In the past decade, the JavaScript language has witnessed a renaissance of new activity. Once pigeon-holed as a language for web browser eye-candy, JavaScript can now be used for the entire stack (server-side, client-side, testing, and even command-line). In this book, Shute attempts to keep developers up to date with a high-level review of the advancements. While this book is not a classic (and what modern computer-language-specific book is a classic?), it serves the needs of the IT community quite well.
Shute starts by informing readers about the modernization of JavaScript in a form cryptically called ES6. This language allows for more compact and more powerful expression, including new features dealing with asynchronous functions. Most programmers who have done a deep dive into some form of JavaScript are familiar with the challenges of its asynchronous nature.
In case anyone is still not familiar with the Document Object Model (DOM) and jQuery, a tutorial is provided. (Most programmers will likely not gain much other than review from this section.) A section on automated testing is provided along with a conceptual introduction to functional programming. Finally, the “ecosystem” of Node.js, Express, and React are described in broader terms.
As you can see, Shute does not miss much of the recent developments. However, he stays pretty high in his overview and provides few deep dives to entertain readers as well. This is the main limitation of the book. For instance, I bought another book on Node.js to supplement while reading this one. That said, this book did inspire me to buy a book instead of merely being bored in the first place – a definite accomplishment.
This book’s intended audience really consists of only the software development community – hence its higher price-tag. The materials were put together well with a sturdy cover and clear font. Due to the technical content, few pictures accompany the text. Overall, this book updated me on a high level but left me wanting to take a deep dive or two into more difficult (and interesting) topics.
Advanced JavaScript: Speed Up Web Development with the Powerful Features and Benefits of JavaScript
By Zachary Shute
Copyright (c) 2019
Packt Publishing
ISBN13 9781789800104
Page Count: 300
Genre: Computer Science, Web Development
www.amazon.com