JavaScript Tutorials

  • Detect an AJAX Request in PHP

    I like using the same PHP script for both AJAX and non-AJAX content requests. Using one script just makes everything easier because it's only one file to update/edit and it's one more cache-able request. One way to try detect an AJAX request (as opposed to a regular page load) is by using the following PHP code:

  • Degradable SELECT onChange

    Whenever I go to Google Analytics I notice a slight flicker in the dropdown list area. I see a button appear for the shortest amount of time and the poof! Gone. What that tells me is that Google is making their site function whether the user has JavaScript or not. The following is a quick explanation of how it works.

  • QuickBoxes for Dojo

    Adding to my mental portfolio is important to me. First came MooTools, then jQuery, and now Dojo. I speak often with Peter Higgins of Dojo fame and decided it was time to step into his world. I chose a simple but useful plugin, QuickBoxes, to port over from MooTools. The following is the result.

  • Highlighter: A MooTools Search & Highlight Plugin

    Searching within the page is a major browser functionality, but what if we could code a search box in JavaScript that would do the same thing? I set out to do that using MooTools and ended up with a pretty decent solution.

  • Font Replacement Using Cufón

    We all know about the big font replacement methods. sIFR's big. Image font replacement has gained some steam. Not too many people know about a great project named Cufón though. Cufón uses a unique blend of a proprietary font generator tool and JavaScript to create a custom font renderer in canvas and VML. Here's how to use Cufón to render the Sin City font for your headers.

  • Break Out of Frames Using JavaScript

    I thought frames went out of style a decade ago but apparently everyone feels the need to duplicate the Digg Bar. I don't trust these framed services so I choose to use a JavaScript snippet that prevents my site from being in someone else's frame.

  • JavaScript: The Good Parts by Douglas Crockford

  • JavaScript’s window.location Object

    Need current browser location information?  Keep in mind that the JavaScript's window.location object gives you all of that information about the window's current location.

  • Introducing MooTools ScrollSpy

    I've been excited to release this plugin for a long time. MooTools ScrollSpy is a unique but simple MooTools plugin that listens to page scrolling and fires events based on where the user has scrolled to in the page. Now you can fire specific functionality with just a few simple parameters.

  • Firefox Extension Template

    Creating a Firefox extension can be difficult if you don't know the files involved and how to structure your extension folder. Fear not — I have created a very basic Firefox extension template file/folder structure for you to get your first plugin going.