HTML5 Solutions: Essential Techniques for HTML5 Developers

Author: Marco Casario, Peter Elst, Charles Brown, Nathalie Wormser, Cyril Hanquez

HTML5 brings the biggest changes that HTML has seen in years. Web designers and developers now have a whole host of new techniques up their sleeves, from displaying video and audio natively in HTML, to creating realtime graphics directly on a web page without the need for a plugin. But all of these new technologies bring more tags to learn and more avenues for things to go wrong. HTML5 Solutions provides a collection of solutions to all of the most common HTML5 problems. Every solution contains sample code that is production-ready and can be applied to any project.

What you’ll learn

• Real-world solutions for everyday HTML development, saving hours of frustration. Problems covered include:
• Sending multi-bitrate videos to different devices
• Creating custom video components
• Programming a custom video controller
• Designing a canvas with custom gradients
• Capturing and drawing images
• Storing data offline using the Web SQL Databases
• Dragging data from the desktop into the browser
• Creating HTML5 WebSockets
• Who this book is for
• Web developers and designers seeking practical advice on making HTML5 sites work.

Table of Contents

1. HTML5 Page Structures
2. HTML5 Markup
3. Structural and Semantic Elements
4. HTML5 Forms
5. HTML5 Media Elements: Audio and Video
6. HTML5 Drawing APIs
7. HTML5 Canvas
8. HTML5 Communication APIs
9. HTML5 WebSockets
10. HTML5 Geolocation API
11. HTML5 Local Storage
12. HTML5 Accessibility

Creating HTML5 Animations with Flash and Wallaby

Author: Ian L. McLean

Publisher: O’Reilly Media (September 14, 2011)

Creating standards-compliant animations for the Web just got a lot easier. With this concise guide, you’ll learn how to convert Flash animations into HTML5, using Wallaby—the experimental tool from Adobe. Wallaby makes Flash content available for devices that don’t support Flash runtimes, including the iPhone and iPad. Developing HTML5 animations is time-consuming with all the coding required. This book shows you how to create compelling content for HTML5 environments with relative ease, whether you know Flash or not. After a quick introduction to simple animation building with Flash, you’ll learn how Wallaby helps you convert those animations into HTML5 code.

• Learn how to create a simple Flash animation, using Flash Professional CS5
• Become familiar with the Flash Library, Stage drawing canvas, and animation Timeline
• Take the right approach to building a complex Flash animation for HTML5
• Get performance tips to optimize animations for desktops and mobile devices
• Use simple JavaScript and CSS code to place the Wallaby animation in a web page
• Add interactivity to your HTML5 animation with jQuery

Author: Andrew Lunny

Publisher: Packt Publishing (September 23, 2011)

This is a step-by-step guide written in an informal, friendly style, for beginners to learn building cross-platform mobile applications with PhoneGap. You will find plenty of fully explained code and ample screenshots in the book to ease and speed up your understanding. This book is for developers, ideally with web development experience, who are interested in developing for the emerging mobile market, but do not want to learn a new SDK for every phone on the shelf. Readers should be comfortable with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, and interested in learning the new advances in those technologies that allow for rich, native-style experiences.

Beginning PhoneGap: Mobile Web Framework for JavaScript and HTML5

Author: Rohit Ghatol

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (November 14, 2011)

PhoneGap is a growing and leading open-source mobile web apps development framework that lets developers build JavaScript and HTML5-based web applications with native wrappers for more than six mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. This framework lets you build HTML- and JavaScript-based apps and still take advantage of native mobile device capabilities like camera, localStorage, geolocation, storage and much more, irrespective of the mobile platform you target. It also lets you use more specialized JavaScript frameworks like jQuery Mobile and more. Beginning PhoneGap is a definitive, one-of-a-kind book that teaches the fundamentals and strategies behind cross-platform mobile application development. Instead of learning languages like Objective-C, focus on building apps from day one for Android, iOS, Blackberry, WebOS and Symbian—without the complexities of these platforms. This book shows how to build apps like the ones on Facebook and Twitter, and add cool features—like uploading photos straight onto Facebook or syncing contacts. Store Facebook wallpaper and Twitter tweets for online access. Furthermore, you’ll learn how to extend PhoneGap’s functionality by using PhoneGap plugins to write apps like Dropbox (syncing files in the background outside HTML/JavaScript code and in native code). By the time you finish Beginning PhoneGap, you’ll know PhoneGap inside and out, and, consequently, be able to develop mobile web apps faster and more efficiently than ever before. Make more money in less time! This book offers an examples-based approach on how to build PhoneGap-based HTML and JavaScript that integrates device features like geolocation, camera, storage, and more.

• To understand mobile web applications development using the PhoneGap framework
• How to build simple apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, WebOS and Symbian
• The differences in capabilities across various mobile devices
• How to integrate other popular mobile JavaScript frameworks to build user interfaces in PhoneGap
• All the major features in PhoneGap, like geolocation, camera, media, storage, and more.
• How to build apps like those you find on Facebook and Twitter, using PhoneGap
• How to extend PhoneGap using the PhoneGap plugin development framework
• How to publish your PhoneGap apps in various app stores and markets

Learning jQuery, Third Edition

Author: Jonathan Chaffer, Karl Swedberg

Publisher: Packt Publishing; 3rd New edition edition (September 23, 2011) Step through each of the core concepts of the jQuery library, building an overall picture of its capabilities. Once you have thoroughly covered the basics, the book returns to each concept to cover more advanced examples and techniques. This book is for web designers who want to create interactive elements for their designs, and for developers who want to create the best user interface for their web applications. Basic JavaScript programming and knowledge of HTML and CSS is required. No knowledge of jQuery is assumed, nor is experience with any other JavaScript libraries.

Head First jQuery

Author: Ryan Benedetti, Ronan Cranley

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; Original edition (September 29, 2011)

Want to add more interactivity and polish to your websites? Discover how jQuery can help you build complex scripting functionality in just a few lines of code. With Head First jQuery, you’ll quickly get up to speed on this amazing JavaScript library by learning how to navigate HTML documents while handling events, effects, callbacks, and animations. By the time you’ve completed the book, you’ll be incorporating Ajax apps, working seamlessly with HTML and CSS, and handling data with PHP, MySQL and JSON. If you want to learn—and understand—how to create interactive web pages, unobtrusive script, and cool animations that don’t kill your browser, this book is for you.

• Use jQuery with DOM to overcome the limitations of HTML and CSS
• Learn how jQuery selectors and actions work together
• Write functions and wire them to interface elements
• Use jQuery effects to create actions on the page
• Make your pages come alive with animation
• Build interactive web pages with jQuery and Ajax
• Build forms in web applications

Head First HTML5 Programming: Building Web Apps with JavaScript

Author: Eric T Freeman, Elisabeth Robson

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (October 18, 2011)

HTML has been on a wild ride. Sure, HTML started as a mere markup language, but more recently HTML’s put on some major muscle. Now we’ve got a language tuned for building web applications with Web storage, 2D drawing, offline support, sockets and threads, and more. And to speak this language you’ve got to go beyond HTML5 markup and into the world of the DOM, events, and JavaScript APIs. Now you probably already know all about HTML markup (otherwise known as structure) and you know all aboutCSS style (presentation), but what you’ve been missing is JavaScript (behavior). If all you know about are structure and presentation, you can create some great looking pages, but they’re still just pages. When you add behavior with JavaScript, you can create an interactive experience; even better, you can create full blown web applications. Head First HTML5 Programming is your ultimate tour guide to creating web applications with HTML5 and JavaScript, and we give you everything you need to know to build them, including: how to add interactivity to your pages, how to communicate with the world of Web services, and how to use the great new APIs being developed for HTML5. Here are just some of the things you’ll learn in Head First HTML5 Programing:

• Learn how to make your pages truly interactive by using the power of the DOM.
• Finally understand how JavaScript works and take yourself from novice to well-informed in just a few chapters.
• Learn how JavaScript APIs fit into the HTML5 ecosystem, and how to use any API in your web pages.
• Use the Geolocation API to know where your users are.
• Bring out your inner artist with Canvas, HTML5’s new 2D drawing surface.
• Go beyond just plugging a video into your pages, and create custom video experiences.
• Learn the secret to grabbing five megabytes of storage in every user’s browser.
• Improve your page’s responsiveness and performance with Web workers.
• And much more.

Foundation HTML5 Animation with JavaScript

Author: Billy Lamberta (Author), Keith Peters

Publisher: friendsofED; 1 edition (October 24, 2011)

Foundation HTML5 Animation with JavaScript covers everything that you need to know to create dynamic scripted animation using the HTML5 canvas. It provides information on all the relevant math you’ll need, before moving on to physics concepts like acceleration, velocity, easing, springs, collision detection, conservation of momentum, 3D, and forward and inverse kinematics. Foundation HTML5 Animation with JavaScript is a fantastic resource for all web developers working in HTML5 or switching over from Flash to create standards-compliant games, applications, and animations that will work across all modern browsers and most mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. You will learn how to utilize the amazing animation and physics-based code originally created by author Keith Peters in his hugely successful Foundation ActionScript Animation in all of your HTML5 applications. In no time at all, you’ll understand the concepts behind scripted animation and also have the ability to create all manner of exciting animations and games.

• All the JavaScript and HTML5 code (including math and trigonometry functions) you’ll need to start animating with code
• Basic motion principles like velocity, acceleration, friction, easing, and bouncing
• How to handle user interactions via the keyboard, mouse, and touchscreen
• Advanced motion techniques like springs, coordinate rotation conservation of momentum, and forward and inverse kinematics
• All the basic 3D concepts you’ll need for 3D in HTML5 (without WebGL)—from simple perspective to full 3D solids, complete with backface culling and dynamic lighting

Pro iOS Web Design and Development: HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript with Safari

Author: Andrea Picchi

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (November 14, 2011)

With Pro iOS Web Design and Development, you’ll design websites and develop web applications for iPhone and iPad using web standards deployed with Apple’s Safari browser. Utilizing the very latest web and mobile technologies and releases, this book shows every web professional how to use HTML5 to do the heavy lifting, CSS3 to create the look and feel, and JavaScript to add program logic to their mobile sites and Web applications. In addition, you’ll learn how to address the specific features made available through Apple’s iPhone OS, especially with regard to designing Web-based touch-screen interfaces. Pro iOS Web Design and Development will help you deliver rich mobile user experiences without compromise by optimizing your sites for WebKit and Safari, the de facto standard for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

• Design an optimal website for the iPhone, iPad, and/or iPod touch
• Use web standards to develop professional sites on Apple’s key platforms
• Use HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript
• Take advantage of Apple’s multi-touch screen technology in your Web apps
• Usability testing for mobile websites and Web apps
• Maximize Web standards for Apple’s Mobile Safari and why this is important for Web developers and designers

Node: Up and Running: Scalable Server-Side Code with JavaScript

Author: Tom Hughes-Croucher

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (November 30, 2011)

This book introduces you to Node, the new web development framework written in JavaScript. You’ll learn hands-on how Node makes life easier for experienced JavaScript developers: not only can you work on the front end and back end in the same language, you’ll also have more flexibility in choosing how to divide application logic between client and server. Written by a core contributor to the framework, Node: Up and Running shows you how Node scales up to support large numbers of simultaneous connections across multiple servers, and scales down to let you create quick one-off applications with minimal infrastructure. Built on the V8 JavaScript engine that runs Google Chrome, Node is already winning the hearts and minds of many companies, including Google and Yahoo! This book shows you why.

• Understand Node’s event-loop architecture, non-blocking I/O, and event-driven programming
• Discover how Node supports a variety of database and data storage tools
• Learn best practices for writing easy-to-maintain code for Node
• Get concrete examples of how to use the various Node APIs in practice
• Take advantage of the book’s complete API reference

Programming HTML5 Applications: Building Powerful Cross-Platform Environments in Javascript

Author: Zachary Kessin

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (November 30, 2011)

Move beyond simple site creation and build web applications with HTML5 that can compete with desktop apps and run on mobile devices. This practical guide shows you how HTML5′s JavaScript APIs give you the power to take web development into many fields that used to require platform-specific development—particularly mobile deployment. You’ll not only discover how to take advantage of local storage, geolocation, multithreaded processing, and flexible network connectivity with HTML5, you’ll also learn many ways to make application development with JavaScript more powerful.

• Learn how HTML5 will bring about a radical change in web browser applications
• Get details about powerful toolkits that will help you program in JavaScript more efficiently
• Discover powerful aspects of JavaScript that you may not be aware of, such as closures, lambda, and functional programming
• Learn how HTML5 lets your applications store data in the browser so that you’re not bound to the server
• Take your app offline, and explore how an offline application cache can speed up page loading when the app is online
• Use HTML5 Web Workers to create multithreaded applications with JavaScript
• Make your application mobile through geolocation and other HTML5 elements
• Learn a new way to communicate between the browser and a server with web sockets

HTML5 Cookbook

Author: Christopher Schmitt, Kyle Simpson

Publisher: O’Reilly Media (November 30, 2011)

Dive deep into the latest HTML5 features that really make the language shine—everything from markup semantics to Canvas, web forms, application protocols, and the latest JavaScript APIs. With more than 100 practical tips and techniques that you can use in your projects right away, the HTML Cookbook helps you experience HTML5′s versatility firsthand. Each informative recipe includes a code solution, along with a detailed discussion into why and how it works. And each chapter has an example design to showcase the topics presented. This handy book is perfect for intermediate to advanced web and mobile web developers ready to take advantage of HTML5 immediately, with recipes on the following topics:

• Basic web syntax
• Progressive HTML5 markup techniques
• Geolocation
• Web forms
• Canvas
• Audio and video
• Microdata
• Advanced JavaScript APIs

HTML5 Graphics with SVG & CSS3

Author: Kurt Cagle

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (December 22, 2011) Want to create exciting HTML5 graphics without spending eternity in JavaScript? You can! This provides a basic overview of the two declarative languages bound to HTML5 – CSS 3.0 and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). The decision to incorporate both has to do with the fairly tight relationship that SVG has with CSS and with HTML and the desire to focus on a book that provides only moderate JavaScript code usage. SVG is now supported in all contemporary browsers with the release of SVG support in Internet Explorer 9.0, meaning that it has now reached a point where web developers can make use of its power. This piece provides a jumping off point for developers who want to use SVG in HTML5.

Beginning Android Web Apps Development: Develop for Android using HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and More Web Standards

Author: Jon Westfall, Rocco Augusto

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (November 30, 2011)

With Beginning Android Web Apps Development, you’ll learn how to apply HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Ajax and other Web standards for use on the Android mobile platform, by building a variety of fun and visually stimulating games and other web applications! If you’ve done some basic web development, and you want to build your skills to create exceptional web apps, you’ll find everything you seek in the discussions and examples in this book. Each application you’ll build in Beginning Android Web Application Development will show you solutions that you can apply to many of your own projects. Each example shares techniques and coding solutions that will inspire your own work. You’ll learn how to tie your Android apps into Twitter through two apps that you’ll build: Who’s that Tweet?!, a quiz game based on celebrity accounts, and I Love Ham, a coding investigation into search phrases and rhyming. Your Android web app development skills will then proceed in another direction, as you discover the power of HTML5 in two game apps: Scavenger Hunt, which introduces you to the HTML5 GPS location API, and Spies!, a location-based application that shows you how to use CSS3, Ajax, and HTML5 within multi-player environments. You’ll also create an Android web application which checks the arrival time of buses and light-rails through the use of Portland, Oregon’s open Tri-Met data API! This app is a great template for other apps you may want to build in the future, and showcases the important techniques for incorporating cloud-based apps into web games. After reading Beginning Android Web Apps Development, you will have built real apps and developed along the way the skills you’ll need to create highly interactive, professional web applications… and, your journey will be engaging and enjoyable!

• Coding solutions that you can use time and again in your own Android web apps
• Key methods and techniques for contemporary Android web app development
• How to take full advantage of CSS3 in the mobile environment and how to handle a multitude of screen resolutions
• How to build feature-rich user interfaces with navigation, colors, and professional styling
• How to add audio and video for highly interactive sites
• How to optimize Ajax within your site
• How to access and use the HTML location API
• How to integrate JavaScript and JavaScript frameworks into your site

Core HTML5: Volume 1: Canvas

Author: David Geary

Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (January 9, 2012)

Core HTML5, Volume I: Canvas, takes a code-fueled, no-nonsense, deep dive into one of HTML5′s most exciting APIs by showing you how to:

• Draw and paint
• Apply shadows, patterns, and gradients
• Manipulate images
• Create smooth animations
• Implement video games
• Develop custom controls
• Process video in real time
• Use off-screen buffers
• Monitor and increase performance
• Do lots of other cool graphics stuff

Clearly and succinctly written, with real world examples containing code that you can use in your own applications, this guide to Canvas will take you rapidly up the Canvas learning curve, and open a whole new world of possibilities in your browser. The book also comes with a companion website, http://corehtml5canvas.com, which provides access to the book’s source code, videos about HTML5 Canvas, and live demonstrations from the book.

Beginning Web Applications: With HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript

Author: Robert Diana

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (January 16, 2012)

Beginning Web Applications With HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript shows how to use the new web standards to create rich applications that go beyond what previous technologies allowed. By following the examples in the book, you will learn how to use these new standards in real-world applications, instead of just reading a dry reference manual. These real-life uses of the new HTML tags, WebSockets, and Canvas give you the foundation you’ll need to build larger applications of your own. Learning how to apply the new standards will prepare you for the future of web development, regardless of what platform your users are on—desktop, tablet, or even smartphone. Follow examples using the new semantic structure, form validation, WebSockets, and client-side storage. Learn how to make your applications shine with CSS3 and new multi-column and flexbox layouts. Add interactivity to your applications using the Drag-and-Drop, Editing, and Canvas APIs.

• How to use new HTML5 structure tags like sections and navigation menus
• How to make use of more client-side data with application caching and WebStorage
• How to talk to a server application asynchronously with WebSockets
• How to design the structure of a page using the new CSS3 multi-column and flexbox layouts
• How to add interactivity to applications more easily with the Drag and Drop and Editing APIs
• How to create graphics using Canvas and SVG

Beginning iOS Application Development with HTML and JavaScript

Author: Richard Wagner

Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (January 18, 2012)

Web developers with HTML/JS skills will quickly learn to apply them to the iPhone/iPad platform Beginning to intermediate web developers who want to apply their existing HTML/CSS/JS/Ajax skills to the wildly popular iPhone/iPad OS will love this book. In the highly successful Wrox Beginning format, it enables developers who know these core technologies to use what they already know and get up to speed quickly. It introduces iOS development with web technologies, explains how to enable and optimize web sites for the iPhone and iPad, explores user interface design, then moves into animation, special effects, building with web frameworks, and much more.

• Teaches you to apply your knowledge of HMTL, JavaScript, and related web technologies to the iOS platform and create apps for the iPad and iPhone
• Explains how to enable and optimize web sites for the mobile screen, design an effective iPad and iPhone UI, and apply CSS
• Covers building in interactivity, animation, and special effects, programming the canvas, offline, apps, bandwidth performance and optimization, and web frameworks
• Shows you how to package your app inside a native iOS wrapper (no programming required) so you can submit your apps to the App Store

Developers who already know HTML and JavaScript can get up to speed on iOS app development more quickly with the help of this Wrox guide.

Professional jQuery

Author: Cesar Otero

Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (January 24, 2012)

A complete, in-depth look at jQuery If you’re looking for a single resource that completely encompasses jQuery and related technologies, then look no further. This authoritative guide dives right into exploring jQuery, the leading framework used for standards-based, client-side web development. You’ll discover how jQuery is structured so that it can be used to accomplish a wide range of tasks and you’ll learn how to integrate jQuery into your web pages. The authors provide helpful lessons and valuable examples so that you can get a firm grasp on how best to maximize the capabilities of jQuery.

• Begins with a look at where to access the latest version of jQuery and reviews a number of useful tools to help get started with this popular framework
• Describes how to manipulate DOM elements, work with HTML forms, and create visual effects
• Covers working with AJAX and JSON
• Explains techniques for using and developing jQuery plugins
• Details developing jQuery for mobile devices

You’ll quickly see for yourself why jQuery is rapidly growing in popularity as developers are looking to build sites that are fully functional today and can handle the technologies of tomorrow.

HTML5 Games – Creating Fun with HTML5, CSS3 and WebGL

Author: Jacob Seidelin

Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 24, 2012)

Discover new opportunities for building 2D and 3D games with HTML5 The newest iteration of HTML, HTML5 can be used with JavaScript, CSS3, and WebGL to create beautiful, unique, engaging games that can be played on the web or mobile devices like the iPad or Android phones. Gone are the days where games were only possible with plugin technologies such as Flash and this cutting-edge book shows you how to utilize the latest open web technologies to create a game from scratch using Canvas, HTML5 Audio, WebGL, and WebSockets. You’ll discover how to build a framework on which you will create your HTML5 game. Then each successive chapter covers a new aspect of the game, including user input, sound, multiplayer functionality, 2D and 3D graphics, and more.

• Aims directly at a new way to develop games for the web through the use of HTML5
• Demonstrates how to make iOS and Android web apps
• Explains how to capture player input; create 3D graphics; and incorporate textures, lighting, and sound
• Guides you through the process of creating a game from scratch using Canvas, HTML5 Audio, WebGL, and WebSockets

By the end of this invaluable book, you will have created a fully functional game that can be played in any compatible browser or on any mobile device that supports HTML5.

Modern JavaScript: Develop and Design

Author: Larry Ullman

Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (January 26, 2012)

No description available at this time.

jQuery Mobile: Up and Running

Author: Maximiliano Firtman

Publisher: O’Reilly Media; 1 edition (January 31, 2012)

Build websites and apps for touch devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android, and BlackBerry with the recently developed jQuery Mobile library. This introductory tutorial shows you how. Learn the best way to apply this library’s many interface components through a series of hands-on exercises. By the end of the book, you’ll have built a complete working mobile application for multiple handset and tablet platforms using just semantic HTML5 code. jQuery Mobile: Up and Running teaches you how to create responsive, Ajax-based interfaces that work on tablets as well as smartphones, so you don’t have to rebuild everything for different platforms. You don’t need programming skills or previous experience with jQuery or HTML5 to get started. This book shows you exactly what you need to know.

• Understand how jQuery Mobile, HTML5, and CSS3 work on smartphones and tablets
• Build a single project for a variety of platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Firefox, webOS, and Internet Explorer
• Convert web content built with jQuery Mobile into apps ready for sale and distribution in every application store
• Learn how to create HTML5 semantic code prepared for mobile and tablet devices
• Work with jQuery Mobile components, form elements, list views, and themes

Pro jQuery

Author: Adam Freeman

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (February 15, 2012)

jQuery is one of the most popular and powerful JavaScript libraries available today. It’s widely used to create rich user experiences and to simplify website and application development. It is the tool of choice for web developers everywhere and sets the standard for simplicity, flexibility and extensibility. In Pro jQuery, seasoned author Adam Freeman explains how to get the most from jQuery by focusing on the features you need for your project. He starts with the nuts and bolts and shows you everything through to advanced features, going in depth to give you the knowledge you need. Getting the most from jQuery is essential to truly mastering web development.

• Understand the capabilities of jQuery and why it is special
• Use the core of jQuery to enrich HTML, including tables, forms and data displays
• Use jQuery UI to create rich and fluid user experiences
• Use rich interactions such as drag and drop, sortable data and touch sensitivity
• Use jQuery Mobile to create touch-enabled interfaces for mobile devices and tablets
• Extend jQuery by creating custom plugins and widgets

Each topic is covered clearly and concisely, and is packed with the details you’ll need to learn to be truly effective with jQuery. The most important features are given a no-nonsense, in-depth treatment, and chapters contain examples that demonstrate both the power and the subtlety of jQuery. This book is for working developers who want to learn about jQuery in detail. Quick refreshers of HTML and CSS are given to help you get up to speed, but a good working knowledge of the basics is assumed.

Learn HTML5 and JavaScript for iOS: Web Standards-based Apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Author: Scott Preston

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (February 15, 2012)

You have a great idea for a simple mobile web app. Or, you have a great idea for a complicated mobile web app. Either way, Learn HTML5 and JavaScript for iOS will help you build, fine-tune, and publish your app for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Scott Preston will walk you through building a mobile web app from scratch using real-world examples. You’ll learn about design considerations, mobile web frameworks, and HTML5 features like animation and graphics using Canvas. You’ll also learn how to customize your app for a variety of platforms, and you’ll explore testing and performance tips for your app. Get an overview of HTML5, JavaScript, and mobile web frameworks Discover tips for iOS usability as well as performance Dig into features like images, animation, and even geolocation

• HTML5 features
• JavaScript and JavaScript frameworks overview
• How to design for usability
• How to work with Canvas
• How to customize your iOS app depending on device and operating system
• How to integrate with services like voice and messaging
• How to test and optimize your app

Quick & Easy HTML5 and CSS3

Author: Rob Crowther

Publisher: Manning Publications (February 28, 2012)

HTML and CSS are the foundation of the web, and HTML5 and CSS3 are the latest standards. Anyone who builds web pages, mobile apps, or does any type of development at all, must master these languages. Quick & Easy HTML5 and CSS3 is written for the web designer or developer who wants a fast, example-oriented introduction to the new HTML and CSS features. After a quick review of the basics, the book moves quickly into building real pages in HTML5. Learn how to seamlessly integrate audio and video with HTML5, then add some style with new CSS3 features such as drop shadows, borders, colors, gradients and backgrounds. Discover how to target specific devices with media queries, and do all of it with less code. Finally, walk through several large examples that demonstrate how HTML5 and CSS3 working together can produce responsive and lightweight applications.

Mobile HTML5

Author: Estelle Weyl, Maximiliano Firtman

Publisher: O’Reilly Media (February 29, 2012)

If you’re a web developer looking to move into the mobile space, or a mobile developer seeking ways to build apps that work on several mobile platforms, this book shows you how HTML5 can provide the solution you need. With Mobile HTML5, you’ll quickly become familiar with HTML5′s many new APIs, and understand how they work in the mobile environment. Though it seems counterintuitive, HTML5 is easier to use in mobile development than it is for desktop browsers. Learn how to use audio, video, and graphics within the bandwidth and screen constraints of mobile devices, and discover how HTML5 interacts with JavaScript and CSS3. Whether you’re building mobile apps or developing sites that target mobile browsers, HTML5 helps you take full advantage of this rapidly expanding environment. This book shows you how.

Programming Node.js

Author: Travis Swicegood

Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf (March 6, 2012) Node.js opens up the world of building scalable servers to the average programmer. While it used to take intimate knowledge of the kernel, a firm understanding of the various I/O libraries, and an awareness of the physical hardware your code was going to run on, now all that’s needed is Node.js, an understanding of JavaScript, and this book. Programming Node.js is the developer’s premier guide to Node.js, teaching you how to use the toolkit provided and introducing you to the Node.js landscape. This book starts off with a survey of the concepts of Node.js before diving into the deep end and building a real application to solve a real problem. Over the course of this book you’ll learn how to take a Node application from its inception all the way through releasing a project. From building simple command line tools, to custom HTTP servers, to dealing with databases, Programming Node.js teaches you not only Node’s APIs, but how to think in Node.

Pro Android Web Game Apps: Using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript

Author: Juriy Bura, Paul Coates

Publisher: Apress; 1 edition (March 18, 2012)

Pro Android Web Game Apps is a hands-on guide to building browser games for Android devices. The book covers both the theory and the practice of browser game development, from the very first steps to a complete multiplayer game with a rich graphical engine, complex logic and a powerful server. Oriented to Android devices, the book shows you how to use the full potential of this promising platform in your own projects. No other books are necessary to write your own commercial-grade games. The only languages that the reader must know are HTML and basic JavaScript—everything else is explained in detail and illustrated by examples. You don’t need any other platforms knowledge; even your server-side programming is done with JavaScript. Start with a blank HTML page and create a massive, multiplayer online game at the end of the book!

• Focus on Android—utilize the full power of the world’s fastest-growing mobile platform
• Hands-on approach
• Build five exciting projects while learning web game apps development for or on Android
• Use cutting-edge technologies to make a real 3D engine in your browser, connect to a server, and make your game social and viral
• How to set up your development environment, run applications, debug and profile code
• How to work with graphics and animations in browser
• How to handle events and user input, and understand the portable device input models
• How 3D engines work
• How to develop or work with servers for online game apps
• How to work with the algorithms behind game apps development for the web

Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja

Author: John Resig, Bear Bibeault

Publisher: Manning Publications; Original edition (March 28, 2012)

In Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja, JavaScript expert John Resig reveals the inside know-how of the elite JavaScript programmers. Written to be accessible to JavaScript developers with intermediate-level skills. This book takes readers on a journey towards mastering modern JavaScript development in three phases: design, construction, and maintenance. It first establishes a base of strong, advanced JavaScript knowledge. The book then teaches readers how to construct a JavaScript library. It examines all the numerous tasks JavaScript libraries have to tackle and provides practical solutions and development strategies. It then presents the various maintenance techniques required to keep their code running well into the future. With Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja readers will gain the knowledge and Ninja-like skills to build their own JavaScript libraries, or to understand how to use any modern JavaScript library available. What’s inside:

1. Introduction
2. Testing and debugging
3. Functions
4. Closures
5. Function prototypes
6. Timers
7. Regular expressions
8. With statements
9. Code evaluation
10. Strategies for cross-browser code
11. CSS Selector Engine
12. DOM modification
13. Attributes and CSS
14. Events
15. Ajax
16. Animation
17. Performance

Learning jQuery: A Hands-on Guide to Building Rich Interactive Web Frontends

Author: Ralph Steyer

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (May 11, 2012)

jQuery is the easiest way for web developers to add advanced JavaScript interactions and effects to their sites. That’s why it’s become the world’s #1 JavaScript library. And it’s why more than 30% of the world’s top 1,000 websites now use jQuery – including leading sites like Google, Amazon, Twitter, Bank of America, BBC, ESPN, CBS News, Digg, Reuters, IBM, Netflix, Dell, and Oracle. Learning jQuery is the quickest, most efficient way for web developers to master jQuery. Unlike competing books, this code-rich tutorial can serve every working web developer, not just experts. Ralph Steyer clearly explains the basics, and walks readers step-by-step through applying jQuery in many everyday web development tasks. Through practical examples, he covers all this, and much more: * Adding CSS effects and creating animations * Designing multimedia slideshows and lightboxes * Understanding and using jQuery plugins * Creating sortable lists, drag and droppable elements, and resizable images * Building interactive forms with Ajax * Using and creating jQuery plugins * Building mobile front-ends with jQuery Mobile Practical, hands-on, and easy to understand, Learning jQuery will help readers quickly use what they’ve learned. Steyer integrates coverage of the latest jQuery features and add-ons into every chapter, helping developers get even more out of jQuery by leveraging the community’s most innovative new resources.

Professional Flash Mobile Development: Creating Android and iPhone Applications

Everything Flash developers need to know to create native Android and iPhone apps.

This Wrox guide shows Flash developers how to create native applications for Android and iPhone mobile devices using Flash. Packed with practical examples, it shows how to build a variety of apps and integrate them with core mobile services such as Accelerometer, GPS, Photo Library,and more.

• Offers Flash developers the tools to create apps for the Android and iPhone mobile devices
• Shows how to design a user interface optimized for Android and iOS and offers plenty of examples for building native Android and iPhone apps with Flash, migrating existing Flash media, testing and debugging applications, and more
• Helps you understand ways to work with files on Android and iOS

Flash Mobile: Developing Android and iOS Applications

Build rich media applications for the iOS and Android platforms with this primer to Flash mobile development. You get all of the essentials-from setting up your development environment to publishing your apps to the Google Market Place/Apple iTunes App Store.

Develop elementary applications without coding; then realize the power of ActionScript 3 to add rich complexity to your applications. Step-by-step instruction is combined with practical tutorial lessons to deliver a working understanding of the development stages including:

• Rapid prototyping
• Adding interactivity, audio, and video
• Employing iOS and Android Interface Calls
• Hardware optimization with AIR
• Game development; game engines, controlling physics, and 3D
• Designing for iPad, Android tablets, and Google TV
• Code optimization, testing, and debugging
• Publication within weeks of Adobe’s release of the Android packaging utilities Full-color illustrations of UI and design implementations *Companion website with tutorial media and author forum

User interfaces are presented in full color to illustrate their nuances. The companion websiteincludes all of the AS3 code, project files, and a blog to keep you up to date with related news and developments.

Android Development with Flash: Your visual blueprint for developing mobile apps

The Android operating system works on phones that combine a camera, Web browser, e-mail, GPS, and mapping tool into a single accessible pocket-sized unit, and can function on computers, as well. Aimed at visual learners and packed with hundreds of screen shots, this guide brings Flash developers up to speed on the necessary factors to take into account when developing for this touch-based, mobile platform. Experienced Flash developer Julian Dolce escorts you through the process of creating applications for the Android OS using the Flash CS5 development platform and informs you of best practices to try as well as common pitfalls to avoid.

• Guides you step by step through the process of creating applications for the Android OS using Flash CS5
• Explores the capabilities and limitations of developing apps for the Android OS
• Points out common pitfalls and teaches you best practices
• Features hundreds of screen shots to assist with visual learning

Android Development with Flash: Your visual blueprint for developing mobile apps gets you on your way to developing apps for Android… in a flash!

Pro Android Flash Games: Developing Flash Game Apps for Android-based Smartphones and Tablets

iPhone does not support Flash in the app store, but don’t despair…Android does! In today’s mobile marketplace, games are one of the most popular and money making apps out there. And Flash enables some interesting games on Android, for both smartphones and tablets.

Pro Android Flash Games: Developing Flash Game Apps for Android-based Smartphones and Tablets lets you take your Flash game development skills mobile as you learn the latest in Android development using the Adobe AIR SDK, Flash CS and Flash Builder tools.

If you’ve ever dreamed of creating games for the fastest growing mobile operating system, Google Android, then this book is for you. Whether you’ve dabbled in ActionScript 3, or worked with Flash Professional or Flash Builder, this book shows you how to create compelling mobile games for Android smartphones and tablets.

• Create compelling mobile games that leverage device capabilities such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, and multi-touch.
• Design games to work well across multiple screen sizes.
• Identify ways to monetize your app through competitive pricing, ads, or in-app purchases.

After reading and using this book and its rich code, you come away with the ability to build fun, commercial Flash game apps that can also make you some money, too.

Sifting through the other newer games specific to iPhone can be a bit daunting, or it was for me anyway. I took the plunge with Crazy Penguin Catapult 2 and was very pleased. Some of the great peeps on Twitter saw me posting about playing these games and pointed me to Fieldrunners and a few other killer titles. Fieldrunners is simply awesome, I’ve been playing it quite a bit lately. I also checked out a skateboarding game by Vans, geoDefense and Radial 50 Lite.

I’ve ranked these games below along with a few others for anyone else interested in checking them out. The point of all this for me is to of course have fun but also research some of the existing games for development purposes. I’m still on the edge regarding getting involved with iPhone development but these games have definitely inspired me.

1.) Fieldrunners
This is my favorite game at the moment. It’s great!! This game requires some level of planning and strategy. Tip; build a maze with your towers!

2.) Centipede
Pretty similar to the arcade classic. The “Arcade” mode is a little different than I remember but pretty close to the original. The “Ultra” mode is awesome!

3.) geoDefense
This game is like Fieldrunners. The graphics are unreal. This game is quickly growing on me. The “medium” levels are no joke. They just dropped the price on this game to .99, you have no excuses so check it out.

4.) Penguin Catapult 2
Very fun to play and the penguins are fun characters. I’m stuck at level 43 though atm. This is a really great game. I started with the Lite version and had so much fun playing that I purchased the full version.

5.) Pac-Man
The arcade classic. Really fun game. The controller needs to be bigger though.

6.) Brick 3D
Kind of like 3D pong or breakout in a way. Really fun game and it’s growing on me. The graphics are pretty awesome on this one too.

7.) Frogger
Another classic here. Pretty much the same as I remember from the Atari. This game needs to supply a controller though. Using your finger to control the frog isn’t that great imo.

8.) Radial 50 Lite
This game was suggested to me by the author via twitter. It’s pretty cool and a decent game for free. Not really my personal favorite style of game but it’s very functional, the graphics are great and it is pretty fun.

9.) Space Invaders
This is a pretty good remake of the uber famous classic. My main gripe is the speed that you’re able to fire lasers. It seems very slow which makes game play a little boring. Fix that and I’d be playing this a lot more.

10.) Vans Pool Service
I wish I liked this game more. I may just need to play it more but it’s just not that fun to me. The controls seem awkward and I’m not sure if I like the interaction style that’s currently being used. I’ll probably try to spend some more time with this game because I really want to like it more and it was expensive.

I have a list of about ten or so other games that I may review. Let me know if you found this post useful at all and leave a comment with any thoughts you may have. Also please let me know if you have any favorite iPhone games (or apps) that I can check out.