JavaScript Book
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Holy shit, I think I've been a Microsoft code monkey for way too long. I actually read that link as "MSDN JavaScript", and then freaked out when the link took me to a mozilla page. :) On the other hand, thanks very much for posting it. I will go through the page as well. :thumbsup:
Been outside of the MS ecosystem for a while now, but I read the link as MSDN as well. On the second look I realized it's Mozilla docs :)
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
I like the SAMS books as they start from the absolute beginning and work through a language using discrete lessons. Each lesson is supposed to take an hour -- which is probably accurate for a complete beginner -- however, anyone with any programming knowledge will buzz through the first 7 lessons in less than an hour. SAMS Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours[^] Each lesson has a quiz and exercises for practice, some of which are practical brain teasers. My learning style needs practical work to cement the lessons. I had been out of programming professionally for a number of years and this book was a good introduction to JavaScript. [I have used 3 or 4 other SAMS books in the last 20 years with good results.] After finishing this book you'll want some of the other books that have been recommended, but for a beginner this one will help you develop basic knowledge which makes the other books easier to understand. You can also look for free books. SyncFusion[^] has published a lot of books in their "Succinctly" series, including 8 that involve JavaScript. I downloaded JavaScript Succinctly but Cody Lindley, but haven't read it yet.
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
Take a look at Eloquent Javascript , its free if you read it online :)
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I like the SAMS books as they start from the absolute beginning and work through a language using discrete lessons. Each lesson is supposed to take an hour -- which is probably accurate for a complete beginner -- however, anyone with any programming knowledge will buzz through the first 7 lessons in less than an hour. SAMS Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours[^] Each lesson has a quiz and exercises for practice, some of which are practical brain teasers. My learning style needs practical work to cement the lessons. I had been out of programming professionally for a number of years and this book was a good introduction to JavaScript. [I have used 3 or 4 other SAMS books in the last 20 years with good results.] After finishing this book you'll want some of the other books that have been recommended, but for a beginner this one will help you develop basic knowledge which makes the other books easier to understand. You can also look for free books. SyncFusion[^] has published a lot of books in their "Succinctly" series, including 8 that involve JavaScript. I downloaded JavaScript Succinctly but Cody Lindley, but haven't read it yet.
I'm going to go get JavaScript: The Definitive Guide next. I have read the JavaScript the Good Parts about 1.5 years ago and it was good. I have the JavaScript Pocket Reference from O'Reilly and it's good but not for a beginner. I have read the Sync-Fusion Free e-books on JS and they are ok but the last one had a different approach and I'm no JS expert. I'm hoping this Definitive Guide will push me along. I'm an experienced professional programmer with 20+ years experience. Mainly Turbo Pascal, C,& C++ in DOS days and all flavors of Basic and VB to VB 6 and VB.net up to 4.0 framework. C# from the beginning to now including XAML in WPF and Silverlight, etc... Some Java along the way with others like Gupta SQL Windows/CB. Everything, but, M$ is Java or JavaScript these days. I've even done some objective-c, swift and Android Java lately. :)
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I'm going to go get JavaScript: The Definitive Guide next. I have read the JavaScript the Good Parts about 1.5 years ago and it was good. I have the JavaScript Pocket Reference from O'Reilly and it's good but not for a beginner. I have read the Sync-Fusion Free e-books on JS and they are ok but the last one had a different approach and I'm no JS expert. I'm hoping this Definitive Guide will push me along. I'm an experienced professional programmer with 20+ years experience. Mainly Turbo Pascal, C,& C++ in DOS days and all flavors of Basic and VB to VB 6 and VB.net up to 4.0 framework. C# from the beginning to now including XAML in WPF and Silverlight, etc... Some Java along the way with others like Gupta SQL Windows/CB. Everything, but, M$ is Java or JavaScript these days. I've even done some objective-c, swift and Android Java lately. :)
Finding a good "introduction" book can be difficult. A programmer experienced in a subject needs a good reference ... which isn't good for learning. Which is, of course, the OP's point in posting. ;P
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
I would advise against starting with "JavaScript: The Good Parts" by Douglas Crockford and Kyle Simpson's "You don't know JS" series for an total beginner. I think these are best read after already having a basic understanding of JavaScript as well having put some time in front of the keyboard using JavaScript. Both books/series, however, I *highly* recommend. Do read them, but after you've read another introductory book. I have read "Professional JavaScript for Web Developers" by Nicholas C. Zakas and I think it is a great book for learning ES5. But I haven't read "Speaking Javascript", "Eloquent JavaScript", or "JavaScript: the Definitive Guide". However, Eric Elliot, an experience JavaScript programmer who has written his own JS book, has written an article that may help: 12 Books Every JavaScript Developer Should Read – JavaScript Scene – Medium[^] After you've learned the language fundamentals, you will be overwhelmed with all the other "stuff" you will need to know. For all that "other stuff", I think you will find this other article, also by Eric Elliot, to be *very* helpful: Top JavaScript Frameworks & Topics to Learn in 2017[^] I'd also recommending subscribing to JavaScript Weekly to keep up to date on things and find out some great articles: JavaScript Weekly: A Free, Weekly Email Newsletter[^]
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
I really enjoyed learning on CodeSchool: [Learn to code by doing | Code School](https://www.codeschool.com/)
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
[Learn JavaScript Fundamentals: Training for Beginners - Microsoft Virtual Academy](https://mva.microsoft.com/en-us/training-courses/javascript-fundamentals-for-absolute-beginners-14194?l=DmF3TY1eB\_9500115888)
"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then". ― Blaise Pascal
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Can anyone recommend a decent JavaScript book for the total beginner?
If it's not broken, fix it until it is. Everything makes sense in someone's mind. Ya can't fix stupid.
mdn is great, and some of the previous links. but here are the mSdn articles :-D : - JavaScript Fundamentals[^] next 2 are old. ymmv. - Introduction to JavaScript, Part 1[^] - Introduction to JavaScript, Part 2[^] worth a read, later maybe: - xk0der » JavaScript Associative Arrays Demystified[^] other. again, ymmv: - w3schools: JavaScript Tutorial[^] - JavaScript Essentials - Techotopia[^]
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Priceless. My next product development cycle is doing our UI in JavaScript, because "it's more modern, and we can use modern tools" to create it. :^)
Charlie Gilley <italic>Stuck in a dysfunctional matrix from which I must escape... "Where liberty dwells, there is my country." B. Franklin, 1783 “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759