You're reading from Professional JavaScript for Web Developers Discover an easy-to-learn guide to upgrade your JavaScript skills

Product type Paperback

Published in Nov 2019

Publisher Wiley

ISBN-13 9781119366447

Length 1144 pages

Edition 4th Edition

Languages

JavaScript

Tools

Combine

Concepts

Web Programming

Author (1):

Matt Frisbie

View More author details

Table of Contents (37) Chapters

COVER FREE CHAPTER

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

1 What Is JavaScript?

2 JavaScript in HTML

3 Language Basics

4 Variables, Scope, and Memory

5 Basic Reference Types

6 Collection Reference Types

7 Iterators and Generators

8 Objects, Classes, and Object-Oriented Programming

9 Proxies and Reflect

10 Functions

11 Promises and Async Functions

12 The Browser Object Model

13 Client Detection

14 The Document Object Model

15 DOM Extensions

16 DOM Levels 2 and 3

17 Events

18 Animation and Graphics with Canvas

19 Scripting Forms

20 JavaScript APIs

21 Error Handling and Debugging

22 XML in JavaScript

23 JSON

24 Network Requests and Remote Resources

25 Client-Side Storage

26 Modules

27 Workers

28 Best Practices

A ES2018 and ES2019

B Strict Mode

C JavaScript Libraries and Frameworks

D JavaScript Tools

INDEX

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

13
Client Detection

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

Using capability detection
The history of user-agent detection
Software and hardware detection
When to use each type of detection

Although browser vendors have made a concerted effort to implement common interfaces, the fact remains that each browser presents its own capabilities and flaws. Browsers that are available cross-platform often have different issues, even though they are technically the same version. These differences force web developers to either design for the lowest common denominator or, more commonly, use various methods of client detection to work with or around limitations.

Client detection remains one of the most controversial topics in web development. The idea that browsers should support a common set of functionality pervades most conversations on the topic. In an ideal world, this would be the case. In reality, however, there are enough browser differences and quirks that client detection becomes not just an...