Eloquent JavaScript is a guide to JavaScript that focuses on good programming techniques rather than offering a mish-mash of cut-and-paste effects. The author teaches you how to leverage JavaScript's grace and precision to write real browser-based applications. The book begins with the fundamentals of programming-variables, control structures, functions, and data structures-then moves on to more complex topics, like object-oriented programming, regular expressions, and browser events. With clear examples and a focus on elegance, Eloquent JavaScript will have you fluent in the language of the web in no time.

Table of Contents

Dedication; Introduction; On Programming; Why Language Matters; What Is JavaScript?; Trying Programs; Overview of This Book; Typographic Conventions; Chapter 1: Basic JavaScript: Values, Variables, and Control Flow; 1.1 Values; 1.2 Variables; 1.3 The Environment; 1.4 Program Structure; 1.5 More on Types; Chapter 2: Functions; 2.1 The Anatomy of a Function Definition; 2.2 Techniques; Chapter 3: Data Structures: Objects and Arrays; 3.1 The Problem: Aunt Emily's Cats; 3.2 Basic Data Structures; 3.3 Solving the Problem of Aunt Emily's Cats; 3.4 Some More Theory; Chapter 4: Error Handling; 4.1 Types of Problems; 4.2 Handling Errors; 4.3 Automated Testing; Chapter 5: Functional Programming; 5.1 Abstraction; 5.2 Higher-Order Functions; 5.3 The Sad Story of the Recluse; 5.4 Other Functional Tricks; Chapter 6: Object-Oriented Programming; 6.1 Objects; 6.2 Building an Ecosystem Simulation; 6.3 A More Lifelike Simulation; 6.4 Prototypal Inheritance; Chapter 7: Modularity; 7.1 Modules; 7.2 The Shape of a Module; 7.3 Interface Design; 7.4 Libraries; Chapter 8: Regular Expressions; 8.1 Syntax; 8.2 Matching and Replacing; 8.3 Parsing an .ini File; 8.4 Conclusion; Chapter 9: Web Programming: A Crash Course; 9.1 The Internet; 9.2 Basic Web Scripting; 9.3 Browser Incompatibility; 9.4 Further Reading; Chapter 10: The Document Object Model; 10.1 DOM Elements; 10.2 Style Sheets; 10.3 Word of Caution; Chapter 11: Browser Events; 11.1 Event Handlers; 11.2 Example: Implementing Sokoban; Chapter 12: HTTP requests; 12.1 The HTTP Protocol; 12.2 The XMLHttpRequest API; 12.3 Learning HTTP; Colophon; Updates;