A few weeks ago I ordered Jeremy Keith’s DOM Scripting book. (Yes, I know I’m far behind in my reading, but life has been busy.) I’ve had some free time lately to read through it and I think it’s really quite good (yes, I actually -read- through the book, much to the confusion of people who don’t like technical manuals).
He really goes into the core basics of what DOM is, and how it functions in relation to the content you see printed out on a web page. I will say that it really is a book at a beginning level, but there is nothing at all wrong with that. Just keep in mind that if you’re looking for an advanced book (is there even one in print on the topic?) that this is not what you need. Read introductions, they tell a great deal — in his he essentially says that the book is for web designers with no DOM experience.
Many people these days seem to be keying up two catch phrases together: DOM and Ajax. This book is not about Ajax, it’s about DOM. I would imagine most people could figure that out from the title, but a few that I talked to seemed to think it was also about Ajax. There is, just to whet your appetite, a teeny chapter on Ajax at the end, but don’t expect to learn Ajax from it, it’s mostly an overview.
If you want to get the basics of DOM scripting, it really couldn’t have been explained better. He does a fantastic job. Jeremy writes in a very easy and readable tone that makes it all painless. I’m hoping that he comes out with DOM Scripting ‘Intermediate’ and ‘Advanced’ books later on. 🙂
~Nicole
For an more advanced book on javascript, check out PPK’s book. For details see his site. He really explains things well for different levels. For beginners (people how have read domscriping) it is a great way to advance beyond that level. For the wiser among us, it is a book that you can use as a reference book.
I didn’t realize that he’d written one! I’ve been quite busy lately and need to catch up on a few things. Thanks for the great tip 🙂