Beware Experts

I’m accustomed to making broad statements without qualification (hey, I was in Sales for a while). But the other day, I was reading the Web site of a somewhat popular Javascript library written by a PhD, and after nearly every article on the site, I had to shake my head and ask, “Is this what they’re teaching kids in Computer Science today?”

Just one of the things that made me shake my head: “The primary mechanism by which most modern OOP languages (such as Java and C#) implement this [Multiple Inheritance] is through the use of interfaces.”

Bzzzt! Wrong. And you’ve got a PhD? In What? Read Beware Experts »

For a Good Time, Call

One of the more interesting methods of the Function object is call. This allows you to invoke a function. “Oh Joy!” I hear you exclaim, “Now I can invoke functions!”

Yes, yes, nobody likes a Smart Ass more than me, but this really is interesting. You’ll see… Read For a Good Time, Call »

Javascript Has No Class

Efforts underway for JavaScript 2.0 (AKA ECMAScript Edition 4) notwithstanding, JavaScript doesn’t really have classes. Not classes like you’re familiar with in Objective-C, C++, or Java.

Just because JavaScript doesn’t support classes, doesn’t mean you can’t write really sophisticated object-oriented applications. You just have to understand the power of prototype inheritance and give up your fear that the other developers will look down on you because you’re classless. Read Javascript Has No Class »

Keeping Up Standards

I’ve an Atom 1.0 feed here, but Safari seems to choke on it. I’ve tested it via the Feed Validator: it’s definitely valid.

I suppose that’s the danger of supporting the latest standards. Read Keeping Up Standards »

Ajaxian Limitation

I was just thinking about adding another Ajax-y feature to the site when it occurred to me: I can either return JavaScript or HTML but not both.

Typically when returning HTML using an XMLHttpRequest object I set the innerHTML property of a div on the page with the result (provided the operation was successful). But I’m willing to bet that any scripts contained in that HTML doesn’t get interpreted.

Let’s find out… Read Ajaxian Limitation »