TITLE: jQuery: Just the Basics - A Primer for the JavaScript Programmer LATEST BOOK UPDATE: February, 2014 JQUERY VERSIONS USED: 1.11.0 & 2.1.0 jQuery is an open-source JavaScript library that makes it easier to develop lively and responsive web pages and interactive web applications. jQuery is simpler and more streamlined than standard JavaScript, yet also more powerful, full-featured, and portable. Using jQuery can save you considerable programming time and effort. But even if you don't choose jQuery yourself, it's important to understand this library because its use is so widespread. One survey found jQuery running on half of all websites. If you want to start using jQuery NOW, you won't have time to labor through a large tome or to wrestle with the massive online documentation. Fortunately, you can be a productive jQuery programmer without knowing all of jQuery's vast collection of methods and options. What "jQuery: Just the Basics" does for you is to select the smallest and most essential set of jQuery features that will still allow you to perform the majority of web development tasks. It then explains these features thoroughly, using many code examples and links to further information in the online help. The book's teach-by-example approach saves much unnecessary verbiage—often you'll understand a technique by just glancing at the example. The book is designed to be read through from the beginning, and is written with a step-by-step logic and a minimum of repetition. Although it focuses on the basics of jQuery and is intended to get you started quickly, it's NOT a superficial survey. It provides all the information, insights, and tips you'll need to get started writing that next great web application! WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW This book teaches just jQuery. You should understand the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and standard JavaScript before reading it. If you're rusty on the essentials of JavaScript, consider starting with "JavaScript: Just the Basics," available as a Kindle book by the same author. "jQuery: Just the Basics" was written as a follow-up to the author's JavaScript book, and dovetails closely with it. THE BOOK The book is approximately 170 pages long. It was designed, written, and formatted specifically for the Kindle, and you can read it on any Kindle device or free reading app. (Reading the book in Kindle Cloud Reader isn't recommended because of the reader's non-standard formatting.) The manuscript was prepared so that the source code listings are easy to view on an e-reader, and the book is simple to navigate. THE COMPANION WEBSITE You'll find a companion website for the book at SelfReliantPress.com, where you can download the book's example source code listings or contact the author. On the website you'll also find ongoing updates, corrections, and elaborations on the material covered in the book. THE CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 1. Using jQuery in Your Web Pages Chapter 2. Selecting Web-Page Elements Chapter 3. Traversing Web-Page Elements Chapter 4. Modifying the Web Page Chapter 5. Scripting CSS Styles Chapter 6. Generating Animation Effects Chapter 7. Handling Web-Page Events Chapter 8. Ajax! Chapter 9. Creating jQuery Plugins Conclusion THE AUTHOR Michael J Young has a master's degree in computer science and is the author of 29 books on computing.