I should preface my review by saying that I generally love the sitepoint books. Simply Javascript (also co-authored by Adams) is hands down the best programming book I've ever read. That said, this book isn't really so much a "book" as it is a "handy reference." If you skim this book and find something you need, then you may be able to justify the cost. As a cover-to-cover read, it's definitely lacking and will leave you wanting. Taken as individual chapters, the writing is excellent and the solutions offer solid coding practices. My recommendation would be to find this book in a bookstore, skim the table of contents and chapters, and see if you will actually use any of the included solutions before you buy.

I purchased this book out of desperation after using a 1000 page Javascript Wrox book published in 2000 that was worse than useless. The author's blog posting here is very accurate: it is a modern javascript book that gives usable solutions and concepts that work well. I recommend this book to anyone who has at least some programming background and is sick of cut and pasting garbage code from other mickey mouse tutorial sites that break at the slightest change. It is also a great start for working with AJAX, which is what I needed it for.

That said, the book is surprisingly a great read. I am reading this book cover to cover and also use it as an every day reference with dozens of tips. It is obvious the authors have worked extensively with web sites and write from experience. Thanks for a job well done!

This is an excellent next-step up from an introduction to Javascript and looks at its use in real world situations. You will need to be reasonably fluent in the language to get the best out of it.

The book presents a topic as a question and then presents code to action that query as a solution, then goes through that code in a discussion section. This is where I have a relatively minor criticism of this book; the necessities of discussing the code do not always mesh well with the question and answer format of the layout.

The authors have gone to great effort to ensure that the book is as up-to-date as possible, though this is a rapidly moving target of course, and detail how to ensure that the code will run on as many platforms as possible, rarely giving up and saying 'forget it..', though this proved necessary in a number of the more esoteric options and older browsers.

A highly recommended read if you are looking for a quick solution, or a detailed understanding of what's going on.

I didn't really think I needed this book -- I have sever other JavaScript books, including the O'Reilly JavaScript Cookbook, and it seemed like this would just be a duplication. But I kept reading really positive reviews of this and other SitePoint books on sites that I trusted, so I decided to take a flier on it.

I'm really glad I did. Unlike some of the O'Reilly books, which are dated at this point, this has really up-to-date, professional code that incorporates best practices. Depending on what kind of JavaScript code base you need to integrate with, you may be able to use this code as-is in many instances. Even if you need to modify it for your own uses, you will never find poorly-organized hackwork here.

Also nice is the up-to-date topic selection. Classics like DOM, form validation, drop-down menus, and cookies are supplemented with topics about accessibility, XMLHttpRequest, in-page dialogs, and using class prototypes. When the authors tell you how to launch popups, they also tell you about all the pitfalls and problems.

No cookbook is going to cover ever possible topic (personally, I would have liked to see JSON examples), but this one is about as complete as you could reasonably ask for. Really, the only downside about this book that I can see is that you need to have at least an intermediate understanding of JavaScript to understand what's going on. There isn't a lot of handholding, and you will likely want to own both a good tutorial and a solid reference on JavaScript and spend some time with them before you're ready for this book. But if you have a good working knowledge of JavaScript and are looking for practical, well-written examples of how to incorporate new techniques into your code, you won't find a better book than this one.

I didn't really think I needed this book -- I have sever other JavaScript books, including the O'Reilly JavaScript Cookbook, and it seemed like this would just be a duplication. But I kept reading really positive reviews of this and other SitePoint books on sites that I trusted, so I decided to take a flier on it.

I'm really glad I did. Unlike some of the O'Reilly books, which are dated at this point, this has really up-to-date, professional code that incorporates best practices. Depending on what kind of JavaScript code base you need to integrate with, you may be able to use this code as-is in many instances. Even if you need to modify it for your own uses, you will never find poorly-organized hackwork here.

Also nice is the up-to-date topic selection. Classics like DOM, form validation, drop-down menus, and cookies are supplemented with topics about accessibility, XMLHttpRequest, in-page dialogs, and using class prototypes. When the authors tell you how to launch popups, they also tell you about all the pitfalls and problems.

No cookbook is going to cover ever possible topic (personally, I would have liked to see JSON examples), but this one is about as complete as you could reasonably ask for. Really, the only downside about this book that I can see is that you need to have at least an intermediate understanding of JavaScript to understand what's going on. There isn't a lot of handholding, and you will likely want to own both a good tutorial and a solid reference on JavaScript and spend some time with them before you're ready for this book. But if you have a good working knowledge of JavaScript and are looking for practical, well-written examples of how to incorporate new techniques into your code, you won't find a better book than this one.

It is a good book with useful tips and tricks.
the authors use an elegant way to catch the target.

This book has chosen a different approach for teaching javascript to the readers. It first raises a question and then gives you the solution. What I like most about this book is that the solutions are very brief yet complete.It is obvious that the authors have years of work experience in web-development industry because they mention all the most popular problems that a developer might face while developing a website. (If they wanted to point all the tips and tricks, the book had to be named 10001 tips and tricks not 101 ... !!!).

I'm not quite sure if this book can be very handy for absolute beginners. I had a good(but not extremely good) understanding of javascript yet there were parts of this book that I struggled to understand. However, if you are serious about javascript, this book is the one you can't afford to miss!

'The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks' is quite simply an outstanding book that any web developer or Javascript programmer would be making a mistake to not have on their shelf next to their computer. As the title says, packed full to the brim with over 100 tips and tricks on how Javascript can be used in uber-cool ways, this book is packed with goodies in and out. At nearly 600 pages, this text doesn't have the lesser # of pages which I usually like about O'Reilly published books, and in the case, the more the merrier!! As per usual, sitepoint has produced a gem; a book that is well written full of useful material, and laid out in such a concise form that brevity ensues even at 600 pages!!

I love all sitepoint books, and its because they publish great authors and employ great layout people for their books that any publishing house in the industry could learn from. I have yet to read a book of theirs that I didn't instantly think was helpful, and my mind isn't changed with this wonderful guide.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

'The JavaScript Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks' is quite simply an outstanding book that any web developer or Javascript programmer would be making a mistake to not have on their shelf next to their computer. As the title says, packed full to the brim with over 100 tips and tricks on how Javascript can be used in uber-cool ways, this book is packed with goodies in and out. At nearly 600 pages, this text doesn't have the lesser # of pages which I usually like about O'Reilly published books, and in the case, the more the merrier!! As per usual, sitepoint has produced a gem; a book that is well written full of useful material, and laid out in such a concise form that brevity ensues even at 600 pages!!

I love all sitepoint books, and its because they publish great authors and employ great layout people for their books that any publishing house in the industry could learn from. I have yet to read a book of theirs that I didn't instantly think was helpful, and my mind isn't changed with this wonderful guide.

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This book assumes a strong understanding of JavaScript by the user. This is confusing at times, as you try to understand what the author is taking about. I would have expected a book with this title to spell things out a little better. I found better tips and tricks on-line. W3C website is a better reference.

This book may have 101 Essential Tips, Tricks, and Hacks, but it fails at really explaining the language. I was looking for a book that would teach me the language. The content found in this book can just as easily be learned if you're good with a search engine. By no means a comprehensive book on Javascript.

James Edwards & Cameron Adams' THE JAVASCRIPT ANTHOLOGY: 101 ESSENTIAL TIPS, TRICKS & HACKS compiles a range of solutions to the most common JavaScript questions and problems, offering up tested solutions, standards-compliant tips, and keys to ensuring JavaScript code is clean, accessible and logical. From the basics of making a drop-down or fly-out menu to making attribute tooltips display on focus, THE JAVASCRIPT ANTHOLOGY is a 'must' for any serious Javascript programmer.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

OK... this book is going under lock and key at my work desk... The JavaScript Anthology : 101 Essential Tips, Tricks & Hacks by James Edwards and Cameron Adams.

Contents: Getting Started with JavaScript; Working with Numbers; Working with Strings; Working with Arrays; Navigating the Document Object Model; Processing and Validating Forms; Working with Windows and Frames; Working with Cookies; Working with Dates and Times; Working with Images; Detecting Browser Differences; Using JavaScript with CSS; Basic Dynamic HTML; Time and Motion; DHTML Menus and Navigation; JavaScript and Accessibility; Using JavaScript with Flash; Building Web Applications with JavaScript; Object Orientation in JavaScript; Keeping up the Pace; Index

The book is made up just like the title indicates... 101 tips and tricks related to JavaScript usage on your web pages. If you have read any of the "Recipe"-type books, you'll recognize the format right away. Each tip is titled appropriately, followed by a solution and discussion. There's also a number of sidebar entries that expand a bit on the concept or explain a "gotcha" that might bite you if you're unaware. The writing style is conversational and direct, with *loads* of examples to look at. It's one of those books that you find yourself spending more time with than you expect, because it's tempting to read the tip that follows the one you were interested in...

One of the reasons I probably like this book so much is my weakness for coding samples I can "appropriate". If I'm not completely comfortable with a language (like JavaScript), I often need a quick hint or example that I can see in order to formulate my particular solution. Just reading the raw documentation usually isn't as helpful as seeing something that is close to what I need, and that *works*! As I was going through this book, I saw some tips that immediately addressed a couple of applications I'm working on. I also saw some menuing code that will likely make an appearance in a few more applications.

Bottom line is that I like this book a lot. It's going into my backpack right now for transportation into work, and this one may end up in my drawer rather than my shelf. I want to keep tabs on it...

Are you involved or interested in building web sites or web applications? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Cameron Adams and James Edwards, have done an outstanding job of writing a practical book for webmasters who are looking for a copy-and-paste solutions to everyday needs. Adams and James Edwards, begin by providing an overview of JavaScript's capabilities and limitations, and introduce some core best practices that they'll be using through the rest of the book. Then, the authors look at techniques for using and processing numbers in JavaScript. They continue by looking at ways of manipulating strings to find information, storing data, and preparing test for output; as well as, including a thorough introduction to regular expressions in JavaScript. Next, the authors introduce you to one of the most powerful data-storage structures in JavaScript: the array. Then, the authors introduce and explore DOM, and look at how to create and read the data from elements, attributes, and text. Then, they look at reading and writing data from different kinds of form widget, address the tasks of validating and processing form data, and discuss techniques for improving the usability of form-based interfaces. They also take a cautious look at manipulating windows and scripting across frames. Next, the authors introduce cookies and show you how to use them effectively. Then, they show you how to get the date and time in JavaScript, how to compare and process dates and times, and how to output the final data in different formats and conventions. They continue by exploring the basic techniques involved in scripting for images. Next, the authors outline techniques for dealing with different browsers and rendering modes. Then, they look at how to read and write the styles from a single element or group of elements, how to read and write CSS rules to an existing or created style sheet, and how to build a style sheet switcher. The authors also cover event-handling in all its flavors, detecting the position and size of an object, tracking the mouse, and making elements appear and disappear. Next, they look at more complex forms of scripting that use motion and animation. Then, the authors include solutions for the problem of menus overlapping select elements in Windows IE 5 and IE 6. They also provide an overview of the current state of play regarding JavaScript and accessibility. The authors continue by showing you how to detect whether a user has the Flash plugin, and mastering communications between JavaScript and Flash. Next, they delve into the exciting area of online application design, including data retrieved using XMLHttpRequest, as well as the older technique of using iframes. Then, the authors introduce OOP, exploring its core concepts and benefits. Finally, the authors look at everyday techniques for writing faster, more efficient code that's shorter and uses less memory. In this most excellent book, you'll find scripts and discussions that sit on the bleeding edge of current practice. More importantly, you'll find this book a useful and inspirational resource for modern, best practice scripting.

The book contains well-written code, with good explanations. You will use the recipes in your code, particularly the div-based error message dialog, and the menus. Worth the price.

I've been writing JavaScript in various forms for nearly 6 years now. That said, I still learned quite a few things from this book.

I was initially expecting it to be a typical "learn x in 21 easy lessons" style book, but I was surprised when I was already reading about event listeners and other concepts typically reserved for the back of JavaScript books by page 16. Almost everything I've read in the JavaScript Anthology so far is very solid, and while I will echo the gripe by a previous reader about modifying CSS properties with inline styles instead of class names, that's a relatively minor issue in what is overall a very well put together book.

Although I have been programming JavaScript for many years, I use it infrequently. This book proved to be a great refresher as well as preparing me for the latest features JavaScript has to offer. The book uses practical real-world examples that any website can apply to enhance their visitors' experience without alienating non-javascript-enabled users.

As someone who only dabbles in Javascript from time to time I found the book useful and informative. The authors are careful to offer best practices with regard to accessibility and explain in detail the why and wherefore of each technique used.

The section on dhtml drop down menus is very good and covers the subject in close detail and was relatively easy to follow. Even though the topic was more advanced than my current level I could still understand what was going on and would be able to manipulate the code even if I couldn't write it from scratch.

There are many other similar topics and I'm sure I will be dipping into this book often.

This book is for advanced beginners and middling experienced developers who not only want a solid repository of the latest JavaScript but who also demand to know why these scripts are superior to what they can find in older sources.

Finding what you want is easy because the book has a consistent Problem -> Solution -> Discussion format that facilitates homing in on what you need at the moment. The discussion is where the true learning value is concentrated for those who want to go beyond dealing with their current production challenge.

I don't recommend this book if your focus involves making form-based applications or you make applications and web sites that use or display data tables. The form scripting in the book is very elementary. Surprisingly, the book contains *no* data table display or table manipulation scripting section, although it handles basic column sorting in one chapter.

Quibble: in a book otherwise packed with scripting best practices, Chapter 12 "Using JavaScript with CSS" trips up when it focuses so much attention on how to change style property values. The best practice is to change an object's style class (className) rather than embed specific property values in scripted code. On agile coding teams, it is *very* important to keep scripted behavior and the presentational layer separate.

Otherwise, this is a very solid reference and I'm glad I bought it. The chapter on scripting while coping with accessibility concerns was unique and of superior value.

You would think that by the title of this book, you would only use maybe a chapter or two to learn something in particular; or that this book is a just a copy and past DHTML book, but you would be so wrong. Even a beginner in JavaScript would be able to follow the smart and easy to follow examples in this book. The author shows the real ways to debug and figure out your syntax error right at the beginning.

After the basics of the first chapter, it slowly covers each topic (Numbers, Strings, Arrays, DOM, Forms, Cookies, etc.) slowly and with such care that it is impossible to get lost or not understand what the author is saying.

Each chapter is covered in 2 ways: A regular progression of understanding each topic and intermingling "how-to" sections (solutions) to get the readers attention. It is also a great way for readers who already know JavaScript fairly well to find a particular topic they are looking for.

I hate 800+ page books (i.e. Bible books) that can take you so long to find a particular topic or just ramble on and never really teach you anything. This book gives just enough detail with over-explaing, but don't think the book is too brief! I can easily breeze through this book and know exactly how to find the answer in minutes and understand what the author is saying.

I've been using JavaScript for a couple years now as well as teaching part-time web design and I've found many chapters very useful already, specifically: Chapter 5 (Navigating the DOM), Chapter 6 (Forms and validation), Chapter 10 (Working with Images), Chapter 13 (Basic Dynamic HTML), and Chapter 15 (DHTML Menus and Navigation). I could use this book for an entire course (15 weeks) and have more than enough material.

I've never seen a book that covers how to create a complete professional navigation system (Chapter 15) before. Most people just copy an paste code from sites like (DynamicDrive.com) for fancy DHTML effects, but I always wanted to understand how it was done. All the other JavaScript books I have purchased either never focused on it or was too old to cover the latest browser standards (IE 6, Firefox 1.x, Opera 8). This book has it all.

If you really want to understand JavaScript, get this book. It's worth every penny...