Applied JavaScript Prerequisites

Principles of Programming, HTML I and II, and JavaScript I, or equivalents

Required Books

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
by David Flanagan
O'Reilly and Associates, Publishers

JavaScript for the World Wide Web (Visual Quickstart Guide)
by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith
Peachpit Press, Publishers

Buy these books now at my bookstore.

Course Description

This course is designed for those with some basic understanding of programming concepts and constructs, but little practical experience. This is a "hard" programming course, designed to teach you fundamental programming skills using JavaScript. You will create program after program. While developing your problem solving skills, you will be learning to create portable code, to understand the implications of the return keyword, to handle arguments and the argument array, and to deal with the eval() method. You will learn how to handle simple user input and to write error-checking routines. You will learn more about exploiting loops, branching logic, and arrays, as well as browser conditionalization. We will discuss commenting, creating HTML through JavaScript routines, and debugging tricks. We will touch upon JavaScript objects, and (time permitting), the DOM.

Be prepared to WORK.

Course Requirements

Applied JavaScript is graded on a CR/NC (credit/no-credit) basis. For a passing grade, students are required to:

• Attend 4 out of 6 classes
• Deliver 2 out of 3 assigned mini-projects

I strongly urge students to attend every class, as we are jam-packed with material to cover. Missing even one class can set you painfully behind.

Applied JavaScript Exercises

Exercise Descriptions

• Download Handouts (.sit - 11K)

Exercise Solutions

• Cake Froster
• "Simple" Menu Planner
• Advanced Menu Planner
• Random Image Switch
• BONUS: Random Number Generator and Array Shuffler
• Download Complete Solutions (.sit - 33K)

Applied JavaScript Examples

Modular Code Example

Enjoy these sample pages from Applied JavaScript, Spring 2001.

Lecture April 16, 2001

Array Shuffling

Cookie Example 1

Cookie Example 2

Lecture April 9, 2001

Menu Planner Alternate Start

Simple Error Checking

Lecture April 02, 2001

Basic Array

Array of Arrays, Part One

Array of Arrays, Part Two

Arguments Array

Randomization

Previous Lectures

Modular Code for Extracting Checkbox Info

Dynamically Changing Pulldown Menu

Error Checking Routine Page

Enjoy these sample pages from Applied JavaScript, Fall 2000.

Randomization Routine Example Page

Form Extraction Example Page

Image Switch Example Page

Array of Arrays Example Page

HTML On-the-Fly Example

Form Page Example

Enjoy these sample pages from Applied JavaScript, Summer 2000.

Array of Arrays Example Page

Ghost Object Constructor Example