JavaScript Pocket Reference (2nd Edition) (ISBN 0596004117) Book Reviews 1-14 Sorted By Most Recent, at VeryWellSaid.com

Well-written pocket reference

I've been learning JavaScript off and on, with some success, for three months. In doing so, I've skimmed about a half-dozen books and tried the following three, so far, "graded" below:

Learning JavaScript (Powers B-)
VQS JavaScript and Ajax (Negrino & Smith C+)
O'Reilly JavaScript Pocket Reference (Flanagan B)

It's hard to find good books on JavaScript and no one should expect a pocket reference to be an instructional book. Despite that, I found this reference guide to be surprisingly helpful at times as I searched for clear explanations of the underlying concepts in learning JavaScript.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-11-12 06:56:25 EST)

03-22-06

3\3

Where's the rest?

I realize it's a pocket reference, but this is a brief guide to syntax and then the DOM for the rest of the book. It doesn't cover any of the API stuff like the Date class. It'd be nice to have more information at the price of needing slightly larger pockets.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-12-17 07:11:44 EST)

03-21-06

2\2

Where's the rest?

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-11 11:08:11 EST)

02-01-06

3\3

Moderately good.

I am not a big fan of these 'Pocket Reference' books by O'Reilly. Although I have 8 of them, I find them too brief to be very helpful as a reference. Usually they come up short on many parts of the language.

Recently I needed a refresher in JavaScript, and turned to Flanagan. I read the first part of the book to the API Reference on page 52. This seemed like a concentrated and intense refresher. For that one purpose, I think I received good value for my time. I would never use it as a real reference because each subject is just barely mentioned, not covered in any kind of detail. There is no index, plus examples are too few and short to learn from it. So for my limited purpose, I liked it, but would never consider it as a learning tool or actual reference. If this meets your need, fine. Otherwise do not expect too much from this book.

This is an un-paid real opinion. Not all ratings and opinions are honest or unbiased. Some are bought and paid for. Follow the 'See all my ...' and judge for yourself. Learn the industry secret when you see many such high score opinions from one person particularly right after the dates of publication. Educate yourself before you rely on someone who has been paid to deceive you.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-01 15:22:10 EST)

11-24-05

4\6

Missing the Point

If you are new to JavaScript and looking for a helper title, this isn't it. If you're already familiar with JavaScript, and need specific information, you probably need more than an extremely condensed pocket reference is going to provide. There really isn't anything wrong with the pocket reference - it has correct information, formatted pretty well, and contains the most common parts of the core language as well as the common DHTML references one needs for general use. What it doesn't have, and shouldn't for a pocket reference, are complete explanations for the components, or any usage examples - two things needed by people who are turning to a reference book. JavaScript is really too complex to be summarized along with DHTML elements in 127 half-sized pages. If you're looking for a JavaScript reference, purchase the authors full-sized reference guide, "JavaScript: The Definitive Guide" (ISBN: 0596000480) instead.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-01 15:22:10 EST)

11-23-05

2\4

Missing the Point

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-09 22:03:37 EST)

10-27-04

0\6

printing error

The copy I have contained printing errors. the first 66 pages was the beginning section to "vi editor pocket reference" then it picks up on page 73 with what seems to be the rest of the javascript pocket reference.

I'm new to javascript and programming in general.. and took me couple of days of trying to understand it before someone pointed out to me that i was trying to make sence of the wrong content.

This is the first time I have seen errors of this sort from a major publisher.

thanks o'reilly, for wasting hours out of my life.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-01 15:22:10 EST)

10-26-04

0\5

printing error

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-02-09 22:03:37 EST)

08-30-02

8\9

If you've already got the "Definitive Guide", skip this

I was hoping and expecting that this little book would be the same quick-and-easy reference book that e.g. the "VBScript Pocket Reference" is -- I was sadly disappointed.

Since "JavaScript: The Definitive Guide" is by the same author and publisher, I also expected this book to be a (somewhat) boiled-down version of the very thorough JavaScript Reference from that much larger book. I was even more disappointed there.

In a "pocket reference" such as this I want and need nothing more or less than an alphabetical listing of the JavaScript universe. However, this book is divided into numerous chapters that require you to already know what category the thing you seek belongs to. Since there's no index in these little books, it is useless to me as someone who's still learning this stuff. I've set my copy aside and use the "Definitive Guide" exclusively.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 09:50:23 EST)

06-15-02

1\1

Great to carry around with you

I've found this is a great little reference that I can carry around with me when working on creating web-related programs.

Its primarily a quick-reference guide to all the attributes on each of the common Javascript objects in the DOM (Document Object Model) and a very light overview of syntax.

Don't get this for any kind of help on actually programming Javascript .. this is just primarily a reference.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-01 15:22:10 EST)

08-19-01

3\5

just not meaty enough

I use it on occasion to refresh my memory about an attribute name or a method, but I usually have to go to the big books to get any more help than that. It's skimpy.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 09:50:23 EST)

06-06-01

4\5

Good reference guide.

This is a good Javascript reference. I use it all the time. Its small and easy to carry around in a laptop bag. Some areas could use a little more detail. For example, the one I need the most, window.open--what are all the window options???? Still very good and recommended though.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 09:50:23 EST)

01-13-01

3\8

Not Complete - But Not Useless

Luckily I already had a solid handle on the basics of JavaScript before reading this book, because otherwise I'd be lost. One of the things every beginner programmer books needs is real-word examples of code with an explanation for almost EVERY line containing something new.

It sounds excessive, but if you want to learn something, that's how it works. This book, for example, seems to have devoted half a page to the built in Date() function - which is ridiculous! Dates in JavaScript are a big deal to me, and something I want to learn a lot about.

Ironically, the accompanying pocket reference that I happened to buy along with this book had more information concerning dates than the book, and answered the questions I had at the time, albeit with some guesswork on my part.

The only thing I will praise this book on for now (still going through it) is its chapter on the DOM - Document Object Model. So far it seems quite plentiful, which is good. I'm no JS buff, but it seems as if the DOM is a major part of the language.

Bottom line: do not buy this book if you're new to programming. If you already have a handle on variables, functions, arrays, and other such things, then you might be able to make do.

(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-07-07 09:50:23 EST)

08-26-00

18\20

near perfect, nothing better is currently available