Anyone who has been developing on the Web over the past 5 years is sure to have experienced jQuery in some shape or form. Created by John Resig to make JavaScript more user-friendly and easier to code, it has come a long way and is now seen as a de-facto skill-set among the Web community.
With recent developments to the mobile web, more and more developers are venturing into the mobile application space by utilising existing knowledge in a different environment. There are many frameworks and libraries available to assist you in this but jQuery Mobile has also evolved to support the growing trend of mobile web development.
Whilst jQuery is quite easy to pick up for the seasoned developer, it’s often beneficial to assist your personal development with appropriate literature. With a mobile web app planned for 2014, I decided to read jQuery Mobile Web Development Essentials to get up to speed and fill in any gaps.
Written by Raymond Camden & Andy Matthews, the book covers all the basics of jQuery Mobile with a number of real world examples to build including a typical brochure site and RSS reader.
The book is very easy to follow, written well and doesn’t assume too much by way of existing knowledge. It also covers some more in-depth best practises by means of Javascript development and extending jQuery Mobile such as with themes which gives the reader an opportunity to learn more by discovery.
At 230 pages, it’s not too heavy to digest – I managed to read it during a week’s worth of commuting on my iPhone without having to jump on a computer.
Personally, I don’t like to create different applications based on device but, when you do have to focus on a particular context with limited scope, it’s worth looking into jQuery Mobile and this book is the perfect primer to accompany your learning.
Available as eBook from Packt Publishing for £14.44 or dead tree format from Amazon for £23.86.