JavaScript for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide

For any course in Digital Graphics, Web Design, Web Scripting and Development, Multimedia, Page Layout, Office Tools, and Operating Systems. These task-based, visual reference guides feature step-by-step instructions and plenty of screen shots to guide students and teachers through the most important tasks. Visual QuickStart Guides are the ideal way to get students up and running quickly, and are used for intermediate and advanced students as a quick reference.

Tom Negrino is an author and a contributing editor for Macworld magazine. His previous books include Visual QuickStart Guides covering Quicken 99 for Windows and Quicken 98 for Macintosh. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and trade shows. Dori Smith is author of the Java for the World Wide Web: Visual QuickStart Guide and numerous magazine articles. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences, a member of the Web Standards Project Steering Committee, and a contributing editor for NetProfessional magazine.

1. Getting Acquainted with JavaScript.
What JavaScript Is. What JavaScript Can Do. JavaScript isn't Java. The Snap-together Language. Handling Events. Values and Variables. Assignments and Comparisons. What Tools to Use?

2. Start Me Up!
Where to Put Your Scripts. Hiding Scripts from Old Browsers. Putting Comments in Scripts. Alerting the User. Redirecting the User. Redirecting the User with a Link. Browser Detection and Conditionals. Plug-in Detection. Around and Around with Loops. Functions. Putting More than One Script on a Page. Scrolling Status Bars. Status Bar Messages.

3. Fun with Images.
Creating Rollovers. Creating More Effective Rollovers. Triggering Rollovers from a Link. Multiple Images Changing a Single Rollover. Working with Multiple Rollovers. Using a Function to Simplify Coding Multiple Images with a Single Rollover. Using a Function to Simplify Coding Multiple Rollovers. Creating Cycling Banners. Making the Banner Cycling Wait for the User. Adding Links to Cycling Banners. Building Slide Shows. Building Wraparound Slide Shows. Displaying a Random Image. Combining a Rollover with an Image Map. Automatically Changing Background Colors.

4. Frames, Frames, and More Frames.
Keeping a Page out of a Frame. Forcing a Page into a Frame. Forcing a Site into a Frame. Loading a Frame. Creating and Loading a Dynamic Frame. Sharing Functions Between Frames. Storing Information in Frames. Loading Multiple Frames at Once. Browser Detection with Frames.

5. Working with Browser Windows.
Opening a New Window. Loading Different Contents into a Window. Opening a New Window Using an Image Link. Scrolling a Window. Updating one Window from Another. Creating New Pages with JavaScript. Closing a Window. Creating a Control Panel. Positioning a Window on the Screen. Displaying an Alert when a Window is Loaded.

6. Verifying Forms.
Verifying Passwords. Select-and-Go Navigation. Selecting Menu Items. Working with Radio Buttons. Setting One Field with Another. Validating Zip Codes. Validating Email Addresses.

7. Making Your Pages Dynamic.
Putting the Current Date into a Web Page. Working with Days. Customizing Your Message for the Time of Day. Converting Military Time to AM/PM. Creating a Countdown. Working with Referrer Pages. Writing Text into a Document on the Fly. Date Methods.

8. JavaScript and Cookies.
Baking Your First Cookie. Reading a Cookie. Showing Your Cookies. Using Cookies as Counters. Deleting Cookies. Handling Multiple Cookies. Displaying “New to You” Messages.

9. Java and Plug-ins.
Checking if Java is Enabled. Getting the User's Monitor Size. Using Java to Display Text. Playing Sounds using a Plug-in. Playing a Sound on a Rollover.

10. Working with DHTML and External Files.
DHTML Browsers & “Standards” . Moving an Object in Two Dimensions (Netscape only). Moving an Object in Two Dimensions (Internet Explorer only). Moving an Object in Two Dimensions (All browsers). Moving an Object in Three Dimensions (Netscape only and Internet Explorer only). Moving an Object in Three Dimensions (All browsers). Moving DHTML Text (Netscape only). Moving DHTML Text (All browsers). Modifying a DHTML Drop Shadow (Internet Explorer only). Rotating a DHTML Shadow (Internet Explorer only). Modifying a DHTML Glow (Internet Explorer only). Pull-down Menus (All browsers). Sliding Menus (Internet Explorer only). Tool Tips (All browsers). Using an External .js File (All browsers).

11. Debugging Your JavaScript.
Netscape's Built-in Debugger. JavaScript Debuggers. Common Errors. Following Variables while a Script is Running. Viewing Variables in Another Window. Writing Error Messages to Another Window.

12. Working with Visual Tools.
The Pros and Cons of Visual Tools. Flying Objects in Adobe GoLive. Using Behaviors in Dreamweaver. Creating Buttons with Rollovers in Adobe ImageStyler.

Appendix A: JavaScript Genealogy and Reference.
JavaScript Versions. ECMAScript. Browsers and JavaScript. Object Flowchart. The Big Object Table.

Appendix B: JavaScript Reserved Words.
Appendix C: Where to Learn More.
Finding Help on the Web. Usenet Newsgroups. Books.

Index.