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Software Mastery, the Fun Way

Get Access to Head First JavaScript Programming Now

Posted by on Mar 30, 2013 in Blog, Featured | 32 comments

Yes, Head First JavaScript Programming is our new title and we’re actively working on it. If you haven’t already, sign up for our WickedlySmart Insider program to get early access to the book today, including special video content, and access to the Insider forum for questions, answers, and feedback.

  • Brian Hudgins

    I’m really excited for this book. Great team. Hey, thought I’d pass along a tip for those who are looking for a good, lightweight, no-config, secure web server that you can keep on a flash drive. It’s called Uniform Server. I use it constantly. And for newbies, what could be easier than a WAMP server that comes pre-configured and is portable? Just passing it along in case there’s a place for it in your book.

    • Dijukno

      Thank you for sharing that info.

  • Georg Hyam

    There’s already a Head FIrst book on Javascript . Is it a 2nd edition or a brand new book ?

  • Brian Hudgins

    Please cover OOP as thoroughly as possible. I’ve been using JavaScript for years and devoured “HTML5 Programming”, but my JavaScript is still ugly and redundant, and looks a lot like procedural programming. I know clean OOP when I see it, and I can follow it, but I can’t create it cold.

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      Yeah our JavaScript coverage in Head First HTML5 Programming was meant only as an introduction, so we’ll be going into these topics in far more depth in Head First JavaScript Programming.

  • Rahul

    i really very excited to see this book.. this is an awesome book writing groups .. thanks to all of you who is responsible to making headfirst books.. thank you

  • Brian Hudgins

    Re. OOP, I read a lot about the preference for literal notation over constructor functions in most instances, but I would like to know your thoughts on the matter, on the merits of one over the other, when one might be preferable to the other, and an advantages/disadvantages breakdown. Thanks, and looking forward to the release.

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      Objects created using a constructor and objects created as literals are basically the same, except for the constructor. The constructor of a literal object is Object(), while the constructor for an object created using, say a Person() constructor is Person(). You can test this out by using the constructor property of an object (e.g. myObj.constructor). One advantage of using a constructor over literal notation is that you can easily use the constructor to create multiple objects. I know some people like Doug Crockford have very strong feelings about how objects should be created in JavaScript, but for beginners, these distinctions are too complex, and in most cases, don’t matter anyway.

      Good question, and we’ll be getting into some of these issues in Head First JavaScript Programming.

      • Brian Hudgins

        Thank you, Elisabeth. I appreciate the detailed reply.

  • AJ Speller

    I look forward to reading this title!

  • http://twitter.com/tbolandjr Tim Boland

    any status on when we will get to preview the Rough Cut?

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      We are still waiting on final approval by our publisher; hopefully soon!

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      Hopefully very soon!

  • Jeff Straw

    Like others, I’m excited about your upcoming JavaScript book, and I thank you for sharing the functions videos. I will soon be looking for a textbook for a fall JavaScript class, and I’d like to consider this one. Do you have an update on the schedule? Can you share a general list of topics you plan to include?

  • Plateau

    Need chinese version T-T pleeeeeeeeeeease……

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      That’s up to our publisher, but usually the Chinese version is near the top of the foreign translation list!

  • http://www.facebook.com/philip.obrien.35 Philip O’Brien

    How much of this book is currently available to those signed up to the
    Insider Program? I’m considering doing so but don’t want to if there is
    hardly any content available yet.

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      So far just chapter 1!

      • http://www.facebook.com/philip.obrien.35 Philip O’Brien

        Hi Elisabeth, thanks for getting back to me. How often do you expect to deliver a new chapter?

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        Well… we hope one every two weeks or so, but we don’t have a strict schedule (the creative process and all…). We should be posting chapter 2 fairly soon.

      • http://www.facebook.com/philip.obrien.35 Philip O’Brien

        Hi again Elisabeth, is chapter 2 available yet?

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        It is!

      • Philip O’Brien

        Hello again Elisabeth, how far along is the book now? It’s the later chapters I imagine I’ll be interested in so when it was at Chapter 2 it wasn’t worth me buying yet.

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        Hi, we’re working on Chapter 5 now.

  • Mike Baker

    I signed up last week and paid the fee — how do I get access to the material? I have not received an confirmation email or info on how to “Get Chapter One Now” as promised?

    • erictfree

      Mike, sorry for any confusion, but there’s a PDF download that occurs at the last step of payment through gumroad. The PDF has all the instructions for getting access. Just send me a note at eric at wickedlysmart dot com and I’ll get it to you.

  • Philipp

    I like the Head First Series a lot (I have been reading Design Patterns, and currently I enjoy the one about Java). Great work! Thus, I’d join the “early adopter” Insider program in a heart-beat, but I have two questions in advance: 1. In the insider program’s description it says “The book’s list price will be $39.99 and we’re going to include it with your Insider membership” — does that mean I also get a printed version of the book, or only in eBook form? 2. If the actual printed book is included: I live in Germany; would the printed book (the English version, of course), be shipped to Germany as well for the announced price ($39,99 as of today, or what ever the corresponding price in Euro is)? So: If I participate, can I expect the printed English book, once it’s ready, to be shipped to my home? Or is that just true for readers from inside the U.S.? Please let me know, so I know weather (for me) it’s worth to be part of the Insiders’ program or not… Thank you :-)

    • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

      Hi Philipp – the Insider program includes an eBook, but that is a very good question about the price conversion. Let me look into it and get back to you.

      • Philipp

        Hi Elisabeth, thanks for the quick reply. So — the printed book is NOT included then, only the eBook, is that right? That’s a pity, since I’d rather have the printed version (I’m not fond of eBooks for several reasons).

        Regarding the price conversion: Due to the dollar-euro-exchange-rate, US books are often comparably cheap in Germany, but shipping cost and possibly custom rates are ridiculously high, so in the end they’re really expensive :-( The price of the German translation of the books seems to be calculated with dollar = euro, more or less (e.g. Head First Java 2nd edition in German = 49,90 EUR).

      • http://wickedlysmart.com/ Elisabeth Robson

        Hi Philipp, that’s right just the eBook is included.