Part 2. Core concepts

In the second part of the book you’ll see how the various pieces of an SPA fit together. You’ll also get an introduction to testing an SPA and how client-side automation fits into the picture.

In chapter 4, you’ll be introduced to client-side routing. You’ll get an overview of router syntax and a comparison of various router styles. Along the way, you’ll learn how routers work under the covers and how they affect the state of the application.

Chapter 5 introduces you to design and layout concepts when building an SPA. We’ll start with a look at simple designs and then progress into building SPAs with more complex layouts. You’ll also see how to incorporate advanced routing and view management into your application.

Chapter 6 gives you a tour of inter-module communication methods, including an introduction to modular design concepts. In this chapter, you’ll learn some ways in which modules communicate with each other. I also talk about the pros and cons of each method.

In chapter 7, you’ll learn how to communicate with the server and how MV* frameworks can be leveraged to make this process easier. We’ll start with the basics of HTTP transactions and then move into more advanced topics such as using promises and consuming RESTful services from your SPA.

Chapter 8 gives you a gentle introduction to unit testing your application. You’ll learn basic unit-testing concepts and walk through the testing of the different framework styles talked about in the book.

Finally, in chapter 9, you’ll see the role client-side automation plays in both the development and the creation of a build process. This is an advanced topic, so we’ll walk through each part of the process, step by step. When you’ve finished, you’ll know not only how to create a client-side build but also some ways to make your development processes faster and more efficient.