JavaScript, A Beginner's Guide, Third Edition (Beginner's Guide (Osborne Mcgraw Hill)) Review

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JavaScript, A Beginner's Guide, Third Edition (Beginner's Guide (Osborne Mcgraw Hill)) ReviewI bought this book based on other reviews. I needed to get a sound understanding of Javascript quickly. I read the entire book, all 16 chapters. I did all the exercises and the tests at the end of each chapter. I found only a couple of very minor typos in the whole book. All of the exercises worked as entered. Although I did some on Safari and some on Firefox. None on Explorer. So, I can't say that every exercise works on every browser but the author does try and point of the things that may present problems on different browsers (that is, IE).
I did say it is a great BASIC book. If you are looking for all the bells and whistles this is not the book for you. This book will provide a great foundation to go on to other things. There are lots of references in this book to more difficult material. As well as two web sites that the author presides over with more material.
My only regret is that the author has not written a second more advanced book. I liked his style.JavaScript, A Beginner's Guide, Third Edition (Beginner's Guide (Osborne Mcgraw Hill)) OverviewEssential Skills--Made Easy!
Create dynamic Web pages complete with special effects using today's leading Web development language. JavaScript: A Beginner's Guide, Third Edition gives you step-by-step coverage of the fundamentals, including variables, functions, operators, event handlers, objects, arrays, strings, forms, and frames. You'll also learn about more advanced techniques, including debugging and security. This hands-on guide explains how JavaScript works with XHTML Transitional and covers the new features available in JavaScript. Get started using JavaScript right away with help from this fast-paced tutorial.

Designed for Easy Learning:

Key Skills & Concepts--Chapter-opening lists of specific skills covered in the chapter

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Beginning WordPress 3 (Expert's Voice in Web Development) Review

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Beginning WordPress 3 (Expert's Voice in Web Development) ReviewThe title of this book is deceptive, enough so that I handed it to a friend who was making the move from [...] to self-hosted WordPress because I thought she might find it helpful. She didn't, and when I actually sat down to read it myself, I understood why.
This is not a book for beginners, if by "beginners" you mean the people for whom WordPress for Dummies was written. It's a book for web developers who haven't used WordPress before.
To be fair to the author, the back cover copy says exactly that, but the publisher describes it as "User level: Beginner." I'm not sure how Apress would describe books for people who don't have any technical knowledge. "User level: Hopeless N00b"?
But the book itself is fantastic. It may be the best book I've ever read about WordPress. I don't consider myself a developer, but I know enough not to get completely lost in the code examples. This is a great book for those who are experienced users of WordPress but not PHP wizards and who want to go deeper and understand more.
I had a number of revelatory moments while reading this book. You can turn off or limit post revisions with one line of code in your wp-config.php file? So why was I bothering to use a plugin for it? (I know, some people don't have access to their wp-config.php file...or shouldn't be allowed access to it. But other people need to reduce the number of plugins they have installed, and I'm one of them.) There are RSS feeds for pages? Wish I'd known that when someone was asking about it on LinkedIn a few weeks back. You can show custom taxonomies, custom post types, and tags in your menu management page by clicking on Screen Options? (I beat my head against this for ages because I'd forgotten I'd read it, and I even marked the page.) There's a way to import content from Joomla? Bring it on. (Please. I'm desperately hoping to convince a client to change platforms.)
Then there's the great discussion of things you can do with the Loop, like create a page that displays excerpts from all its child pages. Most magazine themes make you pick two or three featured categories, but you could actually feature all your categories if you wanted to. (That's assuming you have a reasonable number of categories, unless you want a really long home page.)
I admit I got a bit lost in the chapters on creating widgets and plugins--I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to start developing plugins, and I'm not sure I ever will be. But I understand a little better what's involved in the process and how to look at the code.
There's a solid chapter on performance and security that covers all the usual suspects except the define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '96M'); trick (another single line in wp-config.php that can make a big difference) and then a highly valuable chapter on custom post types and custom taxonomies. Stephanie Leary walks you through how to do this the hard way, which gave me a chance to see what the plugins that help with these two WordPress features actually do, and helped me follow the demonstrations at the September WordPress Meetup.
The final chapter is on WordPress Multi-site, with a brief mention of BuddyPress. While this is a fraction of the information found in BuddyPress for Dummies, it has the advantage of referring to WordPress 3.0 and not the old WordPress MU, so it was good to get an overview of what had stayed the same and what had changed.
The author refers to useful plugins throughout the book, and also has a plugin index (Appendix A) and a collection of "plugin recipes" (Appendix C). The recipes are combinations of plugins you can use to build things with WordPress, like a wiki (I thought there was already a wiki plugin for WP) or a document sharing site. Again, I had a couple of surprises. There are plugins to sort your posts alphabetically? And I spent time creating special category page templates to do that for a client. (The other surprise was that Stephanie Leary doesn't seem to have heard of Blubrry's PowerPress plugin for podcasting, or that PodPress had been revived.)
If you have no web background at all and you're completely new to WordPress, this isn't the book for you. But if you're somewhere in between the complete novice and the hard-core developer, you're going to find this book unbelievably useful. The fact that it's clearly written in a non-technical style, tidily laid out, and has abundant screenshots is just a bonus. And you can download all the code samples from the Apress website.Beginning WordPress 3 (Expert's Voice in Web Development) OverviewOther WordPress books on the market discuss WordPress only in the context of blogging: how to set up a blog, how to write a blog, how to optimize a business blog. A few books offer detailed technical instructions on a specific aspect of the software, such as plugin or theme development. Beginning WordPress is the first to discuss WordPress as a general content management system that can compete with other popular open source projects like Joomla or Drupal. This book also aims to be one of the first if not the first to cover the new WordPress 3.0. Lastly, WordPress remains one if not the top blogging and content management platform, besides Joomla and Drupal. See http://wordpress.org/download/counter/ for just version 2.8.x. As of September 2009, Wordpress is used by 62.8 million websites in the US and 202 million websites worldwide

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ASP.NET 4 24-Hour Trainer (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

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ASP.NET 4 24-Hour Trainer (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) ReviewThere are no easy roads for those wanting to get up to speed on new technologies. Many books and websites promise instant gratification, or instant knowledge, via some "easy way." "Stay young with seal fat soap! No effort required!" Or "Learn through osmosis! No thinking required! Just vegetate and let the knowledge seep in like jellyfish slime!" The electromagnetic spectrum bursts with such promises and audacious claims. So who can blame anyone who becomes skeptical at the subtitle "24-hour trainer?" And it doesn't refer to making gelatin spitballs, but to learning ASP.NET. So does the skepticism hold? Can the clueless and nescient learn this complex technology in a mere 24 hours by using this book?
Well, yes and no. Despite Wrox's new rock star theme, this book will only get you so far. And where exactly the 24-hour time frame comes in remains a little mysterious. Nonetheless, the book has plenty of value and will teach anyone quite a bit as long as expectations stay clear. For starters, this book, and accompanying DVD, emphasize process over fundamentals. Each chapter comprises a defined task. For example, the chapter "Master Pages in Web Forms" covers just that and not in great detail. Given this approach, beginners may sometimes find themselves wondering what just happened. Those with some experience or knowledge will probably benefit more.
The book sticks to a pattern. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction to the topic and ends with a "try it" section that steps through a specific task. Unfortunately, the introductory material often provides a glimpse of the technology. For instance the web.config file receives a lot of attention in this book, but nowhere does the book delineate the file's purpose in any detail. As an introduction this approach works great to a point. But as a way to means to solidify a foundation or to obtain a thorough understanding of the concepts in general it often falls flat. Still, for those who learn best by process, this book could work wonders. And it could serve as a great supplement to more detailed reading. Give it a prolonged glance to see if it works before buying.
The book also doesn't reveal everything in its title. Apart from ASP.NET, the book also covers the relatively new MVC (Model, View, Controller) framework. Those who don't possess the fundamentals may get lost quickly. MVC represents a fairly significant departure from the standard ASP model and the book's cursory introduction to the concepts may not suit everyone. Plus, most of the chapters have "A" and "A" sections that alternate between ASP.NET and ASP.NET MVC. For example, Lesson 19A, "Displaying Data in Web Forms" flows into Lesson 19B, "Displaying Data in MVC." For some, this may just be too much at once. MVC could probably stand a "training" book of its own with a more detailed introduction to its core concepts. jQuery and AJAX also appear in a later chapter and though readers will get waked through some examples of how to use them, the core concepts again receive only a speck of detail. The W3C tutorials may fill in some of the gaps for beginners.
Still, the book has value. Those needing a refresh in the "how to" and not on the fundamentals may find this the perfect resource. Or someone looking for just a taste of ASP without committing to learning the core concepts may also find this a perfect page flapper. More experienced programmers may walk away from this book and be able to start cranking out (simple) websites. Beginners, at least not all of them, may not be so lucky. Absolute beginners may need to find other resources to really understand the construction of a real world ASP.NET application. And no matter how one uses the book it will very likely involve far more than 24 hours of interaction. Sometimes shortcuts just don't exist.ASP.NET 4 24-Hour Trainer (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) OverviewThis unique book-and-video package introduces ASP.NET 4 to programmers

Microsoft ASP.NET allows you to build dynamically generated Web pages from database content. Written by a well-known authority on ASP.NET, this book-and-DVD package is an ideal place to start learning about the capabilities of ASP.NET 4. Each lesson covers both the ASP.NET Web Forms Framework and the ASP.NET MVC 2 Framework and is designed to teach you the fundamentals of the topic before progressing to a step-by-step tutorial. An instructional video for each of the 48 tutorials is provided on the DVD that accompanies the book.
Lessons include:
Anatomy of an HTML Page

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Head First JavaScript Review

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Head First JavaScript ReviewLet me begin by saying that Head First Javascript is a good book, at least compared to any other JS books I've seen. It isn't, however, a particularly good "Head First" book.
What I mean by this is that the other Head First books I've used (XHTML & CSS, SQL, and C#) have been highly interactive, easy to use, and really got the concepts into my head. I was amazed that, after just a few days with these books, I could actually build professional-looking web pages that were rigorously standards compliant; or create complex applications in C# quickly and easily; or navigate the intricacies of building and using SQL databases. The Head First method certainly seemed to work.
So when I heard the HF people were producing a JS book, I was overjoyed. Sadly, it's been a bit of a letdown. The book smacks strongly of rushed production, lacking many of the features that makes the HF series special. For example, in the C# book, the authors take the reader through application construction in a step-by-step manner, carefully explaining everything as they go. The effect is of a very knowledgeable teacher standing over your shoulder and guiding you while you code. The reader is actively involved in every exercise, building their code from scratch. There are copies of every piece of code available for download at Head First's website, but these are merely tools for checking the reader's work.
In the Javascript book, however, much of the interactivity is missing. The book reads like a walkthrough of the code samples, with most of the user participation taking the form of pencil and paper exercises. The reader could actually complete the book without switching on her PC. Even the code solutions on the HF website seem to be just tossed up there, with the page numbers each example refers to contained in a Read Me file (the book itself just contains a general instruction to grab the code from the website, without any indication of which code).
This all sounds pretty negative, and I must confess to being somewhat disappointed with the book. That said, it's still far superior to any other JS book I've tried. By the end of Head First Javascript, I did feel that the general scope of Javascript had sunk into my brain. I had a feeling for its overall structure and the ways in which it could be applied. I know that I can now tackle a more advanced JS book and absorb the concepts much more easily.
What I don't feel is ready to sit down and write Javascript. The whole experience with this book was just too fragmentary and too lopsidedly didactic. The experience was insufficiently hands-on to enable me to become comfortable with the nitty gritty of JS scripting. When I finished HF's C#, XHTML, and SQL books, I could sit down and churn out code, with only a few O'Reilly Pocket Guides beside me to refresh my memory on syntax and structure. That's not been the case with Javascript.
Head First Javascript just seems to lack the "stickiness" of the other titles in the series.Head First JavaScript Overview
So you're ready to make the leap from writing HTML and CSS web pages to creating dynamic web applications. You want to take your web skills to the next level. And you're finally ready to add "programmer" to the resume. It sounds like you're ready to learn the Web's hottest programming language: JavaScript. Head First JavaScript is your ticket to going beyond copying and pasting the code from someone else's web site, and writing your own interactive web pages. With Head First JavaScript, you learn:

The basics of programming, from variables to types to looping
How the web browser runs your code, and how you can talk to the browser with your code
Why you'll never have to worry about casting, overloading, or polymorphism when you're writing JavaScript code
How to use the Document Object Model to change your web pages without making your users click buttons
If you've ever read a Head First book, you know what to expect -- a visually rich format designed for the way your brain works. Head First JavaScript is no exception. It starts where HTML and CSS leave off, and takes you through your first program into more complex programming concepts -- like working directly with the web browser's object model and writing code that works on all modern browsers. Don't be intimidated if you've never written a line of code before! In typical Head First style, Head First JavaScript doesn't skip steps, and we're not interested in having you cut and paste code. You'll learn JavaScript, understand it, and have a blast along the way. So get ready... dynamic and exciting web pages are just pages away.

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HTML5 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) Review

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HTML5 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) ReviewHTML5 Step by StepHTML5 Step by Step is a good introduction to HTML for the complete novice. "Step by Step" is literally the approach taken in the book, with explicit instructions for each action to be taken. I would not hesitate to recommend this as a first text for the business or hobby user; experienced HTML authors or developers looking for cutting-edge HTML5 features should look elsewhere.
The book uses a Microsoft landscape, so the editing tool of choice is Notepad, and the browser absorbing the most attention is Internet Explorer 9. Users of other operating systems can use the text, but they'll need to be savvy enough to translate the Microsoft terminology to their own platform ( which might be beyond the abilities of a true beginner ). Following the example code using Ubuntu and vi, I did not experience any significant problems.
HTML authoring tools are not covered in order to focus on the underlying HTML building blocks.
Since the instructions provided for the accompanying exercises are so explicit, they consume a great deal of print real estate. That does not leave much room for advanced features of HTML5, and you won't find those here. Hence, once you complete the exercises, this isn't a book you'll retain for reference.
Disclaimer, I was provided access to an electronic copy of this book by O'Reilly Publishing for review purposes.HTML5 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) Overview
Experience learning made easy—and quickly teach yourself how to create Web pages with the HTML5 specification. With Step by Step, you set the pace—building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them!

Use a division-based layout to structure your Web pages
Include menu bars and hyperlinks for clear navigation
Apply colors, font sizes, and other formatting with CSS
Add graphics, sound, and video to your pages
Use the Canvas tag to render visual images on the fly
Build user-input forms with buttons, boxes, and menus

Your Step by Step digital content includes:

All the book's practice files—ready to download and put to work. See "Using the Practice Files," inside.
Fully searchable online edition of this book—with unlimited access on the Web. Free online account required; see inside book.


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ASP.NET MVC Framework Unleashed Review

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ASP.NET MVC Framework Unleashed ReviewDisclosure: I do not own this book, but the review is based on reading the first 4 chapters from my Safari subscription.
This book is a really, really great starting point for learning ASP .NET MVC. An important caveat is that you need to do the NERD DINNER tutorial first before ANYTHING! I'm real particular about my learning style and had baulked at the mere 10 reviews the book had received, but really, don't let that dissuade. This is a great book and the author breaks things down into easy to understand chunks. I will say that he isn't as detailed as the Nerddinner tutorial in explaining the Visual Studio features for adding Views & Controllers, but the description's for doing so should suffice.
Some people may not like that the code examples are in both C# & VB .NET; however, I don't mind this. It certainly adds to the size of the book, but I haven't found many books going through this stuff and showing VB .NET code, so that can only be a plus. Another gotcha is the book uses the Entity Framework for data access. I don't mind this since I haven't had exposure to it, but I think that might turn off some people. To be perfectly honest, I don't think there's a book that explains the basics of ASP .NET MVC in conjunction with NHibernate or ORM's outside of LINQ to SQL or Entity Framework. I did look at ASP.Net MVC in Action on Safari and I can tell you that it is definitely not a starter book; however, if you want exposure to using third party frameworks with ASP .NET MVC, that might be your book.
Okay after making to about chapter 19, I've come back to this review and bumped it down to 4 stars. My main bother here is that there isn't a published errata and their needs to be one. Thankfully, this doesn't come into play until Chapter's 17 & 19. The mistake made in both chapters is they start using classes without A) defining the code for the class b) without mentioning the class anywhere outside of a code example that assumes their prior creation C) a & b.
This isn't a huge deal, just download the book code and know that you will have to copy the code for the following classes:
UnleashedBlog.Models.BlogEntry (Chapter 17)
UnleashedBlog.Models.BlogServiceBase (Chapter 19)
UnleashedBlog.Tests.Factories.ControllerFactory (Chapter 19)
The last 2 really ticked me off because there is absolutely zero mention of their creation until they are magically used in code. Despite this, they aren't complicated classes and you can still understand what they are doing without the book having to elaborate.
Despite it all, I still recommend this book. I've gone through most of the chapters at this point and have found it a really good jumping off point for learning ASP .NET MVC.ASP.NET MVC Framework Unleashed OverviewIn this book, world-renowned ASP.NET expert and member of the Microsoft ASP.NET team Stephen Walther shows experienced developers how to use Microsoft's new ASP.NET MVC Framework to build web applications that are more powerful, flexible, testable, manageable, scalable, and extensible. Writing for professional programmers, Walther explains the crucial concepts that make the Model-View-Controller (MVC) development paradigm work so well and shows exactly how to apply them with the ASP.NET MVC Framework. From controllers and actions to views and models, Walther demonstrates how to apply each ASP.NET MVC Framework feature in real-world projects. In Part II, you'll walk step-by-step through building a full-fledged ASP.NET MVC blog application that implements capabilities ranging from data access to validation. Through this case study, you'll learn how to build ASP.NET MVC applications using test-driven development processes that enable rapid feedback, greater productivity, and better quality. Throughout, Walther presents extensive code examples, reflecting his unsurpassed experience as an ASP.NET instructor, a leading commercial developer, and now as a member of Microsoft's ASP.NET development team. Understand how to:Build enterprise-scale web applications far more rapidly and effectively Develop web applications that are easier to maintain and extend over time Gain unprecedented control over the appearance of your website or application Expose intuitive URLs that are friendlier to search engines and users alike Create ASP.NET MVC models that contain all your application's business, validation, and data access logic Make the most of HTML helpers, model binders, action filters, routing, and authentication Efficiently deploy your ASP.NET MVC applications Use the lightweight JQuery JavaScript library to easily find and manipulate HTML elements Create ASP.NET MVC applications using unit test and mock object framework

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