This E-Book is specifically for people who want to master Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model. We have used it several times in combination with the latest standards HTML5 and CSS3. After reading and studying this book you will be up to date with all the latest web design and development possibilities.
This book deals with a programming language, but it isn’t intended for programmers. This is a book for
web designers. Specifically, this book is intended for standards-aware designers who are comfortable
using CSS and HTML. If that sounds like you, read on.
This book is made up of equal parts code and concepts. Don’t be frightened by the code. We know it
might look intimidating at first, but once you’ve grasped the concepts behind the code, you’ll find
yourself reading and writing in a new language.
Learning a programming language might seem like a scary prospect, but it needn’t be. Document
Object Model (DOM) scripting might appear to be more verbose than, say, CSS. But once you have the
hang of the syntax, you’ll find yourself armed with a powerful web development tool. In any case, the
code is there simply to illustrate the concepts.
We’ll let you in on a secret: no one memorizes all the syntax and keywords that are part and parcel of
any programming language. That’s what reference books are for. This isn’t a reference book. We’re going to
cover the bare minimum of syntax required to get up and running with JavaScript.
In this book, we focus on the ideas behind DOM scripting. A lot of these ideas might already be
familiar to you. Graceful degradation, progressive enhancement, and user-centered design are
important concepts in any aspect of front-end web development. These ideas inform all the code
examples given in this book.
You’ll find scripts for creating image galleries, animating slideshows, and enhancing the look and
feel of page elements. If you want, you can simply cut and paste these examples, but it’s more important
to understand the hows and whys that lie behind the code.
If you’re already using CSS and HTML to turn your designs into working web pages, then you
already know how powerful web standards can be. Remember when you discovered that you could
change the design throughout an entire site just by changing one CSS file? The DOM offers an equal level
of power. But with great power comes great responsibility. That’s why we’re not just going to show you
cool DOM scripting effects. We’re also going to show you how to use DOM scripting to enhance your web
pages in a usable, accessible way.
We hope you enjoy this book.
