JavaScript^TM For Dummies^®, 3rd Edition

by Emily A. Vander Veer

• ISBN13: 9780764528262
• ISBN10: 0764528262
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Want the script for cool Web pages? With this handy guide by your side, it's easy to follow! Completely revised, this edition gives you all the JavaScript basics as well as step-by-step instructions for getting your scripts onto the Web. Before you know it, you could be building interactive Web sites for fun - or profit! Book jacket.

Author Biography

Emily Vander Veer is an experienced Web developer

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
System Requirements	p. 1
About This Book	p. 2
Conventions Used in This Book	p. 2
What You're Not to Read	p. 3
Foolish Assumptions	p. 4
How This Book Is Organized	p. 4
Icons Used in This Book	p. 5
Where to Go from Here	p. 6
Building Killer Web Pages for Fun and Profit	p. 7
Hitting the Highlights: JavaScript Basics	p. 9
What Is JavaScript? (Hint: It's Not the Same Thing as Java!)	p. 10
JavaScript and HTML	p. 14
JavaScript and Your Web Browser	p. 16
What Can I Do with JavaScript That I Can't Do with Web Languages?	p. 17
What Do I Need to Get Started?	p. 19
Writing Your Very First Script	p. 23
From Idea to Working JavaScript Application	p. 24
Testing Your Script	p. 32
JavaScript Language Basics	p. 35
JavaScript Syntax	p. 35
Putting It All Together: Building JavaScript Expressions and Statements	p. 58
JavaScript-Accessible Data: Getting Acquainted with the Document Object Model	p. 73
Object Models Always Pose Nude	p. 74
Anatomy of an Object: Properties, Methods, Event Handlers, and Functions in Action	p. 84
Browser Object Models	p. 96
Netscape Navigator	p. 96
Microsoft Internet Explorer	p. 100
Creating Dynamic Web Pages	p. 103
Detecting Your Users' Browser Environments	p. 105
Whacking Your Way through the Browser Maze	p. 105
Detecting Features	p. 106
That's How the Cookie Crumbles	p. 125
Cookie Basics	p. 125
Saving and Retrieving User Information	p. 131
Working with Browser Windows and Frames	p. 143
Working with Browser Windows	p. 144
Working with Frames	p. 148
Making Your Site Easy For Visitors to Navigate and Use	p. 155
Creating Interactive Images	p. 157
Creating Simple Animations	p. 157
Creating Rollovers, Hotspots, and Navigation Bars	p. 168
Creating Menus	p. 181
Getting Acquainted with Menus	p. 182
Taking Advantage of Third-Party DHTML Menu Components	p. 190
Creating Expandable Site Maps	p. 191
Site Map Basics	p. 191
Taking Advantage of Third-Party Site-Mapping Tools	p. 199
Creating Pop-Up Help (Tooltips)	p. 201
Creating Plain HTML Tooltips	p. 202
Building DHTML Tooltips	p. 204
Taking Advantage of Third-Party Tooltips Scripts	p. 211
Interacting with Users	p. 213
Handling Forms	p. 215
Capturing User Input by Using HTML Form Fields	p. 215
Putting It All Together: The Order Form Validation Script	p. 222
Handling User-Initiated Events	p. 239
The Skinny on Events and Event Handlers	p. 239
Handling Events	p. 240
Handling Runtime Errors	p. 249
Exceptional Basics	p. 249
Handling Exceptions	p. 250
The Part of Tens	p. 253
Top Ten (Or So) Online JavaScript Resources	p. 255
Ten Web Sites to Check Out	p. 255
Not-to-Be-Missed Newsgroups	p. 258
Ten (Or So) Most Common JavaScript Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)	p. 261
Typing-in-a-Hurry Errors	p. 262
Breaking Up a Happy Pair	p. 263
Putting Scripting Statements in the Wrong Places	p. 265
Nesting Quotes Incorrectly	p. 266
Treating Numbers as Strings	p. 267
Treating Strings as Numbers	p. 268
Missing the Point: Logic Errors	p. 269
Neglecting Browser Incompatibility	p. 270
Ten (Or So) Tips for Debugging Your Scripts	p. 273
JavaScript Reads Your Code, Not Your Mind!	p. 274
Isolating the Bug	p. 275
Consulting the Documentation	p. 276
Displaying Variable Values	p. 276
Breaking Large Blocks of Statements into Smaller Functions	p. 279
Honing the Process of Elimination	p. 280
Taking Advantage of Others' Experience	p. 282
Exercising the Time-Honored Trial-and-Error Approach	p. 283
Just Try and Catch Me Exception Handling!	p. 283
Taking Advantage of Debugging Tools	p. 287
Appendixes	p. 293
JavaScript Reserved Words	p. 295
JavaScript Color Values	p. 297
Document Object Model Reference	p. 303
The Document Object Model	p. 303
Global Properties	p. 325
Built-In JavaScript Functions	p. 325
Special Characters	p. 329
About the CD	p. 335
Getting the Most from This CD	p. 335
System Requirements	p. 336
Using the CD	p. 336
JavaScript For Dummies Chapter Files	p. 337
What You'll Find	p. 337
If You Have Problems (Of the CD Kind)	p. 338
Index	p. 341
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