CSE 341: Programming Languages, Autumn 2010

JavaScript Books and Readings

No textbook is required for our JavaScript coverage. But the following books are recommended. They are both great references to the JavaScript language; the Good Parts book also inspired much of the material we are covering:

The following are direct links to various reading sections related to the material from each lecture. NOTE: Some links from web site "Quirksmode" refer to web browser objects such as document, navigator, and window.

Intro to JavaScript:

• Douglas Crockford (Yahoo!), "A Survey of the JavaScript Programming Language"
• Mozilla - A (re)introduction to JavaScript
• Quirksmode: Intro to JavaScript
• Quirksmode: JavaScript statements
• Quirksmode: Strings
• Quirksmode: Boolean logic
• video: Douglas Crockford, "The JavaScript Programming Language" (part 1 of 4)
• video: Douglas Crockford, "Crockford on JavaScript: The Complete Series"

Arrays and Objects:

• Quirksmode: Objects as associative arrays
• Wikipedia: duck typing
• Big Dingus blog: Just what is this JavaScript object you handed me? (duck typing)
• How duck typing influences class design and design principles
• The Secret Life of JavaScript Primitives

Functions:

• Quirksmode: Functions
• Quirksmode: The this keyword
• Douglas Crockford, "Crockford on JavaScript, Act III: Function the Ultimate"
• Understanding JavaScript Prototypes
• JavaScript: The Magic Parts (prototypes)

Prototypes and Inheritance:

• Douglas Crockford, "Prototypal Inheritance in JavaScript"
• Douglas Crockford, "Classical Inheritance in JavaScript"
• Douglas Crockford, "Private Members in JavaScript"
• Mozilla Dev Center: The instanceof operator
• JavaScript Weblog: Understanding Prototypes
• Joost: Constructors considered mildly confusing
• Mozilla Dev Center: constructor
• base2 JavaScript OO library
• Dean Edwards: base2, an introduction

Scope/Closures:

• Mozilla Developer Network: JavaScript Closures
• Robert Nyman: Explaining JavaScript Scope and Closures
• Pat's Place blog: Closing the Book on JavaScript Closures
• Mozilla: What's New in JavaScript v1.7. (let statement)

Regular Expressions:

• Mozilla Dev Center: JavaScript Regular Expressions
• Mozilla dev Center: RegExp object
• W3Schools: RegExp object

Good/Bad Parts; Libraries:

• Douglas Crockford, "Code Conventions for the JavaScript Programming Language"
• video: Douglas Crockford, "JavaScript: The Good Parts"
• video: Douglas Crockford, "Advanced JavaScript"
• video: John Resig (author of jQuery library), "Advancing JavaScript with Libraries" (part 1 of 2)