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Javascript Allongé
A strong cup of functions, objects, combinators, and decorators
by Reginald Braithwaite
JavaScript Allongé solves two important problems for the ambitious JavaScript programmer. First, JavaScript Allongé gives you the tools to deal with JavaScript bugs, hitches, edge cases, and other potential pitfalls.
There are plenty of good directions for how to write JavaScript programs. If you follow them without alteration or deviation, you will be satisfied. Unfortunately, software is a complex thing, full of interactions and side-effects. Two perfectly reasonable pieces of advice when taken separately may conflict with each other when taken together. An approach may seem sound at the outset of a project, but need to be revised when new requirements are discovered.
When you “leave the path” of the directions, you discover their limitations. In order to solve the problems that occur at the edges, in order to adapt and deal with changes, in order to refactor and rewrite as needed, you need to understand the underlying principles of the JavaScript programming language in detail.
You need to understand why the directions work so that you can understand how to modify them to work properly at or beyond their original limitations. That’s where JavaScript Allongé comes in.
JavaScript Allongé is a book about programming with functions, because JavaScript is a programming language built on flexible and powerful functions. JavaScript Allongé begins at the beginning, with values and expressions, and builds from there to discuss types, identity, functions, closures, scopes, and many more subjects up to working with classes and instances. In each case, JavaScript Allongé takes care to explain exactly how things work so that when you encounter a problem, you’ll know exactly what is happening and how to fix it.
Second, JavaScript Allongé provides recipes for using functions to write software that is simpler, cleaner, and less complicated than alternative approaches that are object-centric or code-centric. JavaScript idioms like function combinators and decorators leverage JavaScript’s power to make code easier to read, modify, debug and refactor, thus avoiding problems before they happen.
JavaScript Allongé teaches you how to handle complex code, and it also teaches you how to simplify code without dumbing it down. As a result, JavaScript Allongé is a rich read releasing many of JavaScript’s subtleties, much like the Café Allongé beloved by coffee enthusiasts everywhere.
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
by Reginald Braithwaite
JavaScript Allongé solves two important problems for the ambitious JavaScript programmer. First, JavaScript Allongé gives you the tools to deal with JavaScript bugs, hitches, edge cases, and other potential pitfalls.
There are plenty of good directions for how to write JavaScript programs. If you follow them without alteration or deviation, you will be satisfied. Unfortunately, software is a complex thing, full of interactions and side-effects. Two perfectly reasonable pieces of advice when taken separately may conflict with each other when taken together. An approach may seem sound at the outset of a project, but need to be revised when new requirements are discovered.
When you “leave the path” of the directions, you discover their limitations. In order to solve the problems that occur at the edges, in order to adapt and deal with changes, in order to refactor and rewrite as needed, you need to understand the underlying principles of the JavaScript programming language in detail.
You need to understand why the directions work so that you can understand how to modify them to work properly at or beyond their original limitations. That’s where JavaScript Allongé comes in.
JavaScript Allongé is a book about programming with functions, because JavaScript is a programming language built on flexible and powerful functions. JavaScript Allongé begins at the beginning, with values and expressions, and builds from there to discuss types, identity, functions, closures, scopes, and many more subjects up to working with classes and instances. In each case, JavaScript Allongé takes care to explain exactly how things work so that when you encounter a problem, you’ll know exactly what is happening and how to fix it.
Second, JavaScript Allongé provides recipes for using functions to write software that is simpler, cleaner, and less complicated than alternative approaches that are object-centric or code-centric. JavaScript idioms like function combinators and decorators leverage JavaScript’s power to make code easier to read, modify, debug and refactor, thus avoiding problems before they happen.
JavaScript Allongé teaches you how to handle complex code, and it also teaches you how to simplify code without dumbing it down. As a result, JavaScript Allongé is a rich read releasing many of JavaScript’s subtleties, much like the Café Allongé beloved by coffee enthusiasts everywhere.
License: CC BY-SA 3.0
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2012
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448 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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October 17, 2020Written clearly, and incredibly approachable, though the material quickly becomes very advanced. Concepts build on each other in a logical fashion. I got about 3/4 of the way through before it started losing me, so I have some re-reading to do.
May 6, 2018
I really liked it. But I don't think JS was a good choice. It was necessary to talk a lot about JS nuances (this, function scope vs block scope, arrow function vs named function, a lot of different ways to call a function/method, a lot of different ways to construct an object, etc) That is a lot of parts that could be eliminated by choosing another programming language.
Or the author could simplify the explanations by ignoring some JS features, like the approach used in "JavaScript: The Good Parts".
Or the author could simplify the explanations by ignoring some JS features, like the approach used in "JavaScript: The Good Parts".
March 6, 2022
Este libro es uno de los mejores que he leído sobre programación, explora conceptos muy básicos que pocos otros recursos se dan el tiempo de explicar con ejemplos y consecuencias de las cosas explicadas y construye sobre eso, paso a paso, para que entiendas técnicas, estructuras de datos y patrones que harán que tu código sea mejor (más elegante, más conveniente, más mantenible) y sobre las que tú también podrás construir.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo para cualquier programador@, pero especialmente para aquellos interesados en JS independientemente de su nivel, porque la forma en la que logra que describí en el párrafo anterior es explicando el funcionamiento de JS e introduciendo las características de ES6 poco a poco también.
Este libro también te enseña también conceptos sobre programación funcional, programación orientada a objetos, historia de la programación, cálculo lambda, matemáticas, etc. Tiene un estilo ameno y ejemplos ligeros.
Finalmente, es un libro autopublicado, tiene algunos typos por ahí y algunas secciones que parecen inconclusas, pero es gratuito, así que no es como que puedas reclamar que no cumple con lo que pagaste, todo este conocimiento te lo están dando gratis.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo para cualquier programador@, pero especialmente para aquellos interesados en JS independientemente de su nivel, porque la forma en la que logra que describí en el párrafo anterior es explicando el funcionamiento de JS e introduciendo las características de ES6 poco a poco también.
Este libro también te enseña también conceptos sobre programación funcional, programación orientada a objetos, historia de la programación, cálculo lambda, matemáticas, etc. Tiene un estilo ameno y ejemplos ligeros.
Finalmente, es un libro autopublicado, tiene algunos typos por ahí y algunas secciones que parecen inconclusas, pero es gratuito, así que no es como que puedas reclamar que no cumple con lo que pagaste, todo este conocimiento te lo están dando gratis.
April 8, 2018
A great book, not just about Javascript, but about programming in general.
I picked up a lot of new ideas and methods that just aren't covered in more traditional Javascript books.
This book once again proves the value of learning different languages, even ones you don't use in your day to day job, because they all bring interesting and useful perspectives to problem solving and programming in general.
I picked up a lot of new ideas and methods that just aren't covered in more traditional Javascript books.
This book once again proves the value of learning different languages, even ones you don't use in your day to day job, because they all bring interesting and useful perspectives to problem solving and programming in general.
September 13, 2018
A very good read. The first part about creating data structures using only functions is a very nice topic related to category theory and functional programming. The second part of the book discussing things such as mixins, delegates, and classes is also very interesting for intermediate level javascriptters.
January 1, 2025
Rather outdated JS concepts like 1) legacy functional JS instead of OOP or Hook-based 2) things like "always use `var`" which generally has no good reasons to use var in modern JavaScript. It surely is good to know where it all started.
August 23, 2017
Awesome book.Even first 100 chapters would make a difference in your Javascript understanding
September 28, 2017
I've written code in Javascript, but never really developed a deeper understanding of the language. Braithwaite uses Javascript to demonstrate patterns of functional programming, and in so doing, illuminates the aspects of it like context ("this") and prototypes that are unlike most other commonly used programming languages. If you are interested in functional programming, and would like to learn more about Javascript's flavour of object-orientation, you couldn't ask for a better book.
January 25, 2018
JavaScript Allongé is a JavaScript love story that will have you falling in love with functional programming. It's easily my favorite JS book, and should be yours, too
December 30, 2021
A fantastic book for a budding JavaScript developer. I loved the coffee references too. High recommended!
March 12, 2017
R. Braithwaite takes a functional programming viewpoint and makes a tour from this point through JS. While some explanations border on the esoteric, it provides a lot of food for thought on functional *and* object oriented design techniques in JS.
December 29, 2015
Great to consolidate most of the knowledge from Functional Javascript. Many of the topics overlap in one way or another. In my experience I wouldn't say it was as profound as Functional Javascript but I may be biased because I read it first. The code in the book has some bugs so that was a bit annoying. Other than that it is a great resource to get you thinking about the power of composition and the functional paradigm.
January 4, 2019
It's probably the clearest and most simplified Javascript book I have read. It did Justice to functions, objects, combinators and decorators. The author was masterful in his use of simple code logic to explain very complex concepts. It's also a pleasure to read as anyone can follow examples used in this book. I will recommend this book to any programmer that want to master these concepts thoroughly.
January 5, 2017
If you want to not only write JavaScript, but understand it too. This book is for you. It's one of the best technical books I've read. JavaScript Allongé teaches you the fundamentals, like prototypes, functional bindings, tail-call optimization, and more in a way so you'll be able to teach others when you're done.
March 25, 2016
Good combination of ES2015 and functional programming. Not too much dogma, doesn’t skip on the OOP concepts, and I love his writing style. Not everybody will enjoy it, but definitely worth keeping in the arsenal of intermediate-level books.
March 27, 2014
This is the best javascript book I have ever read
March 12, 2014
Too chatty, too little code. I like my books more dense.
June 30, 2014
Great book of functional recipes in JavaScript.
July 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews