Three basic JS questions.

[Noone Here]

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?

Also, from scratch if one has only a reasonable knowledge of HTML, and
if the person wa sprepared to work at learning JS for say a dozen hours
per week, how long would the average person take to learn JS to a
moderate degree?

Finally, can anyone please suggest some good books for beginner's
learning JS (or links, etc). I have always used books before, expect
there are so many to chose from and opinions are welcomed.

Thanks.

[cwdjrxyz]

Noone Here wrote:

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?

I think that PHP would be the logical choice after JS. Some parts of it
are much like JS, except done on the server level. It has the advantage
that it can not be turned off by a viewing browser, as can JS. In fact
some aspects of PHP code are so much like JS that it is easy to make
little mistakes because you use what is correct for JS rather than PHP
unless you pay careful attention. For example, a JS statement does not
have to have a closing ";" if it ends on a line. However a PHP
statement must always have a closing ";". This is one reason why many
say you should always use a closing ";" when writing JS, since this
saves one possible easy mistake when you shift languages.

[Randy Webb]

Noone Here said the following on 3/11/2006 9:49 AM:

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?
Rather than pick "easy" languages, pick the ones that are most likely to
benefit you.

PHP or ASP (Server Side J/VBScript)
And then an SQL language. Either SQL or mySQL.
Also, from scratch if one has only a reasonable knowledge of HTML, and
if the person wa sprepared to work at learning JS for say a dozen hours
per week, how long would the average person take to learn JS to a
moderate degree?
A year, minimum, depending on your desire to be "moderate".
Finally, can anyone please suggest some good books for beginner's
learning JS (or links, etc). I have always used books before, expect
there are so many to chose from and opinions are welcomed.

The FAQ and it's links, with the exception of w3schools.com
As for books, there aren't any. They all have problems and are outdated.

--
Randy
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq & newsgroup weekly
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

cwdjrxyz wrote:

Noone Here wrote:

[Which language is similar to JS?]
I think that PHP would be the logical choice after JS. Some parts of it
are much like JS, except done on the server level.

Neither is PHP a language restricted to server-side use, nor is JS
restricted to client-side use. Please search the archives before
you post.
This is one reason why many say you should always use a closing ";" when
writing JS, since this saves one possible easy mistake when you shift
languages.

Which is the worst reason I have ever heard of.
PointedEars

[Hal Rosser]

"Noone Here" <e3**********@82190402j.com> wrote in message
news:44***********************@orc.meganetnews.com ...

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?

Also, from scratch if one has only a reasonable knowledge of HTML, and
if the person wa sprepared to work at learning JS for say a dozen hours
per week, how long would the average person take to learn JS to a
moderate degree?

Finally, can anyone please suggest some good books for beginner's
learning JS (or links, etc). I have always used books before, expect
there are so many to chose from and opinions are welcomed.

Thanks.

You'll also need to learn CSS to complete your client-side ensemble.
I'm not going to mention that there's a tutorial on html, javascript, and
css at www.w3schools.com because some folks found an error on the site.

[Randy Webb]

Hal Rosser said the following on 3/11/2006 5:51 PM:

"Noone Here" <e3**********@82190402j.com> wrote in message
news:44***********************@orc.meganetnews.com ...

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?

Also, from scratch if one has only a reasonable knowledge of HTML, and
if the person wa sprepared to work at learning JS for say a dozen hours
per week, how long would the average person take to learn JS to a
moderate degree?

Finally, can anyone please suggest some good books for beginner's
learning JS (or links, etc). I have always used books before, expect
there are so many to chose from and opinions are welcomed.

Thanks.

You'll also need to learn CSS to complete your client-side ensemble.
I'm not going to mention that there's a tutorial on html, javascript, and
css at www.w3schools.com because some folks found an error on the site.

There's not "an error" on that site, there are a ton of errors and
incomplete/incorrect data on that site.

--
Randy
comp.lang.javascript FAQ - http://jibbering.com/faq & newsgroup weekly
Javascript Best Practices - http://www.JavascriptToolbox.com/bestpractices/

[cwdjrxyz]

cwdjrxyz wrote:

Noone Here wrote:

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?

I think that PHP would be the logical choice after JS. Some parts of it
are much like JS, except done on the server level. It has the advantage
that it can not be turned off by a viewing browser, as can JS. In fact
some aspects of PHP code are so much like JS that it is easy to make
little mistakes because you use what is correct for JS rather than PHP
unless you pay careful attention. For example, a JS statement does not
have to have a closing ";" if it ends on a line. However a PHP
statement must always have a closing ";". This is one reason why many
say you should always use a closing ";" when writing JS, since this
saves one possible easy mistake when you shift languages.

I should point out, as nearly everyone knows, that many languages can
be used on both PCs and servers. In fact you likely have programs on
your PC that use C++, Java, and likely other higher level languages.
Likewise the same can be true on a server which is just a special
purpose computer. If you are writing programs to be used on PCs, say an
elaborate media processing program, then the next logical language to
learn might well be C++. If you are interested mainly in things on the
web, then, as I suggested, server side PHP is very useful for many. Or
Java might be useful on the server. Again you could use Java or PHP on
programs on a PC if there is an advantage in doing so. However, in the
case of PHP, many find it most useful on the server. Languages come and
go. I am surprised that languages such as html and JS used most often
for web applications have changed as little as they have. I have used
more now dead or depreciated languages than I can recall - Fortran 4
H-level, Algo(a subset of Algol), a microprocessor octal machine
language used for an automated instrument, etc.

In short, the next language you should learn should consider what you
want to do. Actually web pages are only a minor part of the huge field
of computing, and it is easy to forget that many PCs and
state-of-the-art computers are never connected to the web or a network.
Of course it is likely that most posting to this group have at least
some interest in writing code for web pages.

[Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn]

cwdjrxyz wrote:

I should point out, as nearly everyone knows, that many languages can
be used on both PCs and servers.
<nitpick> My server is a PC. </nitpick>
[...] Languages come and go. I am surprised that languages such as html
and JS used most often for web applications have changed as little as
they have.

You have overslept the last 10 years, and you are dreaming right now?
PointedEars

[Ben C]

On 2006-03-11, Noone Here <e3**********@82190402j.com> wrote:

If one knows JavaScript to a moderate to good level, which other
languages are similar to JS so one could easily read the code and use
the language (obviously after understanding any different terminology)?
The syntax is similar to Java and C. The concepts are more similar to
what you find in languages like Python or Perl-- dynamic typing, lists
and dictionaries built into the language. The way you do inheritance
with prototyping is related to Self, but actually in JS in my experience
you just use prototypes to implement class-based inheritance and don't
actually do the kind of programming you might do in Self, so really it's
just like using any class-based language.

If you knew JS to a moderate to good level it shouldn't take too long to
learn Python, which would be my personal recommendation as the easiest
to learn and also the most useful.
Also, from scratch if one has only a reasonable knowledge of HTML, and
if the person wa sprepared to work at learning JS for say a dozen hours
per week, how long would the average person take to learn JS to a
moderate degree?

If they were already quite experienced at programming in one or two
other languages, probably only a few weeks. But it depends on the
person; some people learn slower, but that doesn't mean they might not
be better at something once they have learnt it.