Product Description

This is your guide to building Internet applications and user interfaces with the Mozilla component framework, which is best known for the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client. Programming Firefox demonstrates how to use the XML User Interface Language (XUL) with open source tools in the framework's Cross-Platform Component (XPCOM) library to develop a variety of projects, such as commercial web applications and Firefox extensions.

This book serves as both a programmer's reference and an in-depth tutorial, so not only do you get a comprehensive look at XUL's capabilities--from simple interface design to complex, multitier applications with real-time operations--but you also learn how to build a complete working application with XUL. If you're coming from a Java or .NET environment, you'll be amazed at how quickly large-scale applications can be constructed with XPCOM and XUL.

Topics in Programming Firefox include:

• An overview of Firefox technology
• An introduction to the graphical elements that compose a XUL application
• Firefox development tools and the process used to design and build applications
• Managing an application with multiple content areas
• Introduction to Resource Description Files, and how the Firefox interface renders RDF
• Manipulating XHTML with JavaScript
• Displaying documents using the Scalable Vector Graphics standard and HTML Canvas
• The XML Binding Language and interface overlays to extend Firefox
• Implementing the next-generation forms interface through XForms

Programming Firefox is ideal for the designer or developer charged with delivering innovative standards-based Internet applications, whether they're web server applications or Internet-enabled desktop applications. It's not just a how-to book, but a what-if exploration that encourages you to push the envelope of the Internet experience.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #308768 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-25
• Format: Illustrated
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 511 pages

About the Author
Kenneth Feldt develops XUL-based solutions for Cholabris Workgroup Solutions, otherwise known as the Electric Book Company. Ken's work experience involves electronic document production and distribution, electronic imaging, digital video workflow, and technical communications. Currently, Ken is turning his attention to the merger of publishing and messaging technologies, where he hopes XUL can deliver high-quality technologies to students of mathematics and science.

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Customer Reviews

Good enough to purchase
I wanted to learn how to build a small Firefox
extension. It looks like this book will help.
It seems to be technically accurate and thorough.
On a sentance by sentance basis it's also reasonably
well-written. But as a whole it doesn't come together
well enough to get a high mark. I didn't return it.
That's the best I can say.

A more in-depth understanding of Firefox's potential.
Kenneth C. Feldt's PROGRAMMING FIREFOX is recommended for advanced computer libraries catering to programmers: it blends a tutorial and a programmer's reference under one cover, covering XUL's interface and capabilities and including a review of Firefox technology, applications management, and more. Any designer working on standards-based Internet projects needs PROGRAMMING FIREFOX: it covers all the basics and encourages a more in-depth understanding of Firefox's potential.

I expect quality from O'Reilly
Well well... I bought this book a month ago to develop a Firefox extension for work. I must say it's a terrible book. There's no pedagogy, and the content is VERY incomplete.
It deals mostly with XUL widget programming. it will teach you how to set the developer environment, how to interfere with the user, how to deploy THAT'S IT. poor examples, bad coding practices... I spent 60 box for this useless book...