Book Review: Sencha Touch 2 Mobile Javascript Framework by John Earl Clark and Bryan P Johnson

I got a chance to review this eBook Sencha Touch 2 Mobile Javascript Framework  by John Earl Clark and Bryan P. Johnson. This book is published by Packt Publishers.

I am really impressed after reading initial chapters and this book starts explaining about Sencha Touch Frameworks, its various components and configurations, how to attach event listeners (initialize, tap, itemtap etc) to those components, data management using models and stores and finally explains about consuming data from Flickr API. Also this book covers advanced topics on Sencha Touch 2 Framework.

I like to suggest this eBook for beginners, intermediate and experienced Sencha Developers. Following are the chapter wise review for this eBook  Sencha Touch 2 Mobile Javascript Framework 

Chapter1:Let's Begin with Sencha Touch
This chapter starts explaining about the meaning for framework and how mobile framework is different from other MVC frameworks. It explains about Sencha Touch framework and how to setup local development environment for Windows and Linux platforms. Additionally it explains about various tools for Sencha Touch development (firebug, IDE, Architect, Animator etc).

Chapter 2: Creating A Simple Application
This chapter covers on creating a skeleton sencha touch application using Sencha Cmd tool,and it explains about the usage and purpose on each folder present in skeleton application structure. It also explains about basic information on Sencha Touch Layouts and finally this chapters ends by covering testing, debugging browser tools for Sencha Touch Application.

Chapter 3: Styling the User Interface:
This chapter covers on adding custom CSS styles for sencha touch components using cls configuration, and adding custom fonts on components using iconCls configuration. It explains about SASS and compass frameworks and how to install these in windows and linux platform. It also covers on creating custom themes and platform specific themes on windows phone8, Android and  Iphone Platforms.

Chapter 4: Components and Configurations:
This chapter explains about various components and its configurations supported by Sencha Touch framework. This chapter explains each component and its configurations in a detailed way using snapshot images.

Chapter 5: Events and Controllers:
This chapter covers about accessing view components using refs configuration and attaching events (tap, select) to the view components in controllers. It  explains about various ways of attaching events and handlers to view components and scope configuration. This chapter ends by explaining on different ways of accessing view components inside handlers.

Chapter 6: Getting the Data In:
This chapter covers about model class, its various field types and applying validations on each model fields. It explains about store class, its various proxy types (Ajax, LocalStorage, MemoryStore, Jsonp etc) with explanation on each proxies. It also explains about various supported Store reader types (XML, Json, Array).

Chapter 7: Getting the Data Out:
This chapter explains about various ways of displaying model data as output in the browser using the various view components. List components will fetch data from store in order to display. Using xtemplate, you can display store data in html format. Finally it explains on displaying various supported sencha charts using store data.

Chapter 8: Creating the Flickr Finder Application:
This chapter demonstrates by creating Flickr Finder Application. This application will display the Photos in nearby locations from the Flickr API and it allows you to save the photo in your mobile phone locally.  This chapter contains lot of valuable informations for sencha developers starting from creation of  application project structure to the end building the production version.

Chapter 9: Advanced Topics:
This chapter covers the various advanced topics on Sencha Touch Framework which is very useful for advanced developers.

I am really impressed after reading this eBook, it contains lot of valuable and useful information on Sencha Touch framework. This book contain a chapter on developing a Sencha touch app 'Flick Finder Application', it contains lot of valuable informations for sencha developers starting from creation of  application project structure to the end building the production version.  I like to suggest this book for all Sencha Touch Developers.

My rating for this Book : 4/5