I've got mixed feelings about this book. I bought it as an update to the first edition, and the information between the covers is very useful in itself. However, the information I really need -- the DOM reference -- has been relegated to the CD-ROM. The reason that I buy reference books is so that I don't have to keep toggling between my code and an on-line reference. The DOM material runs to 400 pages - too much for me to print out. Perhaps Sams could have turned the book into a two-volume reference.

I've got mixed feelings about this book. I bought it as an update to the first edition, and the information between the covers is very useful in itself. However, the information I really need -- the DOM reference -- has been relegated to the CD-ROM. The reason that I buy reference books is so that I don't have to keep toggling between my code and an on-line reference. The DOM material runs to 400 pages - too much for me to print out. Perhaps Sams could have turned the book into a two-volume reference.

This book is a good reference for those with a decent know-how of Java, Cobol, C, or C++. The best thing about the tome is that it has a neat dictionary styled reference of methods, objects, properties, and not-real-world-enough example code bits. Those who want advanced stuff should refer the CookBook or the Visual QuickStart guides, and of couse beginners are better off with the Thau book or some such.

As the title of this book indicates, "Pure Javascript" covers everything about JavaScript in depth even better, from my point of view, than O'Reillys JavaScript: The Definite Guide.

I like the book also because its index indicates all the JavaScript syntaxis. Hence, when someone is programming and forgets the exact word, it is easy to look for it quickly, instead of wasting time browsing through all the book. Another positive aspect, is that the introduction of the book is pretty well organized (Shows you when to use JavaScript, its origin, operators, variables, fuctions, server-side JavaScrit, etc.) and gives you a concise idea of JavaScrpt capabilites.

However, the downside is that the book is not for amateur programmers since some terms are not explained in detail (the book states that it expects people who has experience with C, C++, Java or Pascal)

Overall: It is a MUST HAVE book for a serious JavaScript programmer, it is worth every penny you invest on it. But I'd recommend easier books first if you are a firt time programmer.

I am an experienced Cobol programmer but new to JavaScript. This is an excellent reference for all the items and elements used in JavaScript. The examples of item/element usage are great. There is only one drawback....the reference number of some of the code listings do not match the reference number on the CD. I notified the Publisher about this and have received no response to date.

Wyke et al. offer a great book. The informative tutorial is an absolute must for those with little programming experience, because it explains JavaScript features clearly, accurately, and logically. If the reader diligently studies the tutorial (at least twice), the voluminous examples in the book will come to life. For best results, I suggest the following strategy:

1. Diligently study the JavaScript tutorial.
2. Identify an example you would like to play with.
3. Load the example in your browser and interact with the example's functionality.
4. Study the example's source code (as hard copy or in a text editor) until you understand it thoroughly. If you cannot understand the example, then repeat Step 1.
5. To see whether you really understand the source code, modify the code so that it will behave differently, and then test it out in your browser.

In just a few days, Step 1 will become increasingly less necessary and it will be easier to complete Steps 2-5.

Finally, I believe that it is a good overall strategy to invest in more than one book. I would also recommend Goodman's JavaScript Bible and its companion.

Wyke et al. offer a great book. The informative tutorial is an absolute must for those with little programming experience, because it explains JavaScript features clearly, accurately, and logically. If the reader diligently studies the tutorial (at least twice), the voluminous examples in the book will come to life. For best results, I suggest the following strategy:

1. Diligently study the JavaScript tutorial.
2. Identify an example you would like to play with.
3. Load the example in your browser and interact with the example's functionality.
4. Study the example's source code (as hard copy or in a text editor) until you understand it thoroughly. If you cannot understand the example, then repeat Step 1.
5. To see whether you really understand the source code, modify the code so that it will behave differently, and then test it out in your browser.

In just a few days, Step 1 will become increasingly less necessary and it will be easier to complete Steps 2-5.

Finally, I believe that it is a good overall strategy to invest in more than one book. I would also recommend Goodman's JavaScript Bible and its companion.

Everything javascript related was covered in great detail. many hundreds of different parts of the language were presented in simple little examples with a nice descritions and histories. The index was well organized so that a person in need of quick information could find what they needed to in a short amount of time. Very few such references of pure, good information exist. Many other books teach, yet fill a lot of pages with filler that may not be useful to all peole. This book definately mandates a good bit of previous programming knowledge, but may help a prior programmer to get going quickly in javascript

I have been writing, editing, and using definitive language reference manuals for 30 years. This fifty-dollar book is one of the worst I've ever bought, and I'm sorry that I did.

Following a 189-page tutorial, about which I will not comment here, the final 1300 pages were obviously generated from a database of text-segment records, one for each element of the JavaScript language. In theory, that method provides consistency and accuracy for sections headed Syntax, Description, and Example. The problem is that in practice, each record is still a copy-and-paste job, and all too many pages read as if they were written by a diligent clerk who has never learned what a programming language -- or a reference manual -- is for.

First, someone defined a policy that every example would start and end with six lines which are pointless in this context: "script" and "end script" tags, plus "hide from old browser" comments and some blank lines. Considering that the real contents of many examples runs to only three or four lines, this is just silly.

Second, many of the descriptions and examples are either wrong (because they're copied from other places without the needed adjustments in both code and comments), or they're useless (because they don't clarify why a feature exists, or analyze what it does in proper detail, but merely exercise it without stating, let alone explaining, what the result is), or they're dumb (because they take an entire printed page to display something as trivial as the fixed "type" property of an object, which has already been stated in the Description).

Third, all this wasted space means that what should be the most up-to-date and hard-to-obtain information (on DOM, CSS, and WSH) is relegated to the CD-ROM, which raises the price and lowers the utility of an already poor book.

Summary: Use Goodman's book until Flanagan's new edition comes out in (we are told) November 2001. Do not bother with this one.

I bought this book in Oct 2001 and have been using it because I needed a reference for JavaScript; by the way, this book comes a CD and you can search the CD for info if you don't like thumbing through the 1600 pages. Har, the older version died after two months of daily reference, so thus the rating for the 4 stars because I feel that that the binding for the new book should feel more robust. Hmmm... only time will tell. On the whole this is a needed reference which has some more info on server side scripting. It covers JavaScript 1.6, but if I'm not wrong the most people who are not into IT or web programming use Netscape 4.7 or IE 4.01 still. JS(1.2 or 1.3). Rest assured, it is a concise reference, if you need one.

This is the way a JavaScript reference should be. If you have this book, you don't need another book on JavaScript at all. Covers both IE and Netscape.

It was OK for looking up syntax for client side DHTML, but I was disappointed with the Netscape focus. My coporate intranet was exclusively with IE clients and IIS servers. I would have liked to have seen an additional chapter on IIS and IE object model.