JavaScript for Languge Learning

Further Resources

[Documentation] [Index Pages] [Tutorials] [Examples] [Books] [Mailing Lists] [Newsgroups] [FAQs] [Use in Language Learning] [Other]

Documentation

  • Netscape's JavaScript Guides (Essential for Development Work!)
  • JavaScript Reference from the Netscape Developer's Library
    http://developer.netscape.com/library/documentation/communicator/jsref/index.htm
    This is more technical than the guides above
  • Netscape's DevEdge JavaScript homepage
    http://developer.netscape.com/tech/javascript/index.html
    This may require a free membership login and password...
  • Dynamic HTML in Communicator also from the Netscape Developer's Library
    http://developer.netscape.com/library/documentation/communicator/dynhtml/index.htm
    Essential reference for working with layers, etc.
  • Microsoft's JScript Resources
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/default.htm?/scripting/jscript/
    Ok, the wall's beginning to crack and I'm looking some at JScript as well... Microsoft does a good job, imho, of providing learning resources for JScript...

    • Index Pages

  • newJavaScript.com
    http://javascript.com/
    A great collection of resources, scripts, email newsletters and links...
  • Focus on JavaScript
    http://javascript.miningco.com/
    Scripts, articles, tutorials, and chat!
  • scriptbuilder.com
    http://scriptbuilder.com/
    Features an articles, tutorials, a script library, faqs and more!
  • JavaScript Index by Andrew Wooldridge
    http://www.cob.ohio-state.edu/~lindeman/javascript/andrew.html
    Collected here for your reference are many links to JavaScript information.
  • Yahoo JavaScript Page
    http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Programming_Languages/JavaScript/

    • Tutorials

  • Introduction to JavaScript for Beginners -- Interactive Tutorial
    http://www.it97.de/JavaScript/JS_tutorial/JS_beginners.html
    One of the most extensive I've seen-- check it out for yourself!
  • JavaScript for the Total Non-Programmer
    http://www.webteacher.com/javatour/
    Looks like another good tutorial...
  • Voodoo's Introduction to JavaScript
    http://rummelplatz.uni-mannheim.de/~skoch/js/tutorial.htm
    A nice introductory tutorial, one of the best I've seen yet.
  • Thau's JavaScript Tutorial
    http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/collections/javascript.html?tw=javascript
    Good introductory and advanced tutorials -- five days each. included in Webmonkey's JavaScript collection
  • Doc JavaScript
    http://www.webreference.com/js/
    Most impressive collection of advanced JavaScript tutorials and related technology reviews I have seen yet! Includes detailed instructions and examples on controlling embedded sound and has a refreshing cross-browser emphasis.
  • Sharkey's JavaScript Answers
    http://www.newbie.net/sharky/JavaScript/
    A relatively new find, but it is nicely done with lots of good information.
  • The UserActive JavaScript Laboratory
    http://www.useractive.com/tutorial/js_tutorials/jsedit.html
    20 Lessons with space to experiment on-line!
  • JavaScript Sourcebook from JavaWorld Magazine
    http://gmccomb.com/javascript/index1.html 
    Index of helpful JavaScript tutorial columns
  • Verifying Form Input with JavaScript
    http://gmccomb.com/javascript/valid.htm
    Shows how JavaScript can check data provided by user before it's ever sent to a CGI program.
  • JavaScript Tip of the Week
    http://www.webreference.com/javascript/tip_week_past.html
    A collection of 30 coding tips with complete source code, working examples, and commentary.
  • JavaScript World -- Advanced Readings
    http://www.mydesktop.com/internet/javascript/help/advanced/index.html
    A collection of tutorials and articles for intermediate and advanced JavaScript programmers.
  • The JavaScript Forum -- Basic Tutorial
    http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1828/basic.html
  • The JavaScript Forum -- Advanced Tutorial
    http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/1828/advanced.html
    Covers On-The-Fly HTML; Using Cookies; Plug-Ins Detection; LiveConnect
  • Gamelan's How to and Help for Javascript
    http://javascript.developer.com/pages/Gamelan.related.javascript.howto.html
    A collection of guides, tutorials, and scripts.
  • Carlos's Forms Tutorial
    http://robot0.ge.uiuc.edu/~carlosp/cs317/ft.1.html
    A nice tutorial on forms [you should note however, that for use with JavaScript, you do NOT need to worry about the "Method" or "Action" parameters of the form tag] 

    • Examples

  • JavaScript World
    http://www.mydesktop.com/internet/javascript/scripts 
    "This Section of JavaScript World has hundreds of different JavaScript examples for your viewing pleasure. The current scripts are broken up into 4 different sections; Accessories, Enhancements, Games, & Misc."
  • Cut-N-Paste Javascript
    http://www.infohiway.com/javascript/indexf.htm
    A large searchable database of javascripts.
  • The JavaScript No Content
    http://www.btinternet.com/~martin.webb/search.html
    A collection of carefully explained non-trivial JavaScript scripts.
  • Danny Goodman's JavaScript Pages
    http://www.dannyg.com/javascript/index.html
    A collection of applications selected to demonstrate JavaScript concepts of concern to scripters.
  • JavaScript Playground
    http://www.WebSorcerer.com/playgrnd.html
    A rather impressive collection of interesting annotated JavaScript examples which you are free to use or adapt with appropriate acknowlegement of the source.
  • Developer.com's JavaScript Directory
    http://www.developer.com/directories/pages/dir.javascript.html
    Huge collection of various scripts...
  • The JavaScript Planet's collection of more than 300 examples
    http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7116/
  • Timothy's JavaScript Examples
    http://www.essex1.com/people/timothy/js-index.htm
    Includes some nice experimentation with JavaScript 1.2 features (the latest!)
  • Charles C. Goodin's JavaScript Page
    http://tanega.com/java/java.html
    A nice collection of small useful scripts you can study and work with.
  • Cyberlab's JavaScript Laboratory
    http://www.cyberlab.ch/javascript/
    Well organized collection of useful scripts. Source code is easy viewed.
  • A Beginner's Guide to JavaScript
    http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Park/2554/examples.html
    A nice collection of examples. Check out the hangman page

    • Books

    There are countless books on JavaScript out there and new ones are coming out all the time. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list (obviously!) but rather a list of some we can recommend (recommendations and suggestions are welcome!)

  • Jumping JavaScript by Janice Winsor and Brian Freeman, Sun Microsystems Press
    http://sunsite.queensu.ca/sunmicro/sunpress/books/Winsor4/Winsor4.html
    The table of contents is online at the above URL -- I've browsed a colleagues's copy and it looks to be VERY useful (although the current version is based on Navigator 3). As she says, it does not assume a lot of prior understanding, so it is particularly useful for those with a limited background. IMHO it presents a nice balance between breaking things down and keeping things useable... So much depends on learning styles-- it does not seem to be a step-by-step project approach if you like that kind of thing, but rather it contains lots of illustrative examples you can learn from and adapt. And it comes with a CD Rom that is supposed to be compatible with PCs, Macs, and Unix -- not too common for JS Book CDs in my experience.
  • six chapters from "The JavaScript Bible" by Danny Goodman, IDG Books
    http://developer.netscape.com/openstudio/tech/index_frame.html?content=/docs/books/idg/jsbible/jsbible.html
    Great online resource if it happens to contain what you need (since it is only six chapters of the book). The chapters are in PDF format and include "JavaScript Essentials" and "Scripting Cross-Platform Dynamic HTML"

    • Mailing Lists

  • javascript list at obscure.org Mail to majordomo@obscure.org with a message body of subscribe javascript or subscribe javascript-digest

    • Newsgroups

  • Netscape's Discussion Group
    snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.devs-javascript
  • Livesoftware.javascript.developer Newsgroup
    news://news.livesoftware.com/livesoftware.javascript.developer
  • Livesoftware.javascript.examples Newsgroup
    news://news.livesoftware.com/livesoftware.javascript.examples

    • FAQ'S

  • The IRT.ORG JavaScript FAQ
    http://www.irt.org/script/faq.htm
    Very nicely organized and extensive!
  • JavaScript World QA
    http://www.mydesktop.com/internet/javascript/help/qa/index.html
  • Danny Goodman's JavaScript Mini FAQ
    http://www.dannyg.com/javascript/jsminifaq.html

    • Use in Langauge Learning

  • "Creating Language Interactivity on the Web" A Workshop by Juan Ramón de Arana
    http://mld.ursinus.edu/~jarana/Colby/
    A very nice tutorial prepared in November 1997 for a presentation at Colby College.
  • "VCU's Language Interactive"
    http://www.fln.vcu.edu/cgi/interact.html
    For more on Interactivity and Language Learning in general, here's a very nice resource including a discussion of JavaScript
  • Interactive Learning through the World Wide Web
    http://www.fln.vcu.edu/gj/calico96/cal1.html
    Robert Godwin-Jones' Calico 96 presentation with additional links at the end
  • Robert Godwin-Jones' on-line short-answer JavaScript quiz generator
    http://www.fln.vcu.edu/cgi/quiz/createquiz.html
  • George Mitrevski's Knowledge Design Instructional Resources
    http://www.auburn.edu/~mitrege/knowledge/index.html
    JavaScript exercises and other information on interactivity
  • Martin's JavaScript quiz generator
    http://www.net-shopper.co.uk/creative/education/languages/martin/jquiz.htm
    for Windows 95.

    • Other JavaScript Resources

  • Netscape DevEdge JavaScript Resources
    http://developer.netscape.com/tech/javascript/resources.html
    An excellent and extensive list of resources of many kinds from Netscape DevEdge (may require a free member login and password).
  • The Web Review JavaScript page
    http://webreview.com/wr/pub/JavaScript
    Page with links to online articles discussing and demonstrating things that can be done with JavaScript.
  • The Web Review Dynamic HTML page
    http://webreview.com/wr/pub/Dynamic_HTML
    Web Review's list of articles related to DHTML -- including a series about DreamWeaver.
  • WebCoder.Com
    http://www.webcoder.com/
    "Your home for JavaScript and Dynamic HTML on the Web"
  • Builder.com Columns
    http://www.builder.com/Programming/Kahn/index.html
    Columns on scripting by Charity Khan -- includes links to tools that generate various scripts...
  • The WinMag JavaScript Resource Center
    http://www.winmag.com/web/jsres.htm
    "Many JavaScript pages just point you to other pages without really showing you any useful code. These are the places I've found that buck that trend and show you the good stuff."
  • Netscape's JavaScript Developer Central resources pages
    http://developer.netscape.com/one/javascript/index.html
    (very technical)
  • "JavaScript Apostle" Articles Written by Danny Goodman
    http://developer.netscape.com/news/viewsource/archive/archivelist.html#apostle
  • Ask the JavaScript Pro
    http://www.inquiry.com/techtips/js_pro/
  • Netscape's Java-powered JavaScript debugger
    http://developer.netscape.com/software/jsdebug.html
    Beta 1 (expires September 15)
  • Netscape's Visual JavaScript development packages
    http://www.netscape.com:80/comprod/products/tools/visual_js.html
    (currently Windows 95 & NT only)

    • developed by Michael Lindeman and Douglas Mills

    Questions or comments to dmills@uiuc.edu