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)
