JavaScript: The Definitive Guide

JavaScript is a powerful scripting language that can be embedded directly in HTML. It allows you to create dynamic, interactive Web-based applications that run completely within a Web browser; you don't have to do any server-side programming, like writing CGI scripts. JavaScript is a simpler language than Java. It can be embedded directly in Web pages without compilation, so it is more flexible and easier to use for simple tasks like animation. However, although you can write reasonably robust and complete Web applications using JavaScript alone, JavaScript is not a substitute for Java. In fact, JavaScript is a good client-side complement to Java; using the two together allows you to create more complex applications than are possible with JavaScript alone. JavaScript: The Definitive Guide provides a thorough description of the core JavaScript language and its client-side framework, complete with sophisticated examples that show you how to handle common tasks, like validating form data and working with cookies. The book also contains a definitive, in-depth reference section that covers every core and client-side JavaScript function, object, method, property, constructor, and event handler. This book is an indispensable reference for all JavaScript programmers, regardless of experience level. This third edition of JavaScript: The Definitive Guide describes the latest version of the language, JavaScript 1.2, as supported by Netscape Navigator 4 and Internet Explorer 4. The book also covers JavaScript 1.1, which is the first industry-standard version known as ECMAScript. The new features of JavaScript 1.2, which are likely to be embodied in a later ECMAScript standard release, are clearly indicated, so that you can use them as appropriate in your scripts.

Table of Contents:
Preface. Chapter 1. Introduction to JavaScript 1.1 JavaScript Myths 1.2 Versions of JavaScript 1.3 Client-Side JavaScript: Executable Content in Web Pages 1.4 Client-Side JavaScript Features 1.5 JavaScript Security 1.6 Example: Computing Loan Payments with JavaScript 1.7 Using the Rest of This Book 1.8 Exploring JavaScript. PART 1: Core JavaScript. Chapter 2. Lexical Structure 2.1 Case Sensitivity 2.2 Whitespace and Line Breaks 2.3 Optional Semicolons 2.4 Comments 2.5 Literals 2.6 Identifiers 2.7 Reserved Words. Chapter 3. Data Types and Values 3.1 Numbers 3.2 Strings 3.3 Boolean Values 3.4 Functions 3.5 Objects 3.6 Arrays 3.7 Null 3.8 Undefined 3.9 The Date Object 3.10 Regular Expressions 3.11 Primitive Data Type Wrapper Objects. Chapter 4. Variables 4.1 Variable Typing 4.2 Variable Declaration 4.3 Variable Scope 4.4 Primitive Types and Reference Types 4.5 Garbage Collection 4.6 Variables as Properties 4.7 Variable Scope Revisited. Chapter 5. Expressions and Operators 5.1 Expressions 5.2 Operator Overview 5.3 Arithmetic Operators 5.4 Equality and Identity Operators 5.5 Comparison Operators 5.6 String Operators 5.7 Logical Operators 5.8 Bitwise Operators 5.9 Assignment Operators 5.10 Miscellaneous Operators. Chapter 6. Statements 6.1 Expression Statements 6.2 Compound Statements 6.3 if 6.4 else if 6.5 switch 6.6 while 6.7 do/while 6.8 for 6.9 for/in 6.10 Labels 6.11 break 6.12 continue 6.13 var 6.14 function 6.15 return 6.16 with 6.17 import and export 6.18 The Empty Statement 6.19 Defining Modules 6.20 Exception Handling 6.21 Summary of JavaScript Statements. Chapter 7. Functions 7.1 Defining and Invoking Functions 7.2 Functions as Data 7.3 Function Scope: The Call Object 7.4 Function Arguments: The Arguments Object 7.5 Function Properties and Methods. Chapter 8. Objects 8.1 Objects and Properties 8.2 Constructors 8.3 Methods 8.4 Prototypes and Inheritance 8.5 Object-Oriented JavaScript 8.6 Objects as Associative Arrays 8.7 Object Properties and Methods. Chapter 9. Arrays 9.1 Arrays and Array Elements 9.2 Array Methods 9.3 Arrays in JavaScript 1.0. Chapter 10. Pattern Matching with Regular Expressions 10.1 Defining Regular Expressions 10.2 String Methods for Pattern Matching 10.3 The RegExp Object 10.4 RegExp Methods for Pattern Matching 10.5 RegExp Instance Properties 10.6 RegExp Class Properties. Chapter 11. Further Topics in JavaScript 11.1 Data Type Conversion 11.2 By Value Versus by Reference 11.3 Garbage Collection 11.4 More About Prototypes 11.5 Working with the Scope Chain 11.6 Lexical Scoping and the Closure Object 11.7 The Function Constructor and Function Literals. PART 2: Client-Side JavaScript. Chapter 12. JavaScript in Web Browsers 12.1 The Web Browser Environment 12.2 Embedding JavaScript in HTML 12.3 Execution of JavaScript Programs Chapter 13. Windows and Frames 13.1 Window Overview 13.2 Simple Dialogs 13.3 The Status Line 13.4 Timeouts and Intervals 13.5 The Navigator Object 13.6 The Screen Object 13.7 Window Control Methods 13.8 The Location Object 13.9 The History Object 13.10 Multiple Windows and Frames. Chapter 14. The Document Object Model 14.1 The DOM: An Overview 14.2 Document Properties 14.3 Dynamically Generated Documents 14.4 Forms 14.5 Images 14.6 Links 14.7 Anchors 14.8 Applets and Embedded Data 14.9 The Future of the DOM. Chapter 15. Events and Event Handling 15.1 Event Types 15.2 Event Handlers as HTML Attributes 15.3 Event Handlers as JavaScript Properties 15.4 Special Event Types 15.5 Fourth-Generation Event Model 15.6 Example: An Event Monitor. Chapter 16. Forms and Form Elements 16.1 The Form Object 16.2 Form Elements 16.3 Naming Forms and Form Elements 16.4 Form Element Values 16.5 Form Verification Example. Chapter 17. Dynamic HTML 17.1 Style Sheets 17.2 Dynamic Positioning 17.3 Example: Portable Dynamic Elements. Chapter 18. Saving State with Cookies 18.1 An Overview of Cookies 18.2 Storing Cookies 18.3 Reading Cookies 18.4 Cookie Example. Chapter 19. Compatibility Techniques 19.1 Platform and Browser Compatibility 19.2 Language Version Compatibility 19.3 Compatibility with Non-JavaScript Browsers. Chapter 20. LiveConnect: JavaScript and Java 20.1 Overview of LiveConnect 20.2 LiveConnect Data Types 20.3 LiveConnect Data Conversion 20.4 JavaScript Conversion of JavaObjects 20.5 Scripting Java with JavaScript 20.6 Using JavaScript from Java 20.7 Summary. Chapter 21. JavaScript Security 21.1 JavaScript and Security 21.2 Restricted or Privileged Features 21.3 The Same Origin Policy 21.4 The Data-Tainting Security Model 21.5 Signed Scripts and Privileges 21.6 Signing Scripts 21.7 Requesting Privileges 21.8 Mixing Signed and Unsigned Scripts. PART 3: Reference. Index