My new book Full Stack JavaScript (my 4th traditionally-published book) comes with a series of screencast videos for better immersion in a wonderful and mesmerizing world of Node.js, Backbone and MongoDB. It’s a one thing to read through the text and another to follow up with dynamic videos which walk you through the book’s projects.
Full Stack JavaScript
The videos and the source code are open source, meaning they are publicly available. Therefore, you don’t have to buy a book—you can just watch the 14 videos on YouTube (playlist) and go through the code on GitHub (repository).
JavaScript and Node FUNdamentals: A Collection of Essential Basics is a short read to brush up and refresh JavaScript and Node.js topics including frameworks like CoffeeScript, Backbone.js and Express.js. The motto of the book is “If it’s not fun, it’s not JavaScript.”
JavaScript and Node FUNdamentals: A Collection of Essential Basics
JavaScript and Node FUNdamentals has these chapters:
JavaScript FUNdamentals: The Powerful and Misunderstood Language of The Web
CoffeeScript FUNdamentals: The Better JavaScript
Backbone.js FUNdamentals: The Cornerstone of JavaScript MV* Frameworks
Node.js FUNdamentals: JavaScript on The Server
Express.js FUNdamentals: The Most Popular Node.js Framework
This is a release candidate for 1.0 version which is going to be available to public in print. Page count has increase from 151 to 211 pages (PDF), which include the following updates:
More digestible (smaller) code examples with better comments
Express.js middleware section with an example
Express.js + MongoDB REST API server section with an example
Derby section with an example
Grammar and typo fixes
Illustrations
Summaries in the beginning of each chapter
Code examples formatting fixes
Rapid Prototyping with JS: Agile JavaScript Development
This is a release candidate for 1.0 version which is going to be available to public in print. Page count has increase from 151 to 211 pages (PDF), which include the following updates:
More digestible (smaller) code examples with better comments
Express.js middleware section with an example
Express.js + MongoDB REST API server section with an example
If you need in-depth knowledge or references, they are usually one click or one Google search away.
Practical aspect included building multiple versions of the Message Board app:
jQuery + Parse.com JS REST API
Backbone and Parse.com JS SDK
Backbone and Node.js
Backbone and Node.js + MongoDB
The Message Board application has all the foundation of a typical web/mobile application: fetching data, displaying it, submitting new data. Other examples include:
Why Backbone.js? Because a lot of people expressed desire to use it but being a framework Backbone has a learning curve. Not a steep one like Rails but still it takes time to master and learn Backbone. The new chapter “Intro to Backbone.js” will show readers how to:
Create Backbone architecture from scratch
Construct proper architecture with Routes
Use Collections
Apply Templates in Subviews
Split code into multiple JS files
Organize code into modules with AMD and Require.js
Rapid Prototyping with JS: Agile JavaScript Developement
TL;DR
Here is a list of the update for Rapid Prototyping with JS v0.4:
Brand new chapter: Intro to Backbone.js
Re-structured table of contents (chapters and parts)
Extended list of resources for further reading
Fixed code formatting and highlighting
Fixed grammar, style and typos mistakes
Brand new book cover optimized for ebook format
Reduced size of ebook (faster download)
Inspirational quotes in each chapter
Updated “Basics” chapter
New headline “Agile JavaScript Development”
Extended list of ways to reach us (Twitter, Facebook, Storify, etc.)
LeanPub Updates
LeanPub changed their purchasing. Now it’s even better for readers. Anybody can “return” the book they didn’t like within 45 days and get a full refund. Word return is in double quotes because all content is Digital Right Management (DRM) free. Does it mean that somebody can buy and download a book, get their money back, but keep the copy? Yes, but they will get bad karma for that! And not like a bad karma on Hacker News but a real bad karma. Everybody else deservers authors and publishers trust and respect.
Backbone.js
Why Backbone.js? Because a lot of people expressed desire to use it but being a framework Backbone has a learning curve. Not a steep one like Rails but still it takes time to master and learn Backbone. The new chapter “Intro to Backbone.js” will show readers how to:
Create Backbone architecture from scratch
Construct proper architecture with Routes
Use Collections
Apply Templates in Subviews
Split code into multiple JS files
Organize code into modules with AMD and Require.js
