jQuery UI 1.7 by Dan Wellman
jQuery UI is the official interface library for jQuery, the leading JavaScript framework. Dan Wellman‘s book, jQuery UI 1.7 – The User Interface library for jQuery, is intended to be the ‘missing manual’ – fleshing out the online documentation with examples, tutorials, and an in-depth look at the API. The book is supported by many great code samples, which are available at Packt’s support site.
There are thirteen chapters in total, covering the high-level widgets (such as the accordion) and low-level widgets (such as the draggable and droppable interaction helpers.) In addition, the CSS and effects frameworks are covered too.
No knowledge of jQuery UI is assumed, although it is expected that the reader will have a decent grasp of HTML, CSS, and jQuery. The book is pitched at the beginner to intermediate level jQuery UI user, although I would think that even advanced users will find that it contains valuable information.
The structure of each chapter is similar. Starting with the most basic example to get you up and running, more options are gradually introduced to give you a greater level of control, with plenty of code samples to help you along. Most chapters finish with a more advanced scenario, showing some really imaginative uses in which jQuery UI shines. For example, the drag and drop chapter walks the reader through creating a simple game.
The book also takes the time to describe some of the rare occasions where cross-browser issues might rear their heads, along with the fixes. It would have been easy for the author to skip past those parts, but I appreciated this honest approach. It may not be the sexiest subject matter, but it’s something that we as web developers deal with on a day-to-day basis, so it was great to see it tackled in the book.
One of the major strengths of jQuery UI is its online documentation; there are several examples for each widget, and options and methods are well documented. I was initially a little concerned about what the book could add to this, but my concerns were unfounded. Every chapter revealed methods and options that I had missed, along with examples that used the library in ways I would never have thought of.
One of the biggest revelations to me was the chapter relating to the CSS framework. Although I’d used Themeroller before, I’d never appreciated the full extent to which it can be used, creating a consistent look and feel throughout your site and containing many valuable helper classes.
One area where I would have liked to see some information is that of extending jQuery UI. I would have liked to have read about writing your own widgets, inheriting from $.widget, but I appreciate that this would probably be out of scope for this type of book.
Although jQuery UI 1.8 is just round the corner, I would have no hesitation in recommending this book. There is a wealth of information here, and it is presented in such a way that the reader is given a real understanding of the library, meaning that you won’t have any problems when the next version rolls along. In fact, if you read this book now, you’ll be well prepared for all the goodies that 1.8 contains!
So if you’re looking for a jQuery UI book, you should definitely check this one out!
Tags: book review, jQuery, jQuery UI
