OO with JavaScript Excellently Explained

JavaScript has a prototype-based approach to object orientation. This makes it very different from the common object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, C++, and Ruby.

In those languages, code is structured using classes and their hierarchies. In JavaScript, however, these classes and hierarchies have only been achievable through small workarounds so far.

Therefore, even as a seasoned OO developer, one must first relearn how to structure larger applications using classes, functions, module objects, and mixins in JavaScript.

In this small book, the author explains with a great deal of expertise how traditional object orientation can also be implemented with JavaScript (ECMAScript 5). The author focuses solely on this “gap”; other topics are not covered in this book. It is not a general textbook on object-oriented programming. A basic understanding of OO and JavaScript is necessary for comprehension.

Whether this book will still be worth reading after the release of ECMAScript 6, which was announced for mid-2015, is something I cannot yet judge. Currently, however, it is one of the best sources for understanding JavaScript.

Nicholas C. Zakas
The Principles of Object-Oriented JavaScript
No Starch
2014