Sams Teach Yourself Ajax, JavaScript, and PHP All in One: (Sams Teach Yourself)

In just a short time, you can learn how to use Ajax, JavaScript, and PHP to create interactive interfaces to your web applications by combining these powerful technologies.   No previous Ajax programming experience is required. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson in this book builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of Ajax programming with JavaScript, PHP, and related technologies from the ground up.   Regardless of whether you run Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X, the enclosed CD includes a complete Ajax programming starter kit that gives you all the programming tools, reference information, JavaScript libraries, and server software you need to set up a stable environment for learning, testing, and production.   Learn how to… Build better, more interactive interfaces for your web applications Make JavaScript, HTML, XML, and PHP work together to create Ajax effects Compile an Ajax application Create and consume web services with SOAP and REST Avoid common errors and troubleshoot programs Use popular Ajax libraries to speed up and improve common programming tasks   On the CD XAMPP for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux—an easy-to-install package to set up a PHP- and MySQL-enabled Apache server on your computer The jEdit programming editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux Prototype, Scriptaculous, Rico, and XOAD—popular JavaScript libraries for creating Ajax applications and effects A complete Ajax, HTML, XML, and PHP tutorial reference library in searchable PDF format Source code for the examples in the book   Phil Ballard is a software engineering consultant and developer specializing in website and intranet design and development for an international portfolio of clients. He has an honors degree from the University of Leeds, England, and has worked for several years in commercial and managerial roles in the high technology sector.   Michael Moncur is a freelance webmaster and author. He runs a network of websites and has written several bestselling books about web development, networking, certification programs, and databases.   Category: Web Development Covers: Ajax, JavaScript and PHP User Level: Beginning–Intermediate 

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part I: Web Basics Refresher                                                                         7 Chapter 1: Workings of the Web                                                               9     A Short History of the Internet........................................................... 9     The World Wide Web..................................................................... 10     Introducing HTTP............................................................................ 14     The HTTP Request and Response................................................... 15     HTML Forms.................................................................................. 17     Summary......................................................................................... 20 chapter 2: Writing and Styling Pages in HTML and CSS                         21     Introducing HTML.......................................................................... 21     Elements of an HTML Page............................................................. 23     A More Advanced HTML Page...................................................... 27     Some Useful HTML Tags................................................................ 29     Adding Your Own Style.................................................................. 30     Defining the Rules............................................................................ 31     Add a Little class............................................................................. 31     Applying Styles................................................................................ 33     Formatting Text with Styles.............................................................. 35     Adding Lines................................................................................... 39     Summary......................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3: Anatomy of an Ajax Application                                             41     The Need for Ajax.......................................................................... 41     Introducing Ajax.............................................................................. 43     The Constituent Parts of Ajax.......................................................... 45     Putting It All Together...................................................................... 47     Summary......................................................................................... 49 Part II: Introducing Web Scripting with JavaScript                                        51 chapter 4: Creating Simple Scripts in JavaScript                                      53     Tools for Scripting........................................................................... 53     Displaying Time with JavaScript....................................................... 54     Beginning the Script......................................................................... 55     Adding JavaScript Statements.......................................................... 55     Creating Output............................................................................... 56     Adding the Script to a Web Page..................................................... 57     Testing the Script............................................................................. 58     JavaScript Syntax Rules................................................................... 65     Using Comments............................................................................. 66     Best Practices for JavaScript............................................................ 67     Summary......................................................................................... 69 chapter 5: Working with the Document Object Model (DOM)                71     Understanding Objects.................................................................... 71     Understanding the Document Object Model (DOM)........................ 72     Working with Web Documents........................................................ 74     Accessing Browser History.............................................................. 77     Working with the location Object..................................................... 78     Summary......................................................................................... 80 chapter 6: Using Variables, Strings, and Arrays                                       81     Using Variables............................................................................... 81     Understanding Expressions and Operators....................................... 85     Data Types in JavaScript................................................................. 86     Converting Between Data Types...................................................... 88     Using String Objects........................................................................ 89     Working with Substrings.................................................................. 92     Using Numeric Arrays..................................................................... 94     Using String Arrays.......................................................................... 96     Sorting a Numeric Array.................................................................. 98     Summary....................................................................................... 101 chapter 7: Using Functions and Objects                                                103     Using Functions............................................................................. 103     Introducing Objects....................................................................... 108     Using Objects to Simplify Scripting................................................ 109     Extending Built-in Objects.............................................................. 112     Summary....................................................................................... 115 chapter 8: Controlling Flow with Conditions and Loops                         117     The if Statement............................................................................. 118     Using Shorthand Conditional Expressions....................................... 121     Testing Multiple Conditions with if and else..................................... 122     Using Multiple Conditions with switch............................................ 124     Using for Loops............................................................................. 125     Using while Loops......................................................................... 128     Using do…while Loops................................................................. 128     Working with Loops...................................................................... 129     Looping Through Object Properties............................................... 131     Summary....................................................................................... 134 chapter 9: Using Built-In Functions and Libraries                                   135     Using the Math Object................................................................... 135     Working with Math Functions........................................................ 137     Using the with Keyword................................................................ 139     Working with Dates....................................................................... 140     Using Third-Party Libraries............................................................ 143     Other Libraries.............................................................................. 144     Summary....................................................................................... 145 Part III: Introducing Ajax                                                                           147 chapter 10: The Heart of Ajax–the XMLHTTPRequest Object           149     Introducing XMLHTTPRequest..................................................... 149     Creating the XMLHTTPRequest Object........................................ 150     Summary....................................................................................... 156 chapter 11: Talking with the Server                                                       157     Sending the Server Request........................................................... 157     Monitoring Server Status............................................................... 162     The Callback Function................................................................... 163     Summary....................................................................................... 166 chapter 12: Using the Returned Data                                                     167     The responseText and responseXML Properties............................ 167     Parsing responseXML................................................................... 171     Providing User Feedback.............................................................. 172     Summary....................................................................................... 174 Chapter 13: Our First Ajax Application                                                  175     Constructing the Ajax Application.................................................. 175     The HTML Document................................................................... 176     Adding JavaScript......................................................................... 177     Putting It All Together.................................................................... 180     Summary....................................................................................... 184 Part IV: Server-side Scripting with PHP                                                     185 Chapter 14: Getting to Know PHP                                                        187     PHP Basics................................................................................... 187     Your First PHP Script................................................................... 190     Summary....................................................................................... 194 chapter 15: Variables                                                                            195     Understanding Variables................................................................ 195     Data Types.................................................................................... 197     Working with Numbers.................................................................. 198     Numeric Data Types...................................................................... 200     Numeric Functions......................................................................... 200     Working with Strings..................................................................... 202     Formatting Strings.......................................................................... 203     String Functions............................................................................. 205     Working with Arrays..................................................................... 206     Array Functions............................................................................. 208     Date Formats................................................................................ 209     Working with Timestamps.............................................................. 210     Summary....................................................................................... 213 Chapter 16: Flow Control                                                                      215     Conditional Statements.................................................................. 215     Loops........................................................................................... 220     Summary....................................................................................... 222 Chapter 17: Functions                                                                           223     Using Functions............................................................................. 223     Arguments and Return Values........................................................ 225     Using Library Files......................................................................... 229     Summary....................................................................................... 229 Chapter 18: Using Classes                                                                     231     Object-Oriented PHP.................................................................... 231     What Is a Class?........................................................................... 232     Creating and Using Objects........................................................... 233     Summary....................................................................................... 236 Part V: More Complex Ajax Technologies                                                 237 Chapter 19: Returning Data as Text                                                       239     Getting More from the responseText Property................................ 239     Summary....................................................................................... 245 Chapter 20: AHAH–Asynchronous HTML and HTTP                         247     Introducing AHAH........................................................................ 247     Creating a Small Library for AHAH............................................... 248     Using myAHAHlib.js..................................................................... 250     Summary....................................................................................... 255 Chapter 21: Returning Data as XML                                                      257     Adding the “x” to Ajax................................................................... 257     The responseXML Property.......................................................... 258     Project–An RSS Headline Reader............................................... 262     Summary....................................................................................... 269 chapter 22: Web Services and the REST and SOAP Protocols             271     Introduction to Web Services......................................................... 271     REST–Representational State Transfer......................................... 272     Using REST in Practice.................................................................. 274     Web Services Using SOAP........................................................... 278     The SOAP Protocol...................................................................... 279     Using Ajax and SOAP................................................................... 282     Reviewing SOAP and REST.......................................................... 283     Summary....................................................................................... 284 chapter 23: A JavaScript Library for Ajax                                             285     An Ajax Library............................................................................ 285     Reviewing myAHAHlib.js.............................................................. 286     Implementing Our Library.............................................................. 287     Using the Library........................................................................... 290     Summary....................................................................................... 293 chapter 24: Ajax Gotchas                                                                     295     Common Ajax Errors.................................................................... 295     The Back Button........................................................................... 296     Bookmarking and Links................................................................. 297     Telling the User That Something Is Happening................................ 297     Making Ajax Degrade Elegantly..................................................... 297     Dealing with Search Engine Spiders................................................ 298     Pointing Out Active Page Elements................................................. 299     Don’t Use Ajax Where It’s Inappropriate...................................... 299     Security......................................................................................... 300     Test Code Across Multiple Platforms............................................. 300     Ajax Won’t Cure a Bad Design..................................................... 301     Some Programming Gotchas.......................................................... 301     Summary....................................................................................... 302 Part VI: Ajax Tools and Resources                                                            303 Chapter 25: The prototype.js Toolkit                                                     305     Introducing prototype.js................................................................. 305     Wrapping XMLHTTPRequest–the Ajax Object........................... 308     Example Project–Stock Price Reader.......................................... 311     Summary....................................................................................... 313 chapter 26: Using Rico                                                                         315     Introducing Rico............................................................................ 315     Rico’s Other Interface Tools.......................................................... 320     Summary....................................................................................... 324 Chapter 27: Using Script.aculo.us                                                          325     Downloading the Library................................................................ 325     Including the Files.......................................................................... 326     Using Effects................................................................................. 326     Building the Script.......................................................................... 327     Summary....................................................................................... 329 Chapter 28: Using XOAD                                                                     331     Introducing XOAD........................................................................ 331     XOAD HTML.............................................................................. 334     Advanced Programming with XOAD............................................. 337     Summary....................................................................................... 338 Appendix: JavaScript, PHP, and Ajax Websites                                     339 Glossary                                                                                              343 TOC, 0672329654, 6/6/2008

About the Author :
Phil Ballard, the author of Sams Teach Yourself Ajax in 10 Minutes, graduated in 1980 with an honors degree in electronics from the University of Leeds, England. Following an early career as a research scientist with a major multinational, he spent a few years in commercial and managerial roles within the high technology sector, later working full time as a software engineering consultant. Operating as “The Mouse Whisperer” (http://www.mousewhisperer.co.uk), Ballard has spent recent years involved solely in website and intranet design and development for an international portfolio of clients.   Michael Moncur is a freelance webmaster and author. He runs a network of websites, including the Web’s oldest site about famous quotations, online since 1994. He wrote Sams Teach Yourself JavaScript in 24 Hours and has also written several bestselling books about networking, certification programs, and databases. He lives with his wife in Salt Lake City, Utah.