OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#1

Post by ColinWright » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 10:38 AM UTC

I program in C and Python. My Python style is definitely imperative in general nature, but functional when I think that paradigm suits, and OO when I think that's appropriate. My colleagues say my programs are clean, clear, effective, efficient, and make their brains hurt.

I know squat about JavaScript.

I have a clean Ubuntu machine with a webserver. What's the most effective way to learn JavaScript?

I'm not looking for dark, arcane knowledge. I'm looking to write well-crafted code to accomplish meaningful tasks on web pages, as well as to solve small, on-the-fly problems, much as I currently use Python, AWK, and Bash.

Suggestions?

EDIT: Not trying to karma-whore here, but if no one upvotes the question it will disappear quickly and we won't get the collective HN wisdom. That would be a shame. Do you want a scape-goat comment?

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#2

Post by jagan123 » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 10:44 AM UTC

You can start with the basic tutorials at w3schools.com

net.tutsplus.com has some good posts and series running. They have a dedicated category for javascript. Go through them.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#3

Post by tilt » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 10:55 AM UTC

Disclaimer: noob here.

I found this interesting (and perhaps you're ready to unleash the functional programming already)

http://eloquentjavascript.net/contents.html

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#4

Post by ColinWright » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 10:58 AM UTC

tilt wrote: post #3

Disclaimer: noob here. I found this interesting (and perhaps you're ready to unleash the functional programming already) http://eloquentjavascript.net/contents.html

Thanks. I see by the purple links that I've already skimmed a couple of pages of this, so that's encouraging.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#5

Post by J3L2404 » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 11:01 AM UTC

JS has some odd syntax warts so you might want to keep this around for reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JavaScript_syntax

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#6

Post by chalst » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 11:20 AM UTC

tilt wrote: post #3

Disclaimer: noob here. I found this interesting (and perhaps you're ready to unleash the functional programming already) http://eloquentjavascript.net/contents.html

Eloquent js was recommended in this HN thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2016334

Crockford, 2008, JavaScript: The Good Parts received higher recommendations there. Crockford has a js resouces page: http://javascript.crockford.com/

I guess from I'm looking to write well-crafted code to accomplish meaningful tasks on web pages you are interested in client side, and from solve small, on-the-fly problems, much as I currently use Python, AWK, and Bash also server side. In that thread I linked to, vladd recommends keeping client-side and server-side js programming apart. To be honest, I don't really get why server-side js is so popular, but in any case, I recommend starting with client side.

Aside - I think it's OK to raise this question again, because AFAICS, no one has raised it as an Ask HN post, so this should be more focussed than the thread I cited.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#7

Post by gte525u » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 12:11 PM UTC

chalst wrote: post #6

tilt wrote: post #3

Disclaimer: noob here. I found this interesting (and perhaps you're ready to unleash the functional programming already) http://eloquentjavascript.net/contents.html

Eloquent js was recommended in this HN thread: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2016334 Crockford, 2008, JavaScript: The Good Parts received higher recommendations there. Crockford has a js resouces page: http://javascript.crockford.com/ I guess from I'm looking to write well-crafted code to accomplish meaningful tasks on web pages you are interested in client side, and from solve small, on-the-fly problems, much…

Crockford did an OReilly video series that's pretty good at filling in gaps as well.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#8

Post by pbreit » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 12:22 PM UTC

Eloquent looks like a nice resource. I'd also suggest diving in to jquery pretty quickly since that's what many spend a lot of time in.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#9

Post by tobylane » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 12:24 PM UTC

Do learn Node.js, Coffeescript and JQuery, but don't be dependant on them, they aren't anywhere near as common as say Django.

Re: OK -I'm convinced. How do I start programming in JavaScript?

#10

Post by ColinWright » Thu, Jun 30, 2011, 12:32 PM UTC

That's the question I thought I was asking, although the comments here are also useful, so I thought I'd keep them separate.