windows, Mac, or Linux

Quick Start Guide

• Learn Ajax programming basics

Tutorial Reference Library

• In searchable PDF format

Plug-n-Play Code

• Source code and frameworks

Ajax Programmer’s Toolkit with all the technologies you need to set up an Ajax development and testing environment on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer.

Quick Start Guide teaches you the basics of Ajax programming in 21 short, easy-to-read lessons.

Tutorial Reference Library with more than 1,000 pages of how-to’s on Ajax, JavaScript, HTML, XML, and PHP in searchable PDF format.

Plug-n-play source code and popular Ajax framework libraries to help you reduce tedious typing and shorten

programming tasks.

Learn how to…

• Build better, more interactive interfaces for your web applications
• Make JavaScript, HTML, XML, and PHP work together to create Ajax effects
• Compile an Ajax application
• Create and consume Web services with SOAP and REST
• Avoid common errors and troubleshoot programs
• Use popular Ajax libraries to speed up and improve common programming tasks

On the CD…

• XAMPP for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux–an easy-to-install package to set up a PHP- and MySQL-enabled Apache server on your computer
• The jEdit programming editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux
• Prototype, Rico, and XOAD JavaScript and Ajax libraries
• Sams Teach Yourself tutorials on Ajax, JavaScript, HTML, XML, and PHP in PDF format
• Source code for all the examples from the tutorials

All the contents of the Ajax Starter Kit CD are accessible with any web browser on Windows, Mac, or Linux:

1. Insert CD into your computer’s CD drive.

2. Navigate to the CD folder and double-click on the file named start.html.

Customer Reviews (1)

Ajax
This is a good product for all that would like a complete beginners series. However, it is truly made for someone who has absolutely no knowledge of programming languages. The book just gives you the minimal basics and what I mean is that only a snippet of each language is provided. You can find other books and tutorials online that would be better to help you learn these languages. Plus, everything in the book/CD are already free online. ... Read more

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews (9)

Overpriced, too thin and lacking in depth
This is an excellent book for introductory JavaScript...right up to the point where some depth is required (event handling and the DOM). WHile there are many script provided, which virtually all work, they become convoluted and suffer from a lack of clarification and purpose. Often times, the author places something into a script- to show a different way of doing it, which is great- however an explanation is required. As is a much greater explanation of the DOM.

I was disappointed with this book because of the price and the content. No CD means lots of typing!

Altogether a shallow book with admirable traits but not enough execution where it counts: at the business end of things. As for the word 'design' in the title, there is little of that, in the true sence of the word. Next edition??

Excellent Book
Excellent book for now-a-days,it covers all kind of language with JavaScript.The book starts with basics of Javascript that is jump start,dealing with data, variables, operators, expressions, functions.And chapter by chapter it deeps into more and more detail, like Javascript OOP and DOM, Frames, Event Handlers, Forms, DHTML, Cookie. And finally it deals with other languages like PHP,ASP,CGI,Perl,XML,Flash and Applet.
Book is nicely organized, easy to read and understand, colorfull code and body, and has lots of examples.
I will sure recommend this book for web master, developer, designer.

An excellent book that covers all sides of Javascript
What's really nice about this book is how everything builds upon previous chapters.The book walks you through each aspect of Javascript with a combination of code and dialogue that keeps you both engaged and actively learning.I have in fact just completed a course that built upon the foundations of HTML and Javascript and I felt after reading this book certain concepts I did not understand from the class, now make much more sense.Sanders does in this book what he does best and that is educate.Some may feel that this is similar to course notes but to be real honest, this book is about one thing, and that is gaining a true understanding of programming language Javascript.A real treat comes in the third part of the book that incorporates Javascript with other backend programming languages such as ASP and PHP.Many times as a web designer you are caught in situations that requires a form being verified, data being sent to a database, etc etc, and this book demonstrates the ease of incorporating Javascript with backend languages.If you want to really learn Javascript for practical use then this is the book to get!

An excellent book that covers all sides of Javascript
What's really nice about this book is how everything builds upon previous chapters.The book walks you through each aspect of Javascript with a combination of code and dialogue that keeps you both engaged and actively learning.I have in fact just completed a course that built upon the foundations of HTML and Javascript and I felt after reading this book certain concepts I did not understand from the class, now make much more sense.Sanders does in this book what he does best and that is educate.Some may feel that this is similar to course notes but to be real honest, this book is about one thing, and that is gaining a true understanding of programming language Javascript.A real treat comes in the third part of the book that incorporates Javascript with other backend programming languages such as ASP and PHP.Many times as a web designer you are caught in situations that requires a form being verified, data being sent to a database, etc etc, and this book demonstrates the ease of incorporating Javascript with backend languages.If you want to really learn Javascript for practical use then this is the book to get!

Excellent book
In my experience, it is one of the best books for JavaScript.Clearly written with exceptional handling of concepts and examples.Obviously written by a person with a great deal of experience in today's technologies as well as communicating technical subjects. ... Read more

Product Description
A professional developer's reference for enhancing commercial-grade Web sites explains how to use JavaScript to link applets, multimedia programs, plugins, and more. Original. (Advanced). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

JavaScript
JavaScrip ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (16)

Don't Be Fooled by Manning's eBook Offer
I think this is a great book.I looked at it a few times in the bookstore before I decided to buy on Amazon.

The book comes with an insert just inside the front cover.It reads "Get two ebooks for FREE!To get a free PDF copy of this book plus the ebook edition of Flex 4 in Action when it is released, purchase the print copy of this book and register it at the Manning website following the instructions inside this insert.That's it!Thanks from Manning!"

Ebooks are handy.Who wouldn't want a free follow on book?So I went to Manning and had to enter codes from the table on the flip side of the advertisement. Having entered the codes I was surprised to find that I was not asked for my email address. Searching on Manning's website, I found this

"We're sorry but the free ebook is only available with a paper book purchase from the Manning website."

So buy this book happily from Amazon, but don't waste your time registering with Manning.

Too Light Weight
I perused this book and several others on topic at a bookstore.I decided on this because it's a Manning "In Action" book, I liked the author's introduction, and I was obliged to perform a too-cursory scan under the crappy fatiguing save-the-planet fluorescent store lights.

I'm glad I bought it used on Amazon, because it is quite light weight and probably not worth full price for the experienced Java / .NET developer.The style is concise, clear and generally avoids excessive cute quips.There is a minimum of code to take up space.

This would be a good light weight introduction, to accompany a Flex cookbook or bible.

A great resource for Flex Developers
The crew behind this book are awesome developers. I was on the early review team, and it's been great to see the book evolve! If you're looking for a good Flex resource, check this book out!

Review by Jorge Do Marco Sylvain
"Flex in Action" is particularly suitable for Flex novice developers people, or even non-developers. Readers used to other languages (including (X)HTML and JavaScript) will, of course, make it out more easily, but basics are reminded by the author.

According to the title, one could expect the setting of Flex components in a real situation. But this book is organized into 24 independent chapters that cover the various features of Flex. The description of the components is in every case made clear by examples. This organization allows reading the chapters at will, and consulting when needed. In the other hand, the reader has to make a synthesis to get the various components work together.

A little criticism to end with : after reading this book, Tariq Ahmed gives us an impression of "Out of Adobe, no salvation". In the description of Flex development environments, tools like AXDT are ignored, leaving the developer choose between the command line and Flex Builder. Similarly, comparisons between Flex and HTML / JavaScript are often subjective, the new methods of development of these languages are not taken into account.

These points are secondary for a book on Flex. This is a book to clutch at when using a basic component of Flex. For advanced development, other resources are yet recommanded.

Was a little skeptical
I just recently picked this book up.At first I was a little skeptical, not having read any previous work from this author or this publishing company, but I was impressed. I'm fairly new to flex and I found it very easy to get myself up to speed while going through this book.Whether you're looking for a book to peruse through or prefer to get in to the weeds of Flex you'll find this book meets both requirements well. ... Read more

Product Description
The GO! Series enables readers to learn the application they want in less time. This new series title explores Microsoft Publisher 2007 quickly and easily, with an approach that is based on clearly defined projects.
Creating Publications with Publisher 2007; Designing Event Programs and Newsletters; Designing Brochures and Managing Graphics; Starting with a Blank Publication and Working with Multipage Publications; Creating Business Forms, Templates, Tables, and Mail Merge; Creating A Web Site.
A useful step-by-step guide for individuals seeking a project-based introduction to Publisher.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Publisher is a deeper program than most people know.
As in response to the previous reviewer's comments, Publisher is a great program and it's a deeper program than one might expect.I have taken Adobe classes, and the instructor has never even used Publisher.Too bad.So, if you haven't used Publisher as a desktop tool, than don't criticize it.If you haven't got the $600 budget to afford the not-so-user friendly Adobe software, than Publisher works just fine.Printers can print a file that is created in Publisher.If they don't have Publisher, than they should purchase it.So, I would like to see more design books with documents created in Publisher.Maybe I'll print my own.

Inadequate product, unnecessary book.
Microsoft Publisher is a product now abandoned by its creator. It never had a place among serious publishing tools. From Tex and Scribus (both free) to InDesign (the most popular among interior design pros) there are many better choices.

The lack of any reader reviews on a book on the market for three years is telling.

John Culleton
former Editor, Rowse Reviews ... Read more

Product Description
Brown is an expert on Perl--he wrote Perl: The Complete Reference and Perl: Annotated Archives. Just as Perl's popularity as a scripting language has soared in the UNIX environment, ActivePerl--a version of Perl--is expected to have similar success within the Microsoft environment. Emerging market--ActivePerl is growing within the Microsoft & UNIX developer markets and many developers are using ActivePerl for building cross-platform applications. Emerging market--ActivePerl is growing within the Microsoft & UNIX developer markets and many developers are using ActivePerl for building cross-platform applications. Fills a gap in the market--there are a limited number of books devoted to ActivePerl available. Targets the developer--hands-on approach for those wishing to take advantage of this up-and-coming programming language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not a general guide but geared to two specialized audiences
Between the covers of this book are two separate books for two, verydifferent audiences:
1) experienced developers who already havemastered PERL in a UNIX environment and need to understand the Windowsenvironment and how to program for it
2) experienceddevelopers whounderstand the Win32 environment and have developed Windows applicationusing Visual Basic and now want to develop Win32 based programs usingPerl.
If you are not in one of the above 2 groups, then this book maybe of limited use to you. However, if you are, indeed, in one of theabove 2 groups, then this book may be just what you are looking for. It mayfill a gap in the current line of available reference material on the twosubjects.

Keep in mind, even within the confines of the twospecialized area that are covered, the book does not cover everything.Forexample, OLE is only briefly covered. Active X and ADO is not covered. ASPis only touched upon briefly in an otherwise pretty good chapter on webdevelopment using CGI, ISAPI and Perlscript.You may want to try"ActivePerl with ASP and ADO" by Tobias Martinson (Wiley Press)for these topics.

Some interesting sections of the book include (butare not limited to):1) a brief chapter on the ActiveState Perl Debugger(APD), which comes with the Perl Development Kit (sold by ActiveState for$125). 2) VB to Perl migration guide, which takes VB commands and featuresand shows how to do the equivalent commands in Perl.

Note: as the firstprinting went to press, a few technical problems occurred in the book'sprinting.The back cover has the back cover blurbs for some Linux book,telling you all the great stuff about Linux and OpenSource you'll find inthe book. Obviously this was meant for a different book.The cover designand images are identical to that of another McGraw-Hill computer book,"Instant ASP Components" by Greg Buczek.It's my understandingthat in later printings of the ASP book this will be changed, but for now,if you look for either book in the bookstore, make sure you pick up theright one. The table of contents for Appendix C shows "beep" asone of the section headings. This is an error.

Overall, if you fit oneof the two specialized audiences this book is written for, it could be auseful reference to supplement other books you already have. If you are notin either audience and just want to learn ActivePerl, then just considerthe "Camel" book by Larry Wall (or the "Llama" book bySchwartz & Christiansen) to learn Perl and use the online documentationthat comes with ActivePerl to learn the specifics of the ActivePerlproduct.

In the final analysis, the book could have been two separatebooks:1) Introduction to the Win32 development environment for PerlDevelopers 2) VB to Perl Migration reference ... Read more

Product Description

Ajax is unique because it combines technologies to make traditional web pages interactive. Ajax Patterns and Best Practices enables you to quickly write applications that work properly. This book is not just about the technical, low-level details of the APIs, but about making things happen on both the client and server sides.

Customer Reviews (17)

Waste Time
I had finished several Ajax and JavaScript books before I read this one. Be honest, I am totally lost in this book. Not sure whose fault it is, the writer or the editor.but it's not good book.

First of all, too many words. Second too many puzzle words and sentence. I don't care how great idea you have, if you cannot present it clearly, forget about it.

More than Dreadful

I just don't get how this book even made it past an editor? The writing is horrible, which causes the reader to put the book down in frustration. At least there is consistency among the lowest rating reviewers.

Moving from "can I?" to "should I?"...
It's one thing to build Ajax applications because you can and they're cool.But the real issue is building Ajax applications that actually solve problems and use established techniques to do so.This book can help you move from "cool" to "correct"...Ajax Patterns and Best Practices by Christian Gross.

Contents: Introduction to Ajax; The Nuts and Bolts of Ajax; Content Chunking Pattern; Cache Controller Pattern; Permutations Pattern; Decoupled Navigation Pattern; Representation Morphing Pattern; Persistent Communications Pattern; State Navigation Pattern; Infinite Data Pattern; REST-Based Model View Controller Pattern; Index

Gross uses the familiar formula of most books that deal with design patterns.First there's the Intent (what is happening), followed by the Motivation (why the pattern is necessary).Applicability talks about when it should be used, and the Associated Patterns talks about other patterns that may work well with this one.The Architecture and Implementation sections go into the most detail, talking about how the pattern is laid out and built, as well as what issues might be encountered in the real world.The final section, Pattern Highlights, does a quick summary of the material and is a good overview/reminder of what was covered.

This is an important addition to the Ajax books that are currently out on the market.I've always been a believer in the maxim "just because you can doesn't mean you should."Because Ajax is "hot" right now, it's tempting to use it to build applications that might well be better designed without all the whistles and bells.This book helps the reader to make the leap from "how can I use Ajax in my next project" to "would Ajax be a good fit for my next project."It's a subtle difference, but an important one to professional developers...

Dreadful
I read a lot of technical books in relation to my work as a software developer and also out of my interest in particular topics. I was highly motivated to read this book having a great deal of interest in the material. Frankly this is one of the worst technical books I have ever read. Actually I can only admit to getting to page 86 before giving up. Technically the material is good and the example code is well presented. Unfortunately the rambling text made the whole experience painful and ultimately I just gave up.

Decent content, awful writing style
While this book does present useful topics that are particularly relevant to AJAX applications, my main problem with it is the poorly edited and structured way it is written.

The book is full of paragraphs like this one (found at the very beginning of the "Applicability section" of the "Decoupled Navigation Pattern"):

"The Decoupled Navigation pattern is used when content is navigated. The statement is obtuse and does not really say anything because HTML content is always navigated. However, because of the way Dynamic HTML is used, content navigation is sometimes used to generate an effect. When links are used to generate effects, the Decoupled Navigation pattern does not apply."

That's the whole paragraph beginning to end -- what the heck is this trying to say? Apparently aware of how non-sensical this is, the author starts the next paragraph with "To clarify this explanation..." and then goes on to present an example of a website in Swiss German (I think), with no translation given. Two pages of more examples and a summary rules-of-thumb later, and the only implied take-away is that the Pattern applies when decision-making and data processing are required, and the contents of the page change but not completely.

A few sections like this could be forgiven (and you could quibble as to why he had to write this example this way), but stuff like this prevails throughout every chapter. More often than not, ideas which with some thought could have been condensed into a few sentences, result in half a page of digressions and logical dead-ends.

Here's another one:

"The need to separate the resource from the representation has not been adequately explained, and some developers may wonder why it is necessary at all. After all, may websites work well and nobody has complained too loudly. The reason why many websites work well is because they have probably implemented the separation of resource from representation. And those that have not done so have received complaints."

Upon reading this, I feel some irreplaceable portion of my lifespan has just been wasted.

At least one good thing this book does is that it only focuses on Patterns that are particular to an AJAX environment (e.g. Persistent Communications, Decouple Navigation, etc.), without wasting time on stuff that is applicable to other more general software design settings (which plenty of other books already cover of course).

While the ideas in this book are interesting and potentially useful to somebody beginning to design an AJAX application, the writing style makes reading it a true chore. Surely there is better written stuff out there on AJAX software design. ... Read more

Product Description
Build a great Web site.Demonstrates the proven techniques you need to build state-of-the-art multimedia Web sites - & gives you HTML 4 & JavaScript tools & templates for delivering perfect pages fast.Paper.CD-ROM included.Amazon.com Review
HTML 4.0 CD with JavaScript for Windows 95, 98, and NTis a Web-page designer's companion that discusses advanced HTMLfeatures such as multimedia, cascading style sheets (CSS), and Javaapplets. Author Vivian Neou begins with an introduction to HTML thatpresents the basic structure of HTML documents. Then she dives intothe particulars with a discussion of basic body elements, lists,hyperlinks, tables, and frames. HTML tags and attributes arefrequently summarized in shaded tables throughout the book for easyreference. The subsequent chapters discuss how to embed graphics,work with multimedia elements, and interact with users via forms inyour Web pages.

The book eventually moves into advanced andpowerful topics such as cookies and CSS--constructs that help delivera sophisticated and highly customized look and feel to your Websites. The author then introduces scripting and features a series offive complete JavaScript examples to illustrate some commonapproaches.

The bundled CD-ROM includes a number of utilityprograms, including an HTML editor, an image-map builder, tools foranimating GIF images, and Perl for server-side Common GatewayInterface (CGI) scripting. This title is a solid desktop tool for anyWeb-page creator. --Stephen Plain ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not very clear - 51 year old reader
This book has a lot of information, but it lacks examples on how to use this information.I used it in conjunction with another clearer book.It's probably a good book for someone who has a grasp at how html works, but it's confusing for someone completely new to html.

A good book with a few minor flaws
The book is a good solid reference to HTML 4.0, and includes some software on an associated CD. On my version of the CD one of the packages was corrupted, but I suspect that will have been fixed by now. The CD containssample shareware programs and examples from the books. In common with manybook/CD combinations only one or two of the shareware programs may be ofuse to a particular person, but having the book's examples on the CD isalways useful. The book itself contains one or two errors that I found, butthese minor flaws are outweighed by the immense amount of information init. I'd recommend it to anyone with a little knowledge of HTML as areference. ... Read more

Product Description

Beginning PHP 5 E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional is an ideal reference for intermediate PHP 5 and MySQL developers, and programmers familiar with web development technologies. This book covers every step of the design and build process, and provides rich examples that will enable you to build high-quality, extendable e-commerce websites. Take a peek at an actual book example!

Furthermore, this book covers site building in three phases. Phase one results in a live website, with an attractive interface and fully searchable product catalog. Next, phase two explains adding facilities to increase sales through cross-selling, upselling, and enhancing customer service. Finally, phase three seeks to reduce costs through automated order processing and integrating with other systems via XML Web services.

Customer Reviews (26)

A comprehensive book with fully working code
I did a couple of pure HTML sites years back, but beyond that I have done no other web apps.I have some background in C and PERL, but this was the first time I have ever touched PHP or SQL.

I worked all the way through this book from front to back, and the end result was a fully working website.There are no bugs in the code in this book. However, that being said, getting my Linux installation fully functional with it was a real chore.But that has nothing to do with the authors and is not the point of the book.Some posters claimed the book has problems.I struggled here and there, but at the end, I always found the problem wasn't with the book.It's user error or various annoying behaviors of PHP, MySQL, or the Apache web server that always end up being the culprit.I did install Zend studio and set it up for remote debugging so I could single step through the code.This was HUGELY helpful.I also configured my web browsers with debug modules so I could see the messages being sent back and forth.While interesting, it's no match for the power of the zend debugger.

After working through the code, I integrated this engine into our existing website.We are not doing ecommerce from that site at the moment, but all the product information, FAQ's, and the news module are now under the content management system developed in this book.I of course had to add new modules for the news and faq management.Products, news items, and FAQ's can easily be changed by anyone capable of managing the web interface.The front page graphics and for that matter pretty much all the graphics on the site except the logo can also be changed through the web interface as well.I had to dig around and learn more PHP here and there.But in general, the book is pretty thorough and can't be expected to teach you advanced PHP as well.

The complexity of the three-tier implementation is a bit daunting at first.I have to admit that.But once you start trying to extend it to meet your sites specific needs, you really begin to see the power of the OOP approach it uses.Other reviewers have mentioned the methodology as well, and I have to strongly agree with them on that.The methodology is first rate.It results in clean, manageable, extensible code that someone can actually figure out and modify.I recently integrated a custom PhPBB3 implementation into our website.I can tell you that code is MUCH harder to understand.

The real hard part with this book is finding the right readers for it.If you are serious about wanting to code a PHP/MySQL site, AND you are actually capable of learning how to do it vs wanting to cookie cutter it, then I highly recommend this book.Of course if you have already made five PHP/MYSQL E-commerce sites, then it's not the book for you.And it's not for a true "novice" either.This is reasonably complicated stuff.The authors have made it about as simple as you can, but you can only make it so simple.The "novice" here means someone with a reasonable programming background that's new to PHP and MySQL.

No longer useful
I've been using this book for the past few business weeks. Yes, weeks.

First and foremost, this book is extremely well written, well cited, and clear. Examples are concise, and it rarely leaves you floundering to understand a topic. The ideas are presented in a logical order, proceed clearly, and generally, consist of helpful hints and instructions.

UNFORTUNATELY, all of the code in this book is pretty much worthless. Every bit of it is outdated, and in the 134 pages of the book that I have suffered through, I have had major problems at every step. From having major issues with integrating PEAR (installation has completely changed since the writing of this book, and the major database functions it uses have changed, and the documentation in the book and on the PEAR website are not clear on this), to having to track down irregular and outdated code, not a single feature has been implemented easily or correctly on the first attempt (even ignoring any errors that I made myself due to my inexperience).

I have wasted hours on this book, thinking that it will eventually get to the point where I'm not running into compatibility issues. This may end up being the case, but taking several business days (2.5 weeks invested in just this book) worth of my time to get through 134 pages (mainly spent debugging and perusing forums to find solutions) is just not worth it.

I will be buying the second edition, and I hope that it fixes these issues.

It's really a shame, because the theory in this book is truly awesome. Implementing it, however, is a nightmare, especially for a beginner.

Great
Although I am having A LOT of trouble implementing all the code, this is the only book I have seen that will actually walk you through all the steps. And the author actually does reply to his emails. I would definitely recomend his second edition of this book.

Update: Get the 2nd Edition.

Introduction to E-Commerce and the Smarty Framework
I've read, and enjoyed, other books by Cristian Darie.This book is no different.This book shows how to use PHP 5 and the Smarty framework to produce an E-Commerce site.The Smarty framework is a good choice for PHP developers seeking to implement a good template.This book fills a gap by being a good introduction to this framework as well.

If you are not familiar with Smarty, the following description is from their web site:

Smarty is a template engine for PHP. More specifically, it facilitates a manageable way to separate application logic and content from its presentation. This is best described in a situation where the application programmer and the template designer play different roles, or in most cases are not the same person.

This book guides you as the author develops an advanced E-Commerce system.Think of something such as Amazon, complete with product reviews, customer and catalog management.Once the user is finished reading the book they are left with working catalog order system that they can modify to suit their needs.Or completely create their own similar system.

The table of contents for the book follows:

Chapter 1: Starting an E-Commerce Site
Chapter 2: Laying Out the Foundations
Chapter 3: Creating the Product Catalog: Part I
Chapter 4: Creating the Product Catalog: Part II
Chapter 5: Searching the Catalog
Chapter 6: Receiving Payments using PayPal
Chapter 7: Catalog Administration
Chapter 8: The Shopping Basket
Chapter 9: Dealing with Customer Orders
Chapter 10: Product Recommendations
Chapter 11: Customer Details
Chapter 12: Implementing the Order Pipline: Part I
Chapter 13: Implementing the Order Pipeline: Part II
Chapter 14: Credit Card Transactions
Chapter 15: Product Reviews
Chapter 16: Connecting to Web Services

Misleading
I have purchased a multitude of books from Amazon over the years.However, I have never written a book review, no matter how bad the book turned out to be.But, there is always a first time.This is one of the worst - if not the worst - tech books I have ever read, and with over 25 years of Engineering and Software development experience I have read a lot of books.

Now I know why Apress doesn't let you look inside their books on the Amazon website before you purchase.If they did there might not be an Apress at all.First, there is nothing "novice" about this book.Second, you had better know how to use Smarty, and I mean use it well.Don't rely on the Smarty website documentation to help and there are not many definitive books on the subject either.I only found one title devoted to Smarty on Amazon and that would cost another 39.99.

I typically like to review books in the local bookstore and take a gander at Amazon "reviews" before purchase.However, I couldn't find the book locally (which should have told me something) and I failed to pay proper attention to the reviews, i.e., take a look at Michael Brand's review. The editorial book review doesn't even mention Smarty which is a major part of this book.

This book reviews at 4.5 stars.From this, I can only assume the large majority of those reviewing the book work at Apress or are kin to the authors.After the first three chapters I was seeing stars.Don't be suckered in to buying this book unless you are thoroughly familiar with Smarty.

So, if your an experienced -not novice- php/mysql programmer and Smarty wizard, and love to read(and debug) code with little useful explanatory info, then by all means buy this book.Oh, did I mention it makes a great coaster for coffee?

JC. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Will Have a Permanent Spot on My Desk
There's no question that Apache powers the World Wide Wide. It runs over half of the world's web sites. If you work in the web industry then there's every chance that you'll have to deal with Apache at some point. Like many people, I don't consider myself a webmaster, but I run several web sites using Apache so I need to know how to get the most out of it.

Over the years, I have bought several books about Apache. They tend to get read once and then left to gather dust on the bookshelf. I never really need an in-depth knowledge of Apache, but I often need to know all about the one feature that I need to solve my current problem. Usually this involves a lot of Googling, but now I think I'll have this book on my desk and it will safe me a lot of time.

This book does exactly what the title implies. It is a complete (but concise) reference to Apace. In particular, most of the book is taken up with descriptions of Apache's myriad configuration options. This material all uses a standard layout which makes it easy to find and understand exactly the information that you need. One particularly nice touch is a key at the top of each entry telling you which contexts a configuration option can be used in. Never again will I have an excuse for putting an option in a .htaccess file when it only works in a direcotry context.

There is a lot of information packed into this small book. No space is wasted cramming the data in. But it's not too dense to be unusable. The information is always clear and easy to follow.

If you're a part-time Apache webmaster like me, then I think you'll find this book very useful. ... Read more

Product Description

JavaScript is one of the most important technologies on the web. It provides the means to add dynamic functionality to your web pages and serves as the backbone of Ajax-style web development. Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax is an essential guide for modern JavaScript programming; its practical but comprehensive. It covers everything you need to know to get up to speed with JavaScript development to add dynamic enhancements to web pages and program Ajax-style applications.

Experienced web developer Christian Heilmann begins gently by giving you an overview of JavaScriptits syntax, good coding practices, and the principles of DOM scripting. Then he builds up your JavaScript toolkit, covering dynamically manipulating markup, changing page styling on the fly using the CSS DOM, validating forms, dealing with images, and much more. Then he takes you to advanced territory, with a complete case study illustrating how many new JavaScript techniques can work together, plus a great introduction to Ajax development.

Customer Reviews (16)

Not recommened for beginners
The book's title suggests that it's a book for beginners as well as experienced programmers, but I wouldn'trecommend this book to a person who is just starting to learn JavaScript unless you know a similar scripting language. The first few chapters of the book explain the basics like data types and variables, but then the author suddenly starts throwing really long examples of code at the reader that will definitely confuse an inexperienced programmer. He ends each chapter with "now you know how to do this, and that" which is frustrating becausehe doesn't take the time to explain everything and just assumes that you will figure it out by yourself. He also tells you to ignore some parts of code and tells you that it will be explained later in the book, but if you are like me and won't start a new chapter until you have completely understood the current chapter this is going to annoy you. You feel almost like you have skipped a chapter or two and now can't understand what the author is talking about. It seems like he just decided that it would be easier to just cut and paste big chunks of code to the book and add brief and often vague explanations rather than take a more traditional approach. I would recommend this book only to people who know JavaScript and want to learn new techniques and improve their skills. If you are a beginner and just starting to learn JavaScript buy a "JavaScript for dummies" type book and once you learn the basics read this book to improve your knowledge of JavaScript.

Very Disappointed
The book sets out to give you real-life examples of what you can accomplish with JavaScript, offering some real-life solutions to browser support issues and users with that don't have JavaScript enabled.All of that sounds great in theory, but it's a mistake to dump tons of this kind of information on JavaScript beginners without a cleaner, more digestible introduction.In fact, all of those supportability concerns could have been and, indeed, should have been, dealt with all the way at the end, perhaps in an advanced chapter or two that conclude the book with real-life problems and solutions to these problems.

For the most part, the book is nothing more than a poorly documented and poorly organized set of examples that only serve to frustrate the reader.It really reads like it was thrown together in a rush just to get it over with, rather than with any specific goal in mind.

Very disappointed and looking for a much better tutorial.

well written
I found the book to be easy to read and organized in a logical manor.Example code was provided to emphasis important points.
Since this book is listed as "User level: Beginner-Intermediate," I would have liked to have seen more examples through the book.Examples enhance the learning experience, and help clarify a difficult to understand topic (although in truth, I have this criticism of most programming books).I would have been nice to have a consistent theme through the book, some scenario where we are developing a web page for a company, starting with a simple HTML page and each chapter "improves" the site by adding new JavaScript features.This would help the student integrate the chapter's contents with the overall concept.
Additionally (and also a common complaint in a teaching book), I would suggest that the author adds end of chapter exercises and an appendix with sample solutions.This could be offered as an online download for individuals who register their books.
My biggest disappointment, for a beginner learning book, was lack of a chapter with sections explaining how to enter / develop JavaScript using the most common development environments (Visual Studio).I don't know of anyone who still develops using Notepad.
In summary, a good book if you are motivated to spend time inventing programming exercises and working through them.If end of chapter exercises were added then this would be a great book!

It's about time
I have been going through a lot of javascript books to find that all of them want to teach you the trivial things javascript can do. Not only are the examples trivial, they teach the reader horrible habits. This book doesn't have any "Hello World" examples. It gets into what javascript SHOULD be used for, and how to use it correctly. Other reviews have said that the examples do not work. Do not let that throw you off. I went through the ENTIRE book and every single example worked for me. There are a few towards the end that require a server or a local host like xampp, but either way they still worked. Another review also complained about the DOMhelp library that Chris creates. Chris explains EVERY method in that library before you use it. The library does not do trivial things like "getLinks" You learn how to do that the regular way with the DOM. I think that reviewer got that method mixed up with DOMhelp.getTarget which gets the correct target that a user clicked on depending on which browser the user is using. That is mostly what Chris developed the library for, browser cross compatibility so you don't have to write extensive code. Simply put, some of the other reviews were not very well thought out. If you want to learn useful javascript the right way with plenty of examples to help you learn it, then this is the book for you.

Emphasize "beginner"; "professional" part is false
Just be aware of what you're getting into when you buy this book. It is *for beginners*, not for experienced developers. It spends the first 90 pages covering for- and while-loops, if-tests, and the rest of the machinery that you already know if you're an experienced programmer. It is the fate of most computer books, I'm afraid, that they either address rank beginners or professional software developers, with few addressing those in the middle.

After every chapter, I had to take a second to recapitulate what I had just learned into the terminology that I'm aware of from my experience with other languages. One large section, for instance, is devoted to namespace-collision issues -- but the word "namespare" appears nowhere in the index. If you need a book that will jumpstart to "Here's how you solve the namespace-collision problem in JavaScript," this book is not for you.

I had lots of specific questions, having just come to JavaScript. How do I set up a callback *chain*, for instance, on something like the window.onload event? This book is not at that level. It will be unable to answer that question for you. It spends so much time on beginners that it doesn't have enough time to help with best practices or common, cookbook-type programming problems.

And yet it does seem confused about exactly who its audience is. Right after a chapter on basic flow control, Heilmann tosses off "XSLT" as though he expects his readers to know what that is. I submit that those who needed the first chapter will not need the XSLT bit, and conversely.

So just be aware what you're getting into. I'm actually not blaming Heilmann, though I do blame whoever gave the book its title; it's much more about novices than professionals. If you look on the back of this book, you'll see the flow chart that Apress recommends: start with Heilmann's book, and progress into "Pro JavaScript Techniques" and "Pro CSS Techniques." "Pro Javascript" will be my next step.
... Read more

Product Description
Learn JavaScript by Chuck Easttom takes a practical approach to demonstrating how to enhance web pages using JavaScript. Written specifically for those who are new to JavaScript, the book begins with introductions to HTML and JavaScript and progresses through the process of developing a fully functional commercial web site. As new concepts are introduced, they are thoroughly explained and then applied to the web site project. Along the way, the reader learns about such topics as the Document Object Model, JavaScript objects, hyperlinks, date and time, strings, and dynamic menus. The book also explains how to create simple games using JavaScript and includes a chapter on tips and tricks. The appendixes contain command references for HTML and JavaScript, and a listing of online resources for further study. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

I like the way the author explains.....
This book is wrote in a very detail and in simple words, that those who haven't programed before can understand it.

Technical editor was asleep at the job.
Not a good book at all.Delivery of new material is extremely "uneven".Some topics are covered quite well, yet others are in desperate need for more explanation.Some concepts given in earlier chapters are only being explained later on.Misprints are also abound.Many examples simply don't work.

Not So Good!
I bought this book because I read other reviews. But I am very dispoint about this book. I realy do not know why other guys gave the book so high points! I begin to learn the Java, but this is not a good book to me at all. I found college teach books are mcuh better. Go to college to find the teach book in the subject you have interesting. The teachers have mucu more experence to select the best book for students to learn. Like "Java Software Solution".

Darn Good Book
This is simply the best learn JavaScript book I have seen.If you want to teach yourself, this book will do it.It starts with a chapter on basic HTML, for those readers who need it. Then each chapter describes a group of related techniques, such as image effects.COMPLETE code examples are given...I like that.

Simply the best!
This JavaScript book is simply the best on the market.I found it amazingly easy to follow.I really appreciated the full length, complete working code samples.This book will give you the best partsof JavaScript in a very short time. I definately recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
JavaScript + CSS + DOM Magic has directly applicable projects with step-by-step instructions showing you how to master a feature and adapt it according to their own needs and creativity. The wealth of graphics will make this book easy to read and visually appealing. This book makes JavaScript, CSS and DOM easy to understand by providing directly applicable models to readers' web sites. The book opens with a primer, giving context to the technologies, and then jumps into over 25 step-by-step, directly applicable projects. You will learn the most desired web functionalities, including: frames, mouse-overs, windows, forms, CGI, style sheets, dynamic positioning, and SSI. Reviewers have called this book an unprecedented practical and comprehensive DHTML guide. The CD contains complete working scripts, all images from the book's examples, bonus graphics, trial version of leading text editors (BBEdit Lite, Homesite). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Good material, Very disturbing format
I bought this book due to the high reviews already here and if I were to rate the book on content alone the rating would be much higher, but...

I am having a very hard time reading the book. The layout of the book is very disturbing to me. It seems like an attempt to lay out the pages using a web-style layout. I really want to slam the book shut and toss it out, but I also really want the information contained within. I'm forcing myself to read faster and faster just to get to the end so I'm done.

A great intermediate-advanced book for designers
�`People who give this book 1 star ratings because it's not a beginner's book are missing the point. I picked this up because it fills a gaping gap between the Dummies or Teach Yourself in 24 Hours types of books, and the doorstop reference tomes. Like other Magic series books, this is entirely project oriented. While following each project I picked up a bunch of useful tips to get us working stiff web designers over the roadblocks that can prevent us from using CSS or JavaScript effectively. It's�`�` clear that the author has actually spent time working on real websites, and is not just a theoretician. I have already benefitted from the techniques and hints in the book in my paying projects.

I also appreciated the non-preachy tone: I know that I should be using CSS and XHTML and trying to wean myself away from tables, but there aren't that many books out there that actually show you how to do that without hitting me over the head with the "You Must Follow Standards" hammer. The�`�` clean, non-fussy designs appeal too. My favorite sections are the CSS section (Part 1) and the last section, which shows what a little imagination using JavaScript, CSS and browsers that support the W3C-DOM specs can produce.

Great Project Book
I just finished Goodman's Javascript Bible 4th ed and am about to emabark on the DHMTL book he wrote.I was looking for some design projects to help put things in context--and give me some ideas of what CSS, Javascript, DHTML, and W3C DOM is capable of doing.

This book is it.

I recommend this book if you are interested in putting the pieces together; HOWEVER, I caution that there are A LOT of errors in this book.If you follow along typing in the javascript examples you will find disparate names for functions--between where you initially type them in and where they are eventually called.The same thing happens with variable names, and Itoh sometimes uses capitals in two word + variable names, and sometimes doesn't, which is kind of irritating--and leads to more errors.These things combined can make for some serious clean-up headaches when you go to view the pages.

The book is still worth picking up, especially if you're looking to make webpages that sing.Just make sure you're familiar with Javascript--otherwise you'll be frustrated.

Up to the usual standards from the Magic series
A project based book, up to the usual standards from the Magic series, but with a slight misleading title. You will find some good real world advice and tips on CSS, intermediate level, pratical JavaScript (really sophisticated JavaScript is pretty rare everywhere) but only some marginal coverage of the DOM

Terrific Practical Examples
This book is about *applying* CSS and Javascript and shows practical examples.

Chapters 1 and 2 alone are worth the price of the book.

The first chapter takes one page and shows how to apply CSS to it.The second chapter is a must for web developers who use tables and are wanting to take advantage of CSS to simplify their work.

Netscape 4.x problems with CSS are not ignored but are noted so the webdeveloper is aware of the pitfall.

I can't comment on the CD because I type the examples as I go instead of using files from CDs included with any book. ... Read more

Product Description
The only comprehensive book available that covers the latest technology, such as Internet Explorer 6 and JavaScript 1.5, and JScript 5.6. Packed full of hands-on examples, this book integrates JavaScript with .NET, XML, XSLT, Java, CSS, HTML, Cookies, Security, and much more. Written for beginning to intermediate readers looking to learn how to work with JavaScript and how best to use it with other web technologies. Inside JavaSriptfills a void between the very beginning and high level books available in bookstores today. It's a book readers want primarily for two reasons: re-usable code and up-to-date browser information. Books currently out on the shelf are not up to the latest in browser technology; thus, frustrating readers because everything done in JavaScript is dependent on browser capabilities. The web site will contain all the source code used in the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Comprehensive
This is one big book, considering it's a fairly basic language. But it's full of helpful examples and has a well organized Table of Contents. It is also useful as it describes cross browser issues.It's very comprehensive. It's the only Javascript book I bother reading if I don't just search the Internet for the answers to my javascript questions.

Best Book On Javascript 1.5 to date
The book covers Javascript 1.5. This may be the best, most complete book on the market. The messy side of using Javascript is that documentation for it is not complete, anywhere, including Netscape's website. Particularly when you want to see an example detailing how to do something. This book is not complete, in that it doesn't detail every element and function that you can do with Javascript. But when comparing it with the current books on the market, including Danny Goodman's Javascript Bible series, this book is better, deeper, more complete. However, if you have never written any Javascript, this is not the book for you, yet. Get a Goodman book, then this one.

The Needed Spellbook
If JavaScript were magic, and you were an intermediate mage, this would be the book to go with. Methods, properties, attributes, etc., are neatly detailed in spellbook fashion -- including individual compatibility charts for today's major browsers. "Inside JavaScript" takes a comprehensive look at everything JavaScript without having the reader wade through tedious background drivel. Moreover, the text covers the DOM and CSS quite well - providing adequately documented code samples where necessary.

The relative freshness of this book allows for a more complete approach to such developing technologies as XML and Microsoft's external behaviors. Other JavaScript books can't compete for the simple fact that they were, for the most part, penned well before a good deal of the major new technologies out there became a large portion of the developer's toolbox. ... Read more

Product Description

Special Edition Using HTML & XHTML is a comprehensive Web publishing reference, providing practical solutions to real-world Web development problems.Author Molly Holzschlag starts by explaining how XHTML differs from HTML and why it's necessary, but quickly moves beyond a mere comparison of the differences. The reader learns which tools are best, how to code HTML & XHTML, and the basic principles of Web publishing and graphic design. The book also shows how to integrate graphics, stylesheets, frames and multimedia into XHTML Web pages. Later chapters cover XHTML's relationship to XML and creating content for alternative devices including pagers, cell phones, and hand held devices.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Alright book from basic reference.
This book was a great reference guide for me who already knows HTML/XHTML, but might not be good for the beginner.

Special Edition Using HTML and XHTML
This is a very good book. I have been looking for a book like this for a long time.

Confusing, but a good reference.
This book, like most other primers on XHTML, tries to take the minor differences between standard HTML and XHTML, and turn it into a full blown manuscript.The truth is, if you already know HTML, then you already know most of what you need for XHTML.

XHTML differs little from HTML, except for the following points (I'm using brackets here on purpose so as not to mark up this review) :

- XHTML is case sensitive, e.g. the tags [h1] and [H1] are not equivalent.

- tags must be nested properly, e.g. [b][i]your text here[/b][/i] is incorrect in a "well formed" document.

- certain tags that take no attributes must be terminated with a slash, e.g. [br /]

- XHTML can use "modules" (and good luck trying to understand that chapter in the book).

That's about all you need to know about XHTML. Throw in a DTD definition and you're done.But the book does a poor job of explaining just what a DTD is and why you need one, other than the XML gods just saying you need one.

Much of the book is also C.I.P.U. to HTML users. CSS is given two short chapters with little explanation of why you need CSS and how it can help you manage your web pages. And then it's onto XML, with the same lack of explanation. But, as with most CSS and XML primers, this is typically the case. Everybody is touting the value of XML, but almost nobody can tell you why or how to use this new technology. And this book is no different.

I gave the book two stars because of its one outstanding feature, the references in Appendix C & D. The book is worth having around just for those two sections. In that sense you might want to pick up a used copy for much less than a new one.

In a perfect world...
If, as I recently did, you were to buy Molly Holzschlag's outstanding "Special Edition Using HTML and XHTML" and "Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design," you might wonder if you had awoken on some strange planet in which pricey web books were actually worth the money, and tech authors wrote at a level that both challenged, elucidated, and entertained.

Molly Holzschlag's book, simply put, succeeds on every possible level. The style is clear and personable and the information is cogently and logically presented. As a web standards "insider," she gives you the history behind the development of markup languages rather than just throwing out the standard grid of what breaks in which browsers -- because, as this book so clearly demonstrates, the "why" matters a great deal, and you can't really get your mind around that without a few little history lessons along the way.

But it is not just a collection of dry facts and background info; the book is hands-on all the way, and constantly uses work-along examples to teach how to use XHTML to author web pages.

As Holzschlag states in the intro, the perfect reader for this book is the intermediate user -- someone who has used HTML before, and is quite familiar with web authoring, but maybe wishes to finally learn to do things the "right way," now that the W3C has made some headway with specifications. The book hits its intended audience mark dead on. The info is not dumbed down, yet important concepts are explained in detail. If you encounter a concept that is over your head, chances are there will be a sidebar link to the W3C website for additional information you need to catch up. This seems to me a very good compromise between leaving seasoned professionals bored, and lower-level intermediates in the dust.

There are several excellent reference charts (such as for ASCII symbols, character sets), and a comprehensive XHTML tag reference, making this a perfect all-around desk reference as well as a tool for getting up to speed on XHTML.

I believe this book would be particularly useful for the web designer wishing to move towards using XHTML for content and CSS for style and layout. In that case, I suggest "Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design" as a companion volume to round out the CSS side of things (Actually, Holzschlag herself references Meyer's book several times).

If you really want to make the switch to cleaner markup, and prepare yourself for what's coming on the web (and if you don't think you want to, this book might also convince you why you *should* want to...) you could hardly do better than this book.

it was ok...
This book did a great job describing xhtml,and like most special edition books I really liked.It was easy to understand.However, they didn't do the best describing modularization.I understood it more when I read it on w3.org.It also should've gone a bit further.I was especially disappointed it didn't say anything about xforms which was like the coolest part of xhtml.That doesn't this book isn't worth the money though.Its a great reference, but if you're looking to harness the full potential of xhtml and its newer features go elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Walks through the basics to explaining all aspects of AIR
This is a good starter book on Adobe AIR. It starts at the VERY beginning, explaining every point in the description files and what are their options. It builds precept upon precept. Then it shows you examples of completed code - PLUS the code can be downloaded from their website so you don't have to type it in yourself. Very nice.

I liked the "state the problem, then show the solution" format of the book. It keeps the explanations uncluttered by extraneous details and since I haven't coded since 1986, that's exactly what I needed.

Great Stuff... well don
I really enjoyed this book.I found i well layed out and easy to read.Any body ever here of http://magentoconsulting.com/ ... Seem like and open source Magento Consulting firm.

A fine survey of best practices, basics, and topics for web developers and application designers alike
David Tucker, et.al. ADOBE AIR 1.5 COOKBOOK has been bettered by Adobe's AIR development team and offers a fine survey of best practices, basics, and topics for web developers and application designers alike. From building AIR applications with Flex or HTML to working with the Service Monitor Framework and creating branded desktop experiences with customization, ADOBE AIR 1.5 COOKBOOK is a winner.

Practice and Prepare
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The competition of application development frameworks is the bane of those of us who have to figure out how to explain inherent potentials to managers tasked with getting new apps out the door. No one knows the future -- but Adobe's Integrated Runtime (AIR) is certainly on everyone's list as a strong contender.

This book has a cookbook format which means it is full of examples that focus on the scenarios that will most likely provoke head-scratching and Googling by programmers tackling basic and not so basic tasks in AIR development. This book is for intermediate developers who already have a good working knowledge of the Flex tool and ActionScript or JavaScript.

Chapters 1-2 impart basic dev environment setup tips.
Chapters 3-15 provide solutions for file system, network, and database scenarios.
Chapters 16-17 focus on distribution and install issues.

There is also a bonus chapter which is online at the O'Reilly publisher site. This bonus chapter does a bit of AIR mashup to integrate some of the individual solutions found in the book.

This is a solid book for keeping up with the times.
§ ... Read more