[Web-SIG] JavaScript libraries

[Shannon -jj Behrens]

I actually read the Dynamic HTML book and have a lot of good ideas on
how to make a good JavaScript library.  I was just hoping I wouldn't
have to ;)  I'm hoping Kupu meets my needs.  JavaScript's not a bad
language.  It's just very misunderstood, very abused, and a bit
undeveloped.  It's really the DOM that causes the most problems. :-/

Oh well, sorry for the distraction.

Best Regards,
-jj

On 5/2/05, Ian Bicking <ianb at colorstudy.com> wrote:
> Donovan Preston wrote:
> > I think there is no substitute for experience. Personally I have
> > found that using abstractions which try to shield you from browser
> > unpleasantness merely obscure the real source of the error or
> > incompatibility which inevitably happens anyway.
> 
> I don't think you can Make Anything Possible given the right library,
> and I think overambitious efforts (especially ones that cover up
> Javascript entirely) are unlike to succede.  But the library can give
> direction, and help keep wary developers from venturing into difficult
> territory.  Libraries embody a lot of knowledge beyond their
> functionality.  If you emphasize innerHTML-based functionality because
> it works, then you've indirectly saved the library users time and
> headaches.  In this way a more limited library that emphasizes the
> easiest constructs could be very useful.
> 
> This is why I personally am looking for that small library that does all
> the convenient or particularly useful things I'm interested in, and does
> them really well, but doesn't get too fancy.
> 
> > Of course, not everyone has the time or patience to accumulate the
> > needed experience. With the renewed interest in DHTML thanks to
> > gmail, Google Maps, and AJAX, I think it is time to set up some
> > community specifically to discuss modern javascript techniques.
> > Searching the web yields pitiful results, with lots of ancient
> > javascript designed for copy-and-pasters who want rollovers on their
> > animated gifs.
>  >
> > The shared brain power of a new list and web site which attracted
> > users from communities other than the Python community could be
> > valuable, as well. At the same time, we could subtly enlighten people
> > to the joys of Python just by exposing them to it.
> 
> The Javascript development community is young in other ways.  Public
> repositories and basic open source project management practices are
> uncommon.  We're still getting over a stage where everything is
> presented as recipes instead of working code; I think that's widely
> recognized, but it doesn't mean that there are a lot of good patterns
> for how to do that.  And the prototype stuff makes it hard for OO
> programmers to get their bearings.
> 
> Little things have left me feeling unsure.  Just to give one example,
> how should I "activate" a library?  Should it run onload automatically
> and search the page for activating elements?  I guess that's kind of the
> "unobtrusive" technique, but it often seems rather wasteful.  Should it
> be activated by a function call?  How are options passed in (and later
> managed)?  Should it involve a prototype for storing options, then
> methods for attaching the object to elements on the page?  Hell, I still
> don't understand prototypes in Javascript at all.  It's this stuff where
> I get confused, and so I'm actually looking for more than a Javascript
> library to smooth out a few rough edges -- I want a model for good
> Javascript development that I can learn from.
> 
> --
> Ian Bicking  /  ianb at colorstudy.com  / http://blog.ianbicking.org
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