Shelley Powers - JavaScript Cookbook

Covering use of some familiar old friends: String, Number, Boolean, RegExp, Math, and Date. The coverage goes beyond the basic, and also touches on some of the new extensions that come to us via ECMAScript 5 and 6.Probably no component of JavaScript, the language, has changed more than the simple, essential Array. This chapter goes beyond basic Array use, and covers some of the newer functionality.The ubiquitous Functionwhat would we do without it? In JavaScript, very little. This chapter covers some of the more advanced function uses, and introduces more modern functional uses. Well look at the three basic function construction types, as well as the extremely useful IIFE (Immediately Invoked Function Expression).Following closely on the heels of the Array in undergoing change, both in perception and use, the JavaScript Object is nothing if not malleable, hence the chapter title. Most of the chapter focuses on this malleability, both the good uses and the not as good. I also briefly touch on the increasing popularity of functional programming versus object-oriented.You cant escape the DOM, the DOM knows all (nless its Shadow DOM, covered in ). Its a whole lot more fun to work with the DOM nowadays, thanks to new querying capabilitiy. And though most folks use jQuery, its still important to understand whats happening beneath the surface of this and other popular libraries.No matter how new JavaScript is, there are still JavaScript best practices to follow, such as keeping our code clean, testing, and ensuring accessibility. We now have new tools to make these necessary tasks a little easier, and a little more entertaining.Here well look at the basics of library creation, including minification, hosting your library in GitHub or CDN, using external libraries (jQuery and Underscore), and converting your library to a jQuery plug-in. Well take jQuery for a spin, but not all libraries do all thingswell also take a look at libraries that focus on one single type of task. Once we have the basics of library building under our belt, we can continue with modularizing our code, in .You cant play with the new communication techniques (e.g. WebSockets) without a good understanding of Ajax, as well as how to work with JSON and XML. Yes, XML still does exist. Understanding the technology covered in this chapter is necessary before working with the newer client-server communication covered in .This chapter provides basic usage techniques for the Canvas element and 2D graphics, SVG, and the audio and video elements. It also touches on combining the media types (integrating SVG and Canvas) and altering videos as they run. Data visualizations, more escoteric graphical tools, and server-side graphics are covered in .