Good book for Jquery
The book is written in a well organized pattern. This book actually gives justice to those developers who have been involved in the program so much that they want to share their knowledge to the world. There are already books published that have completely and party discussed jQuery as a library and its valuable explanation however this book gives out a robust explanation on how can jQuery affect the general experience of the web users when the program is effectively implemented properly.
At first glance developers may think that the book could be used as an actual introduction of jQuery. That may seem to be the initial idea of the readers but closer evaluation will reveal some prior knowledge of simple languages and a little bit of jQuery. This presupposition stems from the fact that the book needs you to understand the program quickly and move on to other chapters. It gives out clear usage of the different aspects of the library but it expects the developer to understand the program fast.
Prior skills in JavaScript and HTML are required to use this book to its full extent. On a lighter fact, this book is a perfect addition for developers who might have too much to remember. This book is a perfect crash course in jQuery, revealing almost every aspect of jQuery in a precise and concise manner.
Good Book for a Great Library
This relatively thin book is great if you know the basics of jQuery, and need a reference. It also provides a quick way to browse the API. It does get into the more advanced topics, such as writing plug-ins, but I haven't tried that yet.
Not All I had hoped for
Learning JQuery is a good book that I can recommend, I hoped the same for this one. While it is not a bad book it is much easier to find the information I need from the internet - I didn't find the book either useful or insightful. This is a book that I most likely will never use again.
Very Useful
I have always used online resources for API information since searching is a huge time saver, but online references only delve as deep as a simplistic example often leaving the general purpose and even usefulness of a function unexplained. The jQuery Reference Guide puts those questions to rest and explains how functions work and how supplying various options may change the effect of the function. I found most of the information valuable and an excellent way to quickly learn more about the jQuery library. I am also pleased to see many underused functions like $.grep recieve some attention. I've worked on the jQuery core and UI project. I can attest that both Jonathan and Karl know what they are talking about and do a great job of translating geek into English.
Dig deeper into the DOM and AJAX with jQuery
You might question whether or not a book is even necessary given the wealth of information already available on the jQuery library. I am an avid user of jQuery, semi-active in the community, I have developed a few plug-ins, and I certainly understand the need for this resource guide.
The online documentation is extremely terse, and in order to get an in-depth understanding of the library, a book is necessary. As a programmer I prefer jQuery Resource Guide over Learning jQuery. However, if you are an entry-level interface developer or designer, I might suggest the latter. Either way, you will not be disappointed.
My only complaint with the book, is that it only covers the API. There is no discussion of the jQuery source, and the tactics used to build the library. However, if you want to extend functionality, you will find the chapter on plug-ins very useful. The techniques differ a bit from some of the current jQuery plug-ins, but it is useful nonetheless.
I know there are numerous JavaScript libraries, but I can't say it enough -- this is the one you want to choose, and this is probably the book you want to have on hand when you do decide on jQuery. jQuery Reference Guide is great for helping you to master DOM manipulation, AJAX, and plug-ins, and you will not regret the purchase.
(7 reviews)
