[WEB4LIB] Re: Learning Javascript

[Thomas Dowling]

>
> I can't say I know much JavaScript, but we have found it useful in
> designing our WebOPAC (III).  We used the back.history command to add a
> Previous Screen button that gets the patron back to the last
> page they were
> looking at (usually a bib record page), instead of taking them
> all the way
> back to the menu screen.
>
> We also used JavaScript to open a new, smaller window to display help
> screens.  The patron clicks on a Help button, which opens the smaller
> window.  The patron can then read the help screens while
> viewing the catalog.

Or not.  Please don't take this as a flame, but I find a lot of JavaScript
makes no allowance for the unknown percentage of users who disable it in
their browsers.  I regularly use three browsers that support Javascript
and disable it in the two I use most often.

'<a href ="javascript:history.back()">' and '<A HREF="javascript:
NewWin()">' take me exactly nowhere, which means that if I do get into one
of your "Where do I find..." screens, I have no links available to take me
anywhere else, nor can I access the online help anywhere in your catalog.


In response to the original post, I don't think it ever hurts to learn
something, and Javascript has definite uses.  But also take time to learn
what uses are supplementary and what uses are exclusionary.


Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu