Java Reference
In-Depth Information
This chapter focuses on general frameworks, and even general frameworks differ in their goals. When
deciding which framework to use, look at the framework's browser support, documentation, and com-
munity involvement. The frameworks covered in this chapter are a few years old, stable, and popular
and are compatible with every major modern browser (and even some old ones like IE6). They are as
follows:
❑
jQuery:
A framework whose primary emphasis is the ability to use CSS selectors to select and
work with DOM objects. It also provides a plug-in architecture, as well as a companion UI
framework. (http://jquery.com)
Prototype:
❑
A framework that provides a simple API to perform web tasks. While it offers ways
of manipulating the DOM, Prototype's primary aim is to enhance the JavaScript language by
providing class defi nition and inheritance. (
http://www.prototypejs.org
)
MooTools:
❑
A framework whose aim is to be compact while offering a simple API to make common
tasks easier. Like Prototype, MooTools also aims to enhance the JavaScript languages — not just
make DOM manipulation and Ajax easier. It also includes a lightweight effects component origi-
nally called moo.fx. (http://www.mootools.net)
These three frameworks are just a sampling of what is available for you to use in your web pages. Other
general frameworks not covered in this chapter are the following:
❑
Yahoo! User Interface Framework (YUI):
A framework that ranges from basic JavaScript utili-
ties to complete DHTML widgets. Yahoo! has a team devoted to developing YUI. (http://
developer.yahoo.com/yui/)
Ext JS:
❑
This framework started as an extension to the YUI. It offers customizable UI widgets for
building rich Internet applications. (
http://www.extjs.com
)
Dojo:
❑
A toolkit designed around a package system. The core functionality resembles that of
any other framework (DOM manipulation, event normalization, DHTML widgets, etc.), but
it provides and allows a way to add more functionality by adding more packages.
(http://www.dojotoolkit.org)
MochiKit:
❑
A framework that prides itself on its well-testedness (hundreds of tests accord-
ing to the MochiKit site) and its compatibility with other JavaScript frameworks and libraries.
(
http://www.mochikit.com
)
Getting Started
Once you choose the framework you want to develop with, you need to install the framework and verify
its installation before you do any work with the framework.
Installing a framework is very different from installing an application on your computer; there is no
setup program, and the installation doesn't change any portion of your system. Basically, all you do is
download a fi le and reference the fi le in your web page. The following sections will walk you through
this process.
