***FAQ*** comp.lang.javascript meta FAQ - v1.3 - 98/07/13
Christopher Thompson
Last-modified: Jul 13, 1998
Version: 1.3
URL: http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~thompson/programming/javascript/meta-FAQ.html
Maintainer: Christopher Thompson <thom...@ugrad.cs.ualberta.ca>
Posting-Frequency: weekly (every Monday) to *.answers, daily (!) to comp.lang.javascript
comp.lang.javascript meta-FAQ
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Table of Contents
Sections changed since the last version are now marked with a '*'.
* 1 meta-FAQ meta-questions
* 2 comp.lang.javascript tips
+ 2.1 Which newsgroup deals with JavaScript?
+ 2.2 What questions are off-topic for clj?
+ 2.3 Why did I get flamed when I posted to clj? What do I have
to do before posting to clj?
+ 2.4 Why was my post not answered?
+ 2.5 How do I direct someone to this FAQ?
+ 2.6 What is JScript? ECMAScript?
+ 2.7 What is the document object model?
+ 2.8 I have a question that is not answered in here or in any
of the resources mentioned here but I'm sure it has been
answered in clj. Where are the clj archives located?
* 3 JavaScript resources
+ 3.1 What books cover JavaScript?
+ * 3.2 What online resources are available?
* 4 Contributors
* 5 * Further expansion
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1.0 meta-FAQ meta-questions
You are reading the comp.lang.javascript meta-FAQ, version 1.3.
This is the official comp.lang.javascript (clj) FAQ. Or, more
accurately, the meta-FAQ as it only provides URLs to further
information about JavaScript and some hints and tips to make your stay
in comp.lang.javascript more enjoyable. This document is not intended
as a JavaScript tutorial or reference guide. There is already plenty
of this sort of information on the web.
This document was created to help reduce the high levels of noise on
clj and to provide a resource for people new to JavaScript or who want
to know locations of valuable JavaScript resources.
If you have a question you feel should be answered in the meta-FAQ, a
correction for information included in this document, or wish to note
a URL not included herein, please email the meta-FAQ maintainer,
Christopher Thompson, at thom...@ugrad.cs.ualberta.ca.
The meta-FAQ will be posted to clj, in text form, once a day until
such a time as the regulars feel it can be posted less frequently. It
is also available at
http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~thompson/programming/javascript/meta-FAQ.
html. Note that the HTML version is preferred. The conversion from
HTML to plain-text strips out some formatting and is therefore harder
to read.
2.0 comp.lang.javascript tips
2.1 Which newsgroup deals with JavaScript?
comp.lang.javascript is the official Usenet newsgroup dealing with
JavaScript. There are other newsgroups but many of them are not
carried by most news feeds. clj is an unmoderated newsgroup.
2.2 What questions are off-topic for clj?
clj deals primarily with client-side JavaScript, running under a
browser. Server-side JavaScript questions are also welcome but you
should note explicitly in your post that your question deals with
server-side scripting.
JavaScript and Java are two completely different languages. Java
questions should be asked in one of the comp.lang.java.* newsgroups;
they are not appropriate for clj.
Questions dealing with other scripting languages, such as VBScript,
PerlScript or CGI scripting are also off-topic, as are HTML-only
questions.
2.3 Why did I get flamed when I posted to clj? What do I have to do before
posting to clj?
Before posting to clj, you should thoroughly read this document. You
should also thoroughly read the resources mentioned in section 3. And
you should read all appropriate posts to the clj newsgroup for several
days. Most questions come up at least once every other day and people
get sick of answering them repeatedly.
Please state your question as clearly and concisely as possible, as
this will make it far easier for the other readers of the list to
understand your problems and suggest possible solutions.
Has the same question already been posted that day? It is okay to ask
again with your particular information, but indicate that you have
seen the previous question and tell how yours differs.
Include the script you have been working on (or URL) - indicate the
problem spots and/or previous attempts. Try to limit the length of
your post by removing extraneous page elements, but avoid removing
script unless you are sure it is not an issue.
Post in plain-text only. Do not post using HTML. If you have to
include your script, paste it in to your post in plain-text, do not
uuencode it or attach it using mime.
Don't ask, or at least expect, to be emailed individually. Some
individuals run scams for the purpose of collecting active email
addresses and many won't risk being victimized. If you have
circumstances that won't allow you to read clj for the follow-up,
explain what they are and ask to be CC'ed a copy. You also might try
one of the sites listed in section 3 to read any follow-ups.
Don't take flames too seriously. And don't start a thread complaining
about rude or flippant responses, there is already enough noise in
clj. Keep a sense of humour while posting and reading and everything
will be a lot more enjoyable.
2.4 Why was my post not answered?
This could be for several reasons:
* it was a variation of a frequently asked question and was
therefore ignored by everyone
* no one knows the answer
* the person with the answer has not seen the post
* it might not be possible to do what you want to do but perhaps
readers of clj are reluctant to answer your post in the negative
when they are not convinced that it cannot be done.
2.5 How do I direct someone to this FAQ?
This document is posted to clj very frequently. There should be no
reason to direct someone to it. However, if someone asks a question
answered in this FAQ or in one of the resources listed herein, please
let them know their question is answered in the FAQ and that the FAQ
can be found at
http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~thompson/programming/javascript/meta-FAQ.
html
2.6 What is JScript? ECMAScript?
JScript is Microsoft's implementation of JavaScript. ECMAScript is the
international standard for JavaScript. The 4.x browsers are more or
less ECMAScript compliant. Note that ECMAScript did not attempt to
standardize the document object model.
2.7 What is the document object model?
Strictly speaking the document object model (DOM) is not a part of
JavaScript. This is the collection of objects provided by each browser
that allows JavaScript to actually be a useful language. Basically,
any object in the window hierarchy is part of the DOM. This means that
document.writeln(), for example, is not a JavaScript method but is, in
fact, a method provided by the DOM. Although there is an attempt in
progress to standardize the DOM, this has not yet happened. Most
cross-browser coding problems come from slightly different
implementations of the DOM in the different browsers.
2.8 I have a question that is not answered in here or in any of the
resources mentioned here but I'm sure it has been answered in clj. Where are
the clj archives located?
http://www.dejanews.com/ maintains a Usenet archive site. Tens of
thousands of clj posts are archived there.
http://www.altavista.digital.com also maintains a Usenet archive.
3.0 JavaScript resources
3.1 What books cover JavaScript?
There are rather a lot of JavaScript books available. In general, clj
regulars recommend Danny Goodman's JavaScript Bible, now in third
edition (more information available at http://www.dannyg.com/) or
O'Reilly's JavaScript: The Definitive Guide (more information
available at http://www.oreilly.com/). Either book should answer
almost all of your questions and is well worth the money. Make sure
you buy the most recent edition.
3.2 What online resources are available?
* http://www.irt.org/script/faq.htm This is an exhaustive JavaScript
FAQ and is the reason this document is an meta-FAQ, not a FAQ.
More than 90% of questions posted to clj are already answered in
here. Don't post until you read this.
* http://www.dannyg.com/. There is a much shorter JavaScript FAQ
here which is also worth checking out.
* http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/3.0/handbook/javascript/.
Netscape's JavaScript handbook. If you are developing for NN2 or
MSIE 3, ignore any features marked as implemented in NN3. This is
a good online reference to JavaScript.
*
http://developer.netscape.com/library/documentation/communicator/js
guide/js1_2.htm The JavaScript 1.2 reference guide, for NN4
developers.
* http://www.microsoft.com/scripting/. Microsoft's scripting site.
Unfortunately, this only covers the most recent version JScript.
* * http://www.webniche.com/jscript.html, Kathleen's Little Page of
JavaScript Resources.
* * http://www.ScriptBuilder.com/, an excellent forum for JavaScript
(and many other) questions.
* http://members.tripod.com/~housten/download. Archived
documentation for MSIE 3.x.
* http://www.ecma.ch/stand/ecma-262.htm, the official ECMAScript
specification.
* * http://www.mozilla.org/source.html, the source code to
Netscape's browser.
* http://home.worldcom.ch/~jmlugrin/fesi/index.html, a free
implementation of ECMAScript in Java.
* http://www.dejanews.com/ and http://www.altavista.digital.com/
archive Usenet newsgroups.
*
http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~thompson/programming/javascript/protec
t.html, frequently asked questions about source code obfuscation.
* * http://www.15seconds.com/, a wonderful resource for Active
Server Pages, something not covered in this meta-FAQ at all.
4.0 Contributors
Thanks to the following contributors, in alphabetical order:
* Kathleen Fetner (pand...@best.com, http://www.webniche.com/) for
her Small Page of JavaScript Resources
* Heidi Housten (hou...@hotmail.com, http://www.public.se/heidi/)
for maintaining the MSIE 3.x documentation.
* Eric Lippert (Eri...@microsoft.com) for representing Microsoft in
clj and for writing the frequently asked questions about source
code obfuscation.
* Jean-Marc Lugrin (jmlu...@worldcom.ch,
http://home.worldcom.ch/~jmlugrin/) for writing the ECMAScript
interpretor in Java.
* Jason Olmsted (olm...@phat-media.com,
http://www.phat-media.com/olm/) for the prototype version of this
document.
* Mike Shaver (sha...@netscape.com) for unofficially representing
Netscape in clj.
* Catherine Skidmore (cath...@suck-my-big.org,
http://www.suck-my-big.org/) for being the Queen of clj.
* Christopher Thompson (thom...@ugrad.cs.ualberta.ca,
http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~thompson/) for maintaining this
document.
* Stuart Updegrave (syz...@seanet.com) for proof-reading this
document.
* Martin Webb (http://www.irt.org/) for maintaining the best
JavaScript FAQ site I've seen and also for suggesting changes to
this document.
* Everyone else I haven't mentioned who has helped me grasp
JavaScript.
5.0 Further Expansion
* I may expand the meta-FAQ to provide quick answers to the most
commonly asked clj questions. Essentially all the information will be
available elsewhere but this will provide a sort of "crib-sheet" to
get people started. I have absolutely no intention of replacing the
excellent online FAQs and tutorials, however. Please email me your
opinions of this.