Last night when I got home there was a package on the front porch - my jQuery book! I’m on the jQuery mailing list and when they announced someone was working on a book I went ahead and pre-ordered even though I usually like to preview technical books before making any decisions.
Book:
Learning jQuery : Better Interaction Design and Web Development with Simple JavaScript Techniques
Description:
jQuery is a powerful JavaScript library that can enhance your websites regardless of your background. In this book, creators of the popular jQuery learning resource, www.LearningjQuery.com, share their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm about jQuery to help you get the most from the library and to make your web applications shine.
5 Minute Review:
The book is a nice size (I don’t like huge books), about 350 pages. I have no idea what the image on the cover represents… 
Glancing at the Table of Contents - I’m happy to note there are no basic introductory ‘HTML/Javascript’ chapters (no fluff!) you dive right into a simple jQuery script where you manipulate some CSS.
Initially you start at the basics - jQuery syntax, selectors, events and using effects. Then you move into manipulating the DOM and using AJAX. Then forms (styling and validation) and finally manipulating images. It appears you initially work through basic scripts and as the book progresses - you combine what you have learned in previous chapters to develop more complex applications. I enjoy that form of progression - I can take my time as I go and as I advance - I can go back and review the simpler things if I get confused (which often happens!)
I’m only on Chapter 2 but I’m already beginning to think of some cool places I could use these techniques in the application I’m currently working on (which is a mess of old spaghetti code)!
My only complaint so far - and it’s a minor one - is the screenshots - it would be helpful if these were in color as many of the examples are dealing with changing colors of screen elements and it’s difficult to tell what is going on with the b/w images - but I know if they were color the book would probably be twice the cost so I can live with it
A few notes:
- The publisher Packt - has ‘Open Source Project Royalties’ - when you buy a book about an open source project - they pay a royalty to that project. Neat!
- The authors of this book are going to be coming out with a companion reference book
- There are a few other jQuery books in the works - hop on the mailing list to learn more
I’ll post more as I work through the book. I need to setup an http server on my local box at home so I can work through the examples - maybe it’s time to setup Railo?
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9 Comments
Glad it’s going well so far.
For the initial examples, you won’t need an HTTP server, actually. We specifically developed most of the examples so that they are standalone, and work by just opening the file locally. The only exceptions should be the examples that use AJAX.
When you do need a server, XAMPP is a good package to try.
Nice review.
The image represents the jQuery logo, which is based on Devo Energy domes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I.....Choice.jpg
“I have no idea what the image on the cover represents… ” … the pile of weights is a DEVO hat
My apologies to Devo…
When a problem comes along.
You must jQuery it.
Before the code sits out too long.
You must jQuery it.
When something’s going wrong.
You must jQuery it.
Now jQuery it.
into shape.
shape it up.
get straight.
go forward.
move ahead.
try to interface it.
it’s not too late.
to jQuery it.
jQuery it good.
@Jim: Thanks so much for the review! I’m glad you like the book so far.
@Tane and Greg: Good eye, guys! Also, a few times in the book, Jonathan and I refer to jQuery doing “the heavy lifting” for us. So we thought the weights metaphor would be especially apt for the cover. By the way, I took the photo on the beach of Lake Michigan.
Sorry about the screenshot issue. We were wondering if that would be a problem, but by the time we saw the final proofs, it was too late to do anything about it. I think we were more careful about color in later chapters. Also, as far as I know, the PDF “eBook” version shows the images in color. If there is ever a 2nd edition, we’ll be sure to change examples so they’re more gray-scale-friendly.
I get the impression from this comment in the five minute review this is not a “for Dummies” book
” Glancing at the Table of Contents - I’m happy to note there are no basic introductory ‘HTML/Javascript’ chapters (no fluff!) you dive right into a simple jQuery script where you manipulate some CSS.”
I was hoping there would be a basic intro to the things most people familiar with JavaScript take for granted.
So
” Initially you start at the basics - jQuery syntax, selectors, events and using effects.”
I would like to see several pages of different ways to activate a jQuery, as I have seen at least a dozen,. For example as dumb as this sounds it took me a while to figure out you can call anything in jQuery, using a onclick=”foo()”. But I have not been able to get several jQuery functions to work this way either.
I am not familiar with all the events like “attaching” and “focus” and things like “chaining” are new to me.
Again, I’m talking a real dummy here
Though I am proud of what I have been able to do:
http://www.whatbird.com/wwwroo.....EARCH.html
Check the effects on the Text and Small Icon views and click the Sorting->First, Last to see it puff.
The big challenge in this simulation was getting the effects to wait a fixed time before firing, so as to simulate a real trip to the server.
Mitch
Mitch - what do you expect in 5 minutes
I’m not a javascript expert by any means and so far I have been getting through the book OK.
They start at the very beginning - showing you a simple script - which they then break down - explaining the basic jQuery object - $() as well as the $(document).ready(function(). Then they go on to show how you can reference and act upon elements within your page: $(”p”).show(”slow”);
So it does start out very basic. Sorry my ‘review’ made it sound more complex. As I said - I know little to nothing about Javascript proper and so far I’ve been able to follow all the examples in the book.
I’m interested in getting this book, but I have one question before buying it — does this book talk about integrating jQuery with PHP/MySQL (or other languages)?
Some of the AJAX examples use PHP for the server side actions. Otherwise all of the examples are language independent.
There is also another jQuery book coming out: jQuery In Action.
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