Hello readers, I’m happy to inform you that the “Adobe Photoshop HTML Panels Development” book is in good shape! I’ve kept writing, even if my life by the end of the year has got pretty intense.

These days, lot of paper work for the annual taxes, lunches and dinners with family and friends, besides my postproduction and coding jobs that will run at full speed until mid-January, when I’ll hopefully have some extra spare time to breathe and write at a more constant pace.

Anyway, I’d like to share with you the book’s Index as it is now; most of the content is already in place, even if stuff is not yet final. I’ve built several demo panels (about 17 of them, and counting), which code will be available alongside with the book. TODO sections have not been written yet; I’m currently finishing chapter 13 - the book is about 190 pages so far, with code excerpts and some images.

Book Index

1. Introduction Why I wrote this book Audience and Assumptions What this book is What this book is not What you need to get started Version History Feedback Support Errata Piracy
2. Photoshop Extensibility Overview Plug-ins (PhotoshopSDK) Scripting Flash Panels HTML Panels
3. The HTML Panel Stack CEP: Common Extensibility Platform CEF: Chromium Embedded Framework HTML and CSS Javascript Extendscript Layers communication
4. Setting up the environment Code editors Debug Flag Installation folders Download the Libraries Storing projects
5. Building up “HelloWorld!” Take1: Manifest.xml Take2: ExtendScript Take3: Debugging Hello World wrap-up
6. CSInterface JS interface CEP Versions evalScript() getSystemPath() and including multiple JSX
7. Exchanging data between Panel and Host Application Passing primitive values from JS to JSX Passing Objects from JS to JSX Passing Objects from JSX to JS Demo Panel: Actions Demo Panel: Data exchange
8. Events No shortage of Events in town Host Application Events - ExtendScript Events in Photoshop Host Application Events - CEP Application Events Custom ExtendScript Events Custom CEP Events CEP Panel’s Events Demo Panel: Photoshop ExtendScript Events Demo Panel: Photoshop CEP Events (LoseFocus) Demo Panel: Photoshop Custom ExtendScript Events Demo Panel: CEP Custom Events
9. Styling Matching the Host Application UI look Synch with Photoshop Theme changes Flyout and Contextual menus Icons, Size and Retina Displays Demo Panel: Flyout and Contextual menus Demo Panel: High-PPI display
10. Node.js Two of a kind Importing modules Issues and Workarounds Demo Panel: connecting to a REST service Demo Panel: modularize JSX Events management
11. Store and retrieve data locally Persistence Using the Filesystem Web Storage Indexed DB What should I use? Demo Panel: Persistence Demo Panel: Node fs and nconf modules Demo Panel: Node.js presets module
12. Javascript Frameworks What is the best JS framework for HTML Panels? Newbies corner Demo Panel: AngularJS
13. Communicate with the WWW (work in progress) Connect with the internet Download and open a file Upload a file Download and Upload with Node.js Local Node.js servers Web Sockets (TODO) Generator integration (TODO) Demo Panel: Flickr panel Demo Panel: Upload panel (XMLHttpRequest) Demo Panel: Master/Slave Demo Panel: Web Sockets (TODO) Demo Panel: Generator (TODO)
14. Miscellanea (TODO)
15. Packaging and Deploying(TODO)
16. Extensions Marketing (TODO)
17. Appendices (TODO)
18. Acknowledgements (TODO)
19. Copyright (TODO)

Originally, I wanted to record a lengthy videotutorial, to be bundled with the book (as an optional purchase). I’m afraid it doesn’t fit in my time schedule now, so I’ll be publishing the book first, then produce the video series later in 2016 (which will be sold separately, at a discounted price for the ebook owners).

I take the chance to thank each and everyone among friends and developers (most of the time the two overlap) who’s been helping me so far - I wish all the best to you and your families, see you in 2016. Ciao!