[thelist] enhancing javascript skills

[Christian Heilmann]

> > My goal is to write my own javascript.
> >
> > I am an expert in html/xhtml and css.
>
> Check out this also:
>
> http://jquery.com/
>
> A library like this will help your JS coding tremendously.
>
> Fred

I have to very much disagree with that. jQuery is a wonderful tool to
get quick results and write applications fast but it does not make
your JS "coding" better. On the contrary, if you don't know what can
go wrong you will make yourself dependent on jQuery and that is just
substitution rather than biting the bullet and getting your head
around DOM scripting and Event Handling.

Learning JavaScript is more about learning how to apply JavaScript and
what impact that has on the visitors of your site or users of your
products than how to learn the syntax and there are terrible few
tutorials and courses that give you that.

I've tried to give my share to alleviate that:
http://icant.co.uk/articles/maintainablejavascriptslideshow/
http://icant.co.uk/articles/from-dhtml-to-dom/
http://onlinetools.org/articles/unobtrusivejavascript/

I am not saying that all I do is great and the only thing you should
follow, however I think we should be very careful as to what to tell
people to *start* with. Most of the terribly outdated and dangerous
tutorials out there are built on the premise that you should have
immediate results and "learn JavaScript in 15 minutes" which is
ludicrous.

The environment JS is executed in is the big unknown, you don't know
what browser is on the other end, what input device and what ability
the user has. It is much more important to learn how to test before
you apply than to apply. JavaScript in itself is a helper, a layer on
top of a solid foundation that helps the user reach a goal faster. For
anything else, it is just bells and whistles you don't need.

Chris


-- 
Chris Heilmann
Book: http://www.beginningjavascript.com
Blog: http://www.wait-till-i.com
Writing: http://icant.co.uk/