Javascript Links & Resources

[kyberfabrikken]

The old sticky thread was getting a bit dated, so I compiled the following list of useful resources, that no Javascript programmer should be without.

Debuggers

• Firebug debugger for Firefox
• Microsoft Script debugger for Internet Explorer
• Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar
• IE Leak Detector (Drip/IE Sieve)

Reference

• The Javascript Reference Series - Essential Javascript (Numbers, Strings, Arrays, Dates)
• VisiBone Javascript Quickreference
• Quirksmode Compatibility Tables (Core, HTML, CSS, Event Handling)
• JScript Language Reference (Internet Explorer) (HTML and DHTML Reference)
• JavaScript Language Resources (mozilla) (Core JavaScript 1.5 Guide, Core JavaScript 1.5 Reference, Gecko DOM Reference)
• Web Specifications Supported in Opera 9
• W3C DOM (HTML) Level 1 specification
• ECMA-262 (188 page pdf)

Articles - Beginners

• General introduction (Object detection)
• Several indispensable articles by Douglas Crockford (The Wrrrld's Most Misunderstood Programming Language, A Survey of the JavaScript Programming Language)
• Behavioral Separation
• Seven JavaScript Techniques You Should Be Using Today
• Optimizing JavaScript for Execution Speed
• Memory Leakage in Internet Explorer

Articles - Advanced

• Scope in JavaScript
• JavaScript Closures for Dummies
• Higher Order Programming
• Higher-Order JavaScript
• The Little JavaScripter

Code collections

• JSAN
• DZone Snippets > javascript
• WebFX

Frameworks

• Mochikit (<snip/>)
• Prototype (script.aculo.us)
• jQuery (jQuery UI)
• YUI (Ext)
• Dojo toolkit
• Mootools
• X library
• Core javascript library

XMLHttpRequest / AJAX

• Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications
• <snip/>
• AjaxPatterns.org
• Guide to Using AJAX and XMLHttpRequest
• <snip/>

Integration with Flash

• SWFObject
• Soundmanager2
• <snip/>

Blogs

• Ajaxian
• Yahoo! User Interface Blog
• Sitepoint Blogs > JavaScript & CSS
• dean.edwards.name
• Erik's weblog & <snip/>

jQuery

• learn.jquery.com/ - jQuery Learning Center
• try.jquery.com/ - Code School - Learn the basic building blocks of jQuery
• Unheap.com: a jQuery Plugin Repository
  
  Craig Buckler wrote about it here: http://www.sitepoint.com/unheap-jque...in-repository/

[kyberfabrikken]

I forgot to mention the video lectures by Douglas Crockford. These are must-have for any Javascript programmer, so I'll just list them here. In particular, the series Theory of the DOM contains a lot of information on how browsers work, which I haven't found elsewhere.

• The JavaScript Programming Language (part 2, part 3, part 4)
• Advanced JavaScript (part 2, part 3)
• An Inconvenient API: Theory of the DOM (part 2, part 3)

[polvero]

I just listed the ones, I read myself, on a regular basis. If you have any, which you think are essential, post them here. It's probably a good idea to keep the list of blogs down though, since (as you say) there are so many.

Cool.

I don't think I ever owned a book about Javascript, so I can't recommend any. If you can, it would be a nice addition.

Alright

Books:

• List Sitepoint books on JavaScript (it would only be appropriate)
• - DHTML Utopia
• - The JavaScript Anthology
• - Ajax Web Applications
• - Art and Science of JavaScript
• JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
• DOM Scripting
• PPK on JavaScript
• Pro JavaScript Techniques
• Pro JavaScript Design Patterns
• Beginning JavaScript with DOM Scripting and Ajax
• Accelerated DOM Scripting with AJAX

[felgall]

I have reviews of quite a few JavaScript books as well as a few script libraries at http://javascript.about.com/od/reviews/Reviews.htm

[Stomme poes]

I needed to add this:

While I wanted Perl to be the first programming language I learned, being a front ender and recent events have meant I need to switch to Javascript.

I hope to get the Rhino book within a week or two, right now I'm learning with these two:

Crockford's Javascript: The Good Parts (the book is on his site but his site itself is nice, and of course links to all the Crockford links in kyber's posts), most mostly I've fallen in love with

http://eloquentjavascript.net by Marijn Haverbeke. This is not for people who want to learn some DOM scripts. This is for someone who wants to learn programming and their first language will be Javascript (though it's nice for those who are used to programming other languages and need to learn how JS is different). He goes through elements of programming in Javascript...

"But wait! There's more!" (lawlz)

there's a Javascript console at the bottom, with a parser and everything. Instead of needing to rely on your browser to test the little things you're learning, you can use his console. Invaluable. You can either view (and modify) his example scripts (he encourages that), but you could also plug in code you've found somewhere else to see the result.

If you want to learn Javascript as a programming language instead of just mindless DOM scripting and bad habits, Eloquent Javascript so far (I'm only on chapt 3 lawlz) seems to be an invaluable resource. Anything I want more discussion over, I've googled and found further reading... but also what I'm reading in Crockford's book is being paralleled by Marijn's pages.

I haven't run into browser-specific anything yet, because he's intent on teaching basic programming, how integers work in JS (very different from other languages), why scoping does what it does (no block scoping, mostly only function scoping), the very gritty basics and then further.

This Is Awesome!

[QuackWare]

Heres a good resource:

Javascript Code Snippets

[Stomme poes]

Gotta add this:
Data::Dumper

Shows you your object hierarchy, which is handy when you get confuzled.

[cheesedude]

The best javascript reference that I have found so far is this on dottoro.com:

JavaScript reference

It provides a good reference of the various objects, operators, and functions available with indications of which browsers support each feature and code examples. The DOM reference is quite good, too.

It is very helpful to get an overview of Javascript when you are first staring to learn. This will give people an idea of what is available to them and allow them to better understand existing code.

If anyone else finds this to be a good resource, perhaps it could be added to the links in the first post of the thread.

[tnsporting90]

Thanks a lot of you that share our experience and resource. I currently use www.w3schools.com. It is best for Javascript and html.

[r937]

I currently use www.w3schools.com. It is best for Javascript and html.

please read http://w3fools.com

thanks

[felgall]

www.w3schools.com. It is best for Javascript.

Only if you live back in the 20th Century. The JavaScript covered on the w3schools site is so outdated that the few examples listed on the w3fools site as to what is wrong with it barely scratch the surface. It would be possible to write hundreds of web pages the size of the w3fools page listing where the w3schools site is out of date with what it says about JavaScript.

That's the sort of problem you get where two guys set up a site covering dozens of different topics. They just don't have the time to keep all of them completely up to date - particularly those such as JavaScript that are now almost completely different from what existed when that site was first created.

W3schools is an excellent site for showing how JavaScript used to be written 10+ years ago but about 80% of the JavaScript it covers has either been completely replaced or is now used in completely different ways so that their site is basically irrelevant to how JavaScript should be written.

w3schools - the worst site to learn JavaScript in the 21st Century.

[Mittineague]

If anyone has a resource they think should be added to this thread, please send a Private Message to a member of the Programming Team.

Thanks