Game Programming Starter Kit 4.0 Software Review by Brandi Jasmine

Book Review: Java Script Goodies
review by Brandi Jasmine
originally published: LOOKTown, January 2001

"HTML Goodies" is an online tutorial and archive for web developers. The site is packed with tips and tutorials - all in easy to follow language free of the jargon that makes learning even basic programming so difficult for a beginner. The book version is an extension of the site, carrying forward the same straight-forward tutorial in a self-teaching textbook style, which focuses on the art of creating JavaScripts.

JavaScripts are not "Java". JavaScripts are little bits of code that are like an extension to HTML, the language that web pages are written in. Unlike Java, you don't need to compile code into an executable format. JavaScripts are not standalone programs. You have to insert them into your web page before they can work. They are often used for special effects, like buttons that change when your mouse moves over them (like our own navigation bar, which changes colour when you go to click on it). There are lots of archives with free downloadable scripts, but if you want any kind of flexibility with these codes, it helps to know how they are written.

Learning any kind of programming is a challenge because you are dealing with new ideas and concepts. In JavaScript Goodies, you are taken step-by-step through the process. There is no assumption that you will know the jargon or understand the basics of programming from other languages. Knowing the basics of HTML will help - but there are tutorials on the "HTML Goodies" web site for beginners. Despite the fact that the program is is designed for beginners, it is still comprehensive. There are 9 chapters with 55 lessons. By the time you're done, you'll be able to create your own clocks, scrolling marquees and animated buttons, just like the pros.

Article first appeared in LOOKTown Games Section
Reprinted with permission

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