It has always baffled me why people don’t treat JavaScript like any other programming language. You wouldn’t start trying to develop an application in C without understanding the basics first, would you? Yet, this is what developers do constantly when dealing with JavaScript. They don’t want to learn JavaScript, they want to get right into the mix.

Part of the reason I wrote Professional JavaScript in the manner I did is because I wanted people to treat it like a programming language instead of a toy that web designers use to make “cool” effects. Now, this did garner some negative reviews from non-programmers, but that was to be expected. While Ajax is the current buzzword, it’s also encouraging a whole new slew of people who don’t know JavaScript to try and make it do things that require a good working knowledge of the language. How do I know? Professional Ajax is selling much better than the first book, but it requires no less technical knowledge. I have seen many more posts in forums by people wanting to implement Ajax solutions that begin with, “please help me, I don’t really know JavaScript.” ::sigh::

Though the reviews are only beginning to come in, I’m sure the Ajax book will get some similar reviews. This is where I accent the Professional part of the titles; both of these books are intended for programming professionals, not beginners. This is what we need more of: programmers who really understand JavaScript.