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Javascript a.k.a. Jscript a.k.a. ECMAscript a.k.a. JS a.k.a. Livescript...

Who here is playing in this sandbox?

I've started using it with the new website. I wrote one semi-serious function, so far, to determine which link in the navigation menu to highlight based on a match() in document.URL. That way I can re-use the same html in every webpage and never have to manually apply the CSS. Pretty fun.

So, anyway, any javascript ninjas here?

Definitely not ninja, but know just enough of it to be dangerous. It's been on my ever-expanding "I need to learn more about that" list for a couple of years now.

learnt just enough to make the charting utility I bought do exactly what I want. It is so clunky, and when I had to first create a live data-array from PHP, so that javascript could access it, I decided against using unless all else fails, including putting red-hot pins under my finger-nails and eating barbed-wire.

but maybe I'm biased

edit: jeepers - must be too late for me.. I'll make my English gooder next time.

I think I may just qualify for the ninja title.

What's disappointing is that most people think of JS as something to create kiddy animations and gaudy effects. It's not true. Every usable, clean web application out there uses JS, in one form or the other, to make the interface that much more usable.

As I mentioned in another thread before, once you have the basics going, research into a library/toolkit/framework of some sort to make your productivity surge. Trust me, once you've started using, say, jQuery on a daily basis you'll rarely want to go back to writing raw JS.

If you really want to see some awesome, mind boggling stuff, check these out.

Not sure if I'm a ninja yet or not (probably not ) but echoing LordT's suggestions for using a library like JQuery. It keeps commonly used functionality neat and readily usable without a ton of extra DOM traversing, looping, logic, etc needing to be written to accomplish X task. On the other hand, it might also keep you from learning the basics of how to manipulate the DOM, for example, without it.

lordT wrote:

What's disappointing is that most people think of JS as something to create kiddy animations and gaudy effects. It's not true. Every usable, clean web application out there uses JS, in one form or the other, to make the interface that much more usable.

Yeah, I found this to be a solid indicator that there's probably a lot more to Javascript than it may initially seem.

As for JQuery and other such libraries, I definitely intend to get a better understanding of what they do and how they could be of use to me.

Congrats on your ninja status lordT.

Oh, yeah, I just ordered this book

I'm not a Javascript ninja but I'm probably a blue belt or something. Lately I've been digging more into it mostly due to JQuery, which as I've posted in the other thread, makes JavaScript actually usable.

Dropping by to say that jQuery is fantastic.

Told ya.

Yes, you did. The thing that jQuery lacks is a tutorial for total javascript beginners. jQuery is no use until you know at least a little bit about javascript; am I right? I am very glad that you guys pointed me to jQuery. It's incredibly cool.

flip-mode wrote:

Yes, you did. The thing that jQuery lacks is a tutorial for total javascript beginners

I agree, the tutorial in the JQuery docs section is pretty weak. I mean, it's understandable, sure, but once you read it you're probably going to think "riiiight, and this is useful to me how?". It's not until you read some examples that the whole thing clicks.

probably because you can't appreciate the experience without first doing all the hardwork of JS without Jquery.