Easy to understand and follow books on jQuery and javascript?

Question

I would like to know your opinion of a good jQuery and JavaScript book. There are just too many of them [when I try to search]. Please suggest some really good books which I could buy.

My current knowledge on these technologies - Close to Zero.

Thanks in advance, Rahul

Answer 1

Not a book, but this is an outstanding (and free) website: http://www.learningjquery.com/

Answer 2

This is the book we have in our libary , many said its nice.

http://www.amazon.com/Learning-jQuery-1-3-Jonathan-Chaffer/dp/1847196705/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287891372&sr=1-4

If you have internet all the time , the below link from jquery is pretty good

http://docs.jquery.com/Main_Page

Answer 3

One book on jQuery i find good and interesting is jQuery in Action. If you want to read javascript you should follow javascript.crockford.com

Answer 4

Rahul,

Most books on JQuery seem to assume some working knowledge of Javascript on the reader's part.

You say that your knowledge on both Javascript AND JQuery are near zero.

I would recommend starting with an introductory book on Javascript like, "JavaScript in 10 Simple Steps or Less". A basic book like that can help bootstrap you quickly into a working understanding of Javascript. Enough so that moving on to something like "Beginning Javascript and CSS Development with JQuery" becomes understandable and useful.

Of course, read the JQuery blogs (Remy Sharp has great info!!) or take tutorials at Lynda.com (Dori Smith's Javascript courses are the best!).

Oh... and make sure JQuery and Javascript are on your "interesting tags" list on StackOverflow.

Answer 5

I personally like Rebecca Murphey's jQuery Fundamentals.

Other great (free) online resources:

• Mozilla Developer Network's JavaScript Reference — Might as well make this your homepage.
• jQuery's Documentation
• MDN's JavaScript Guide
• W3School's JavaScript Tutorial

I had a friend recently ask me whether it was better to learn unadulterated JavaScript before beginning to use jQuery. After some thought, I decided it wasn't entirely necessary. jQuery just enhances javascript and makes it easier to use, and it'll always be around, so why get into document.getElementById() when you'll always have access to jQuery's selector engine? I suppose it's akin to learning math via a calculator, but if you're just looking to write some awesome webapps, you needn't be a JavaScript-amatician.

Also note: JavaScript is sort of a vague term. According to StackOverflow's wiki:

JavaScript is the common name for ECMAScript, and the name of Mozilla's implementation of ECMAScript. ECMAScript was developed as a standardization of a common subset of features of Mozilla's JavaScript and similar languages.

In layman's terms, this means that JavaScript is a dialect of ECMAScript. This is sort of convolutes things. Basically, Mozilla developed the JavaScript language, and Microsoft developed JScript to compete (and for compatibility issues). The two were reconciled into the ECMAScript standard. So, a body of people publish a standard, then it's up to the developers of the JavaScript Engines to implement them to standard.

Hence, no JavaScript engine is the same (damn you, IE). This is also why you will be hard-pressed to find a definitive JavaScript reference. Mozilla's Developer Network has come up with about as complete a reference as you can find.