JavaScript Jems: The Amazing Parts

Whether you are a professional programmer. student or enthusiast, JavaScript is likely to be a language you use on an everyday basis. It is widely regarded as the language of the web, but despite having "Script" in its name it is far more than just a scripting language and it has nothing to do with Java - you can see that its misrepresentation starts early! Whatever you call it and whatever you use it for, this book is a "meditation" on the features that make JavaScript stand apart from other languages and make it special in terms of having admirable qualities. Each Jem is intended to be an enjoyable read for any JavaScript programmer showing the language in a new light. These are referred to as "Jems". It's not a word you will find in the dictionary but it is used in the same sense as its homophone "Gem" as "something prized for its beauty and value". Here we have a collection of twenty jems about features that have their advantages and disadvantages over their counterparts in other languages. has been written for everyone who encounters JavaScript - not just its aficionados but also its detractors. It looks at how JavaScript does things differently from the perspective of how its differences can be exploited and put to good use. is editor of i-programmer.info, an online magazine written by programmers for programmers. His programming career spans several generations of computer technology and he is a polyglot familiar with many programming languages. His books for the I Programmer Library include and . His most recent book is , which sets out to present the fundamental ideas of computer science in an informal and yet informative way.