What's New in Navigator 4.0

What You Should Already Know

• A general understanding of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW).
• Good working knowledge of HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

How to Use JavaScript Documentation

• Part 1, "Using JavaScript in Navigator", introduces JavaScript and describes its use in Navigator. It covers the main features of client JavaScript and touches on some advanced topics.
• Part 2, "The Core JavaScript Language", describes the syntax and semantics of the JavaScript language itself and is applicable to both client-side and server-side JavaScript. It also describes JavaScript's predefined String, Math, and Date objects, predefined functions, and statement syntax.

If you are already familiar with JavaScript in Navigator, skim the material in Part 1, paying particular attention to the chapters that discuss more advanced topics: Chapter 4, "Using Windows and Frames" and Chapter 6, "Advanced Topics."

Once you have a firm grasp of the fundamentals, you can use the JavaScript Reference to get more details on individual objects and statements.

If you are developing a client-server JavaScript application, use the material in Part 1 to familiarize yourself with the basics of JavaScript. Then read Part 2 for a more in-depth look at the JavaScript language. All the material in Part 2 is applicable to server-side JavaScript. You need to read only material on client JavaScript if you want to incorporate only client functionality into your applications. Once you are comfortable with the core and client-side JavaScript, you're ready to use Writing Server-Side JavaScript Applications to develop your server-side JavaScript application.

In addition to these manuals, DevEdge, Netscape's online developer resource, has a lot of other information about JavaScript, such as Getting Started with Netscape JavaScript Debugger.

The JavaScript page of the DevEdge library contains several other documents of interest about JavaScript. The contents of this page change frequently. You should revisit it periodically to get the newest information.

Document Conventions

JavaScript applications run on many operating systems; the information here applies to all versions. File and directory paths are given in Windows format (with backslashes separating directory names). For Unix versions, the directory paths are the same, except that you use slashes instead of backslashes to separate directories.

This book uses uniform resource locators (URLs) of the form

http://server.domain/path/file.html

This book uses the following font conventions:

• The monospace font is used for sample code and code listings, API and language elements (such as function names and class names), filenames, pathnames, directory names, HTML tags, and any text that must be typed on the screen. (Monospace italic font is used for placeholders embedded in code.)
• Italic type is used for book titles, emphasis, variables and placeholders, and words used in the literal sense.
• Boldface type is used for glossary terms.

Last Updated: 11/26/97 09:25:24