@media Session 9

The Why and Which of JavaScript Libraries

John Resig took us through various scenarios when you write JavaScript:

  • Plug & Play:
    Drop in a widget, little or no JavaScript knowledge required, just customise some options and go – no flexibility
  • Some assembly required:
    Write common utilities, use pre-made code to distance yourself from browser bugs – flexible, until you hit a browser bug
  • Down and dirty:
    Write all code from scratch, deal directly with bugs, quirksmode can save your life – eccessively flexible – almost too flexible
  • Use JavaScript library:
    Makes JavaScript bearable, gets the job done fast, simplifies cross-browser support – easily customisable

John then did a comparison between the various JavaScript libraries, including jQuery, Prototype, YUI and Dojo, which are commonly in use. A developer survey showed that jQuery and Prototype were used by around 32% of developers; YUI was 22% and others around 14%.

John’s full slides give much more detail of each library’s strengths.

John’s presentation: slides (slideshare) | audio (mp3)

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