Books

Frank has authored a number of books which are currently available. Note that all links open in a new window (or tab).


Web Development Career Master Plan
The world of web development can seem daunting when you’re a beginner and don’t know where to get started. If you’re passionate about web development and want to learn the art of creating captivating websites, then this book is for you. Web Development Career Master Plan will take you on a learning journey, starting from the foundations and progressing through advanced concepts and career development strategies. You'll learn the core pillars of web development, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. As you go deeper, you'll explore the landscape of frameworks, libraries, and toolkits. This book also provides valuable insights into containerization, version control, Linux, and IDEs. Additionally, you’ll find expert advice on interview tactics and career growth strategies to secure your first job in web development. But the journey doesn’t end there. While you navigate the twists and turns of web development, you’ll also get a glimpse of what it means to be a web developer, the day-to-day aspects of the job, and the technologies you'll be working with. By the end of this web development book, you'll be well-equipped with the knowledge and tools you need to kick-start your journey and succeed in this dynamic field. (Published June 2024)

Modern Full-Stack Development, Second Edition
An updated version of my previous Modern Full-Stack Development book. It adds coverage of newer (at the time) React concepts like context and hooks, Python and Django, among other updates. (Published November 2022)

Practical JAMstack
Learn what JAMstack is all about, what those three big letters in the front mean and why it’s so beneficial. This book shows you how to create sites and apps on the JAMstack using GatsbyJS, a tool made specifically for generating them. As part of that, you’ll learn about React, one of the hottest front-end development tools out there today. You will build three separate projects, starting with a relatively simple site to get your feet wet, then a more robust and dynamic application to see more advanced topics like API usage and data storage. Finally, you’ll build a game on the JAMstack to get a whole different perspective on how all the pieces can fit together. JAMstack, a modern take on best practices, is taking the web development world by storm and allowing developers to create web site and apps that are blazingly fast and highly secure. In many ways JAMstack is a throwback to web development of yesteryear, all while providing a simpler development experience that is streamlined by many years of best practices being brought to bear. (Published September 2020)

Modern Full-Stack Development
Explore what React, Node, TypeScript, Webpack, and Docker have to offer individually, and how they all fit together in modern app development. React is one of the most popular web development tools available today, and Node.js is extremely popular for server-side development. The fact that both utilize JavaScript is a big selling point, but as developers use the language more, they begin to recognize the shortcomings, and that's where TypeScript comes in and why it's gaining in popularity quickly. Add Webpack and Docker to the mix, and you've got a potent full development stack on which to build applications. You'll begin by building a solid foundation of knowledge and quickly expand it by constructing two different real-world apps. These aren't just simple, contrived examples but real apps that you can choose to install on your servers and use for real. By the end, you will have a solid grasp of building apps with React, Node.js, and TypeScript and a good grasp on how Webpack can be used to optimize and organize your code for deployment. You'll also understand how Docker can be used to run the apps you build in a clear and well-defined way, all of which will be able to springboard you into creating more advanced apps on your own. (Published April 2020)

Practical Flutter
Explore what Flutter has to offer, where it came from, and where it's going. Mobile development is progressing at a fast rate and with Flutter – an open-source mobile application development SDK created by Google – you can develop applications for Android and iOS, as well as Google Fuchsia.Learn to create three apps (a personal information manager, a chat system, and a game project) that you can install on your mobile devices and use for real. You will begin by getting a solid foundation of Flutter knowledge, and building on it immediately by constructing two more traditional productivity apps.. You will also learn to create a game, enabling you to see a whole other perspective on what Flutter can do. In addition to building these apps, you'll have the benefit of reviewing real-world issues you might encounter, along with ways to deal with them through tips and tricks, all designed to make your Flutter experience that much more productive and, frankly, fun! (Published July 2019)

Practical React Native
Discover how to use React Native in the real world, from scratch. This book shows you what React Native has to offer, where it came from, and where it's going. You'll begin with a solid foundation of practical knowledge, and then build on it immediately by constructing three different apps. You'll learn how to use each feature of React Native by working on two full projects and one full game. These aren't just simple React Native Hello World examples (although you'll naturally start there!) but are apps that you can, if you so choose, install on your mobile devices and use for real. (Published October 2018)

Practical Webix
Learn to create speedy cross-platform applications with ease using Webix. You will begin with an introduction to Webix and basic usage, exploring the interface components and utilities it offers, as well as the tools available (skin builder, form builder, and code snippet testing facility). (Published March 2018)

Pro iOS and Android Apps for Business with jQuery Mobile, Node.js, and MongoDB
With Pro iOS and Android Apps for Business, you can take your web development experience and apply it toward creating a full-featured business app, from soup to nuts. Frank Zammetti shows you how to create a client app using jQuery Mobile wrapped in PhoneGap, and how to create a node.js-based server that uses MongoDB as its data store. You never have to deal with learning Objective-C, Java or any other difficult-to-learn language. Instead, you can build on your existing HTML5, JavaScript and CSS experience to quickly and effectively build any app your business needs. You can apply this knowledge to iOS and Android apps as well as other mobile platforms since the technologies used support most modern mobile platforms as well. (Published October 2013)

Learn Corona SDK Game Development
Corona SDK is one of the most popular app and game mobile development platforms in the world, and Learn Corona SDK Game Development walks you through creating a full-featured Corona game from scratch to the App Store. You'll learn Lua basics (the foundation of Corona), how to add and manipulate graphics, and how to use controls like multitouch, accelerometer, and gyroscope. You'll also learn how to use Box2D (Corona physics under the hood), and how to add sound effects and music. As you're polishing your game, you'll also learn about ads, in-app purchases, and OpenFeint and Game Center integration. Finally, you'll learn the ins and outs of getting a game into the App Store or other app marketplaces. (Published May 2013)

Practical Palm Pre webOS Projects
In this book, you'll learn all about the Palm Pre and webOS, their capabilities, and how to develop for them. You'll learn to write applications that function entirely on the Pre itself, and you'll also learn to write applications that "live in the cloud" (i.e., keep you connected to the digital world around you). You'll spend most of your time looking at Mojo, the framework API through which your code interfaces with the operating system. All of this will be presented within the context of six fully functional real-world applications that you can use on your own Pre! (Published December 2009)

Practical Ext JS Projects with Gears
Discover Ext JS, one of today's most powerful and highly regarded JavaScript frameworks, with perhaps the best set of GUI widgets around, and a whole host of components that make developing client–side applications a breeze. Using a pragmatic approach to learning all about Ext JS, you'll dissect seven full–fledged applications and realize the potential of Ext JS in modern RIA development. (Published July 2009)

Practical Dojo Projects
Uncover the fundamentals of Dojo, its core, Dojo Widgets, and DojoX. In Practical Dojo Projects, you'll learn all about what Dojo has to offer. You'll see it in action in the form of five fully functional applications. (Published September 2008)

Practical DWR 2 Projects
Practical DWR 2 Projects includes six full, working applications, introducing you to all that DWR offers. You'll learn by example as you tear the applications apart, see what makes them tick, and even extend them at your own pace. In the end, you'll have a great feel for what DWR offers and how Ajax can bring the world of Web 2.0 to your doorstep, and you'll have a good time doing it. (Published January 2008)

Practical JavaScript, DOM Scripting and Ajax Projects
Practical JavaScript, DOM, and Ajax Projects is ideal for web developers already experienced in JavaScript who want to take their knowledge to the next level. It presents ten complete example projects for you to learn from and adapt for use in your own work. For each application, you are taken through the planning, design, and implementation stages. This book will save you countless hours of development time, and help further your JavaScript knowledge! (Published April 2007)

Practical Ajax Projects with Java Technology
Practical Ajax Projects with Java Technology provides a learn-by-example experience for Java developers. It features a crowd-pleasing array of seven complete example applications that you can even adapt for use in your own projects. Technologies covered include Apache, Ant, Ajax Tags, Struts, Prototype, DWR, Dojo, and more. (Published July 2006)

 

Articles

Here are some articles written by Frank over the years:


  • webOS Article for JSMag, part 1 (December 2009 issue)
    This is the first of a three-part series of articles I wrote for JSMag. This is an introduction to Palm's new webOS for developers.
    Note that this is a PDF!
  • webOS Article for JSMag, part 2 (January 2010 issue)
    This is the second of a three-part series of articles I wrote for JSMag. This is an introduction to Palm's new webOS for developers.
    Note that this is a PDF!
  • webOS Article for JSMag, part 3 (February 2010 issue)
    This is the third of a three-part series of articles I wrote for JSMag. This is an introduction to Palm's new webOS for developers.
    Note that this is a PDF!
  • Cross-Domain AJAX with Pure JavaScript (appeared in JSMag, August 2009)
    Mashups are all the rage these days; mixing together various web services using JavaScript as the glue to create a whole new application is a very seductive siren song. AJAX would seem to be the perfect viable for reaching this nirvana… and it likely would be were it not for that annoying same-domain restriction slapping you in the face every time! In this article you'll learn how to get around that limitation using nothing but JavaScript and some fancy script-foo!
    Note that this is a PDF!
  • webOS Wiki: The merger of knowledge, mobile and cloud computing, part 1
    This is an article written for the Palm Developer Network that teaches developers about client-server development, cloud computing really, for the webOS platform. The article develops a wiki that hosts a client component in Google App Engine, and the webOS client that makes use of it. It shows both REST-based communication as well as using DWR in a webOS application and deals with offline and synchronization issues too.
  • webOS Wiki: The merger of knowledge, mobile and cloud computing, part 2
    This is the second half of the article on developing a wiki for webOS.
  • Far Out Fowl: An Exercise in webOS Canvas Game Development
    This is an article written for the Palm Developer Network that teaches developers the ins and outs of game programming for the webOS platform using standards-based methods. It discusses many different game Development topics, not all strictly related to Palm's webOS operating system.
  • Reporting For The Web with DataVision
    An introduction to the open-source reporting tool DataVision, specifically with a focus on how to integrate it into a Java-based web application. Includes a complete sample web application (plain Servlets) demonstrating what is discussed in the article.
  • The AjaxParts Taglib from Java Web Parts: AJAX for Java Developers the Easy (yet powerful) Way!
    This article introduces the AjaxParts Taglib (APT), a component of the Java Web Parts Project (JWP). APT is a taglib that allows for easy, declarative, event-driven AJAX, allowing a developer to add AJAX capabilities to existing or new webapps without the need to write ANY JavaScript at all! This article demonstrates how it works, explains the benefits, and goes into some details about the capabilities it offers out-of-the-box, as well as the ways in which it can be extended to fulfill far more advanced users.
  • Ajax using XMLHttpRequest and Struts
    An introduction to the latest buzzword: AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML). Includes a relatively robust Struts-based sample web application demonstrating a number of AJAX techniques.
  • Growing Up Commodore (Recollections digital magazine, Issue 2)
    This is an article detailing my early teen years and my early exposure to computers, especially the Commodore 64. Talks about my involvement in the "underground" pirate scene, the BBS scene, hacking, phreaking, and a lot of immature, stupid stuff I did when I didn't know any better! I *think* the statute of limitations has run out on this stuff :) Note that it doesn't say my real name, but Fantasy... that's me! Note that there are some screenshots from some of my C64 demos and group intros, which is a nice touch for those that may remember them.
 

Fiction

Frank has even authored some works of fiction. Although none have yet been published (maybe soon, I hope!), I thought I'd share some of that here:


  • The Darkness Beyond the Light (book I of the Infinite Universe Saga)

    When light gives way to darkness, only terror remains!

    An unfathomably advanced alien technology slowly gains sentience over thousands of years roaming the galaxy on a secret, ancient and malevolent mission.

    The first test of a new military "hyperstealth" system, based on technology and physics theories far beyond anything previously dreamed of, irrevocably changes the course of humanity's future, opening doors that would better remain closed.

    And at the intersection of these events is husband and wife team Alex and Melissa Wakeman, the very definition of a "power couple": Alex a veteran special military operator turned Air Force test pilot who likes to keep things light with humor but who is highly capable in any situation; Melissa a world-class scientific mind, perhaps the smartest person on Earth in fact, specializing in advanced military aircraft design.

    They, along with their superior and friend Brendan Alcheck, wage an apocalyptic battle against a horrific alien hybrid, born of death and decidedly deadlier than any creature on Earth. Together, they must race against time to stop the creature from completing its mission: the return of the hyperstealth technology to its masters, a highly advanced malevolent race who, unbeknownst to the human race, sow death and destruction throughout the galaxy. Unimaginable sacrifices are made and a final, impossible battle fought on multiple fronts will determine the fate of the human race, and that of thousands of as yet unknown species.

    The Darkness Beyond the Light, book I of the Infinite Universe Saga, is a tense, action-packed sci-fi thriller, an adventure you will not want to miss!

  • Alternate Realities
    You know, most people would bury this sort of horrid, early writing and just pretend it never existed. But I'm not most people :) I'm a glutton for punishment it seems! This story is very much like The Darkness Beyond the Light in that I wrote it around the age of 16 or so and it's a similar creation in that it's a terrible, awful, teen-angsty sci-fi/fantasy ode to young love. Worse still, I don't even know what girlfriend was in my life at the time I wrote this! Also like that other story, this was scanned in from an old (hand-written this time) stack of papers and run through OCR. So, I did a very minimal amount of cleanup without altering the story, poor word choices, clumsy writing or anything else aside from fixing obvious errors caused by the OCR process itself. So it's still loaded with errors, totally illogical and frankly stupid plot points... you know, where there actually IS a plot anyway... and all manner of other disgustingly bad stuff... so, when I say it's unadulterated crap you know I'm not kidding! But, it again represents a part of my history so what the hell, here it is world!

  • The Darkness Beyond the Light (Old Short Story)
    Note that this is completely different from The Darkness Beyond the Night novel above! Yes, I recycled the name, sue me! :)

    This is a short story I wrote when I was about 16-17 and discovering love for the first time. It's a sappy, sci-fi/new-age mish-mosh about ancient aliens battling through time, evil ruling the universe and how two humans overcome it through the power of love. Yes, it's about as corny as that makes it sound! But hey, I was young and experiencing many things for the first time, so sue me! This was OCR'd from an old printout I happened upon one day. I've done some editing of it to try and correct as much grammar and spelling and OCR errors as I can but (a) I didn't change anything of substance, for good or bad, and (b) there's still a lot of problems that you'll notice it you're a grammar-police type. There's also ample plot holes, contradictions, plot threads that never get paid off, plot twists that are AT BEST huge logical stretches, things happening for no apparent reason and just flat-out stupid stuff. But I left all that in so it's as accurate a reproduction of the original material as it can be. Make no mistake, this is pretty bad writing (and I certainly hope not representative of my current writing ability!), but hey, it's part of my history, so if you're so inclined, check it out... but you were warned!