Introduction
Web applications these days can not be without using any JavaScript. Either at least for validations or for rendering and/or for enhancing the display using AJAX and Web 2.0 techniques, JavaScript has become an inseparable tool for the current day web applications. A few days before, we have been discussing about manipulating Request.QueryString through JavaScript. In the current discussion, let us try and discuss about another comprehensive framework called Prototype.JS -- some of the features and advantages in the same. The Situation and/or The Need
With an ever-growing need and use of JavaScript all over the Internet, the dire need for the developers is standardized development methodology so that the code is reusable and also if at all any vulnerabilities are discovered, they are easy to patch. Take for first example the most popular concept in JavaScript that is currently being used: AJAX. I normally prefer the xmlHttpRequest library by Andrew from here.
However there are also other AJAX frameworks like Microsoft Atlas. In the current discussion standpoint, I wish to discuss about PrototypeJS Framework.
An Elegant Solution and a First Class Library
PrototypeJS is an opensource JavaScript framework, downloadable from PrototypeJS.Org. Some of the features that I found interesting, making things easy for the developer are:
- Integrated AJAX framework (request-response handling)
- Elegant Autocompleter
- Simpler DOM Manipulation. I truly love the way they have shortened the element accessing from document.getElementByID("myTextBox") to $("myTextBox");
- Truly rich Array functions. Time and again the queries that strike forums are regarding 'How-To' with respect to arrays in JavaScript. This should, for sure, answer most of these queries.
- A Neat and elegant Window Timeout Wrapper called 'PeriodicalExecuter'.
Other Frameworks:
I am sure there are plenty of other JavaScript frameworks like the one from Adobe, Yahoo User Interface Library and much more. Perhaps if the reader comes across some interesting and valuable features from them, please feel free to share them as comments for the benefit of developer fraternity.
Note: This note is purely as a review note on Prototype.JS. This note is not supported or endorsed by Prototype.JS. for any details regarding the software, please refer the destination website for fuller details.
Summary
I hope this would be a simply great and cool web developer's library that anyone using JavaScript should download and use for efficient and elegant JavaScript coding and implementation.
For more details, visit http://www.prototypejs.org/