| Document Object Model (DOM) scripting is often misrepresented as any sort of scripting on the Web, but pure DOM scripting includes only those features and methods incorporated into a W3C DOM specification—that means no proprietary browser features. In a perfect world, we could follow the standards, ignore proprietary features, and finish with an agnostic script that just works on any device. But it’s not a perfect world—yet. As we all know, not all devices or browsers are W3C standards compliant, so where does that leave developers like us when we need to accommodate everyone, and how do we stay true to the W3C DOM?
When trying to answer those questions and deal with multiple browsers while maintaining proper DOM compliance, the idea for this book was born. This book answers those questions and tackles a number of other topics as well:
Dive deeper into the W3C DOM specifications and fish out the little bits that are often misunderstood, while still providing equivalent options for nonstandard browsers.
Go further with new methodologies, such as Ajax client-server communication, and push the limits of Ajax to provide a more interactive experience.
Experiment with some great third-party source that can take away some of the mundane day-to-day tasks.
Understand and create your very own library of DOM methods that you can use every day.
With these newfound abilities come many temptations. Too often our DOM scripting adventures are focused on the new glittery features and stray from the basics of good, clean web application design. As a result, I’ve emphasized best practices throughout the book and provided solutions that focus on usability and accessibility for both the end user and you, the developer or designer. You can keep this book next to your computer as a reference or read it cover to cover—it’s up to you. Either way, after working through the mix of theory, code, examples, and case studies you’ll find inside, you’ll be well on your way to understanding exactly how and why these advanced concepts work—not just what they do to your document. |
