Rating: 

From the very first sample (Online Test), I knew this book would be teaching me a lot of new techniques. Having a web-based application running solely (actually, more like 99%) on Javascript is great. Bradenbaugh is very thorough in his writing, explaining, and guiding readers through various sections of each application. His presentations of the processes and variables used are so helpful when walking through the source code.

Right out of the book, there is no need to configure anything except to download the samples. Once you have it saved on your machine, it’s time to make things happen. The best thing about the author’s walk-through is that he tells you explicitly what is going on, and he offers ways to enhance each application. That’s a must when you are looking for ideas from someone with as much knowledge as he has.

I see combining several chapters worth of code into a bigger and better application. For example, using the file I/O techniques used in the Online Test application in conjunction with the Slideshow application, one could create a database of images used and allow users to load and save them. Better yet, why not offer something like a shopping cart for your users to select which image to include in a slideshow. The possibilities are endless from the use of this book. If time permits, incorporate other functions and create a true scripting-library. Use the include directive to bring in what is needed to make your application lean and user-friendly.

There are some sample chapters of the JavaScript Application Cookbook available online: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/jscook/chapter/index.html