So we are here again talking about Javascript. I have already wrote an article comparing a well known SmallTalk implementation to Javascript. If my ideas are right (at least a bit), you will see more and more javascript on the next months. In particular:
- JavaScript is the Ajax programming languge for the rest of us
- Mobile Framework like PhoneGap and Appcelerator, are all about javascript at the top
- Javascript is evolved, and it is used server side by projects like node.js
Getting Started
Getting your hands dirty
Phase3: Evolving to the next step
Coffee Script is a very instructive language. Look how CoffeeScript renders its code in JavaScript:it will avoid you a lot of mistakes.
And this bring us to a very sad rule: discipline in JavaScript is fundamental to avoid nasty bugs.
The good news is you can catch nasty bugs using a test driven approach, testing all the major functionalities of your application.
Also, it is quite simple to build a test environment in JDK 1.6 because it has already a basic JavaScript engine inside it. Consider using it if you need a fast&dirty JavaScript platform.
Conclusions, (sort of)
After 15 years of programming (with JavaScript always in some file in the web projects) I have some advice…
- Never ever try to build your own low-level library. It will be bugged. A lot bugged. Even if you are smart.
Use as much as possible libraries with a proven track record of success. Prototype, JQuery and Underscore are some nice example and they are already here for you - A savy mix of OOP and functional programming will give you a safe programming environment (sort of, at at least).
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