JavaScript Patterns Book Review

If you are trying to move from JavaScript as a DOM scripting language to a more object-oriented programming language, you will want a book like JavaScript Patterns.

All web developers at some point need to make a decision about just how much they will embrace JavaScript. They typically start using JavaScript to manipulate the DOM in the browser. Those who started recently were lucky enough to have a JavaScript Framework, like jQuery, to help make this easier. Therefore there knowledge isn't so much of JavaScript really, but the JavaScript Framework they have chosen.

Later those same developers start to see various higher-level JavaScript MVC and MVVM Frameworks in the browser. JavaScript is less about DOM manipulation and more about objects, collections, events, imperative and declarative databinding, templating languages, and RESTful calls back to the server. In essence, a lot of what was happening on the server is now being done on the browser.

So here is where things get scary. Moving from JavaScript as a scripting language to an object-oriented programming language is a challenge even with a background in programming. You will need to understand much more about conventions and patterns used to develop maintainable JavaScript code and applications just like you did when learning about C# or other programming language.

Here is where a book like JavaScript Patterns comes in. It tries to help you cross this divide on how you use and approach JavaScript not just as a scripting language in the browser, but for object-oriented programming and code re-use.

The first four chapters are a nice introduction to good coding practices and conventions with JavaScript. You can pick up a lot of this in other books, but it is a solid foundation for the next chapters. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 is what you have been waiting for. This is the part that provides the leap from DOM to OOP and higher-level concepts. Three really good chapters on Object Creation Patterns, Code Reuse Patterns, and Design Patterns. These are the toughest chapters to read in the book, but really worthwhile to learn and study. As a bonus, Chapter 8 jumps into DOM and Browser Patterns that you are already probably using, but the book gives you a more formal introduction to them.

If you are ready to cross the divide from DOM manipulation to OOP with JavaScript, buy JavaScript Patterns. It is a more advanced book. If you have mainly been using JavaScript for DOM manipulation, it will challenge the way you think about JavaScript and introduce you to language features you may have never known.

Read other reviews for JavaScript Patterns on Amazon.

Hope this helps.

David Hayden

 

posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 11:33 AM

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