Good material, Very disturbing format
I bought this book due to the high reviews already here and if I were to rate the book on content alone the rating would be much higher, but...I am having a very hard time reading the book. The layout of the book is very disturbing to me. It seems like an attempt to lay out the pages using a web-style layout. I really want to slam the book shut and toss it out, but I also really want the information contained within. I'm forcing myself to read faster and faster just to get to the end so I'm done.
A great intermediate-advanced book for designers
?`People who give this book 1 star ratings because it's not a beginner's book are missing the point. I picked this up because it fills a gaping gap between the Dummies or Teach Yourself in 24 Hours types of books, and the doorstop reference tomes. Like other Magic series books, this is entirely project oriented. While following each project I picked up a bunch of useful tips to get us working stiff web designers over the roadblocks that can prevent us from using CSS or JavaScript effectively. It's?`?` clear that the author has actually spent time working on real websites, and is not just a theoretician. I have already benefitted from the techniques and hints in the book in my paying projects.
I also appreciated the non-preachy tone: I know that I should be using CSS and XHTML and trying to wean myself away from tables, but there aren't that many books out there that actually show you how to do that without hitting me over the head with the "You Must Follow Standards" hammer. The?`?` clean, non-fussy designs appeal too. My favorite sections are the CSS section (Part 1) and the last section, which shows what a little imagination using JavaScript, CSS and browsers that support the W3C-DOM specs can produce.
Great Project Book
I just finished Goodman's Javascript Bible 4th ed and am about to emabark on the DHMTL book he wrote. I was looking for some design projects to help put things in context--and give me some ideas of what CSS, Javascript, DHTML, and W3C DOM is capable of doing.This book is it.
I recommend this book if you are interested in putting the pieces together; HOWEVER, I caution that there are A LOT of errors in this book. If you follow along typing in the javascript examples you will find disparate names for functions--between where you initially type them in and where they are eventually called. The same thing happens with variable names, and Itoh sometimes uses capitals in two word + variable names, and sometimes doesn't, which is kind of irritating--and leads to more errors. These things combined can make for some serious clean-up headaches when you go to view the pages.
The book is still worth picking up, especially if you're looking to make webpages that sing. Just make sure you're familiar with Javascript--otherwise you'll be frustrated.
Up to the usual standards from the Magic series
A project based book, up to the usual standards from the Magic series, but with a slight misleading title. You will find some good real world advice and tips on CSS, intermediate level, pratical JavaScript (really sophisticated JavaScript is pretty rare everywhere) but only some marginal coverage of the DOM
Terrific Practical Examples
This book is about *applying* CSS and Javascript and shows practical examples.Chapters 1 and 2 alone are worth the price of the book.
The first chapter takes one page and shows how to apply CSS to it. The second chapter is a must for web developers who use tables and are wanting to take advantage of CSS to simplify their work.
Netscape 4.x problems with CSS are not ignored but are noted so the webdeveloper is aware of the pitfall.
I can't comment on the CD because I type the examples as I go instead of using files from CDs included with any book.
