JavaScript Libraries - Side Comparison
Microsoft recently announced that they endorse jQuery as an "officially" supported JavaScript library.
I certainly wouldn't argue that jQuery is a fantastic environment to work with. In fact, I just bought the book . But I'm curious to know why.
Specifically, I'm curious to know if we web developers can expect jQuery to become a valid JavaScript framework, or simply offer points of differentiation like any other development tool. What are the merits of using jQuery versus mootools or Prototype? Would I expect the JavaScript Library war to be like the browser war, as separate frameworks battle each other for market dominance, or are there better frameworks to apply to specific problems?
I understand that as in the development world, some of them will have religious fanaticism in their privileged library, so please play nicely with each other while answering this topic.
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As for why MS approved jQuery, it might be best to ask ScottGu.
It seems like jQuery is becoming a young js choice for many, and the more that happens, the less love will be shown for other libraries.
Personally, I find it has a good balance of features and allows me to do the most with the least fuss, and like any other aspect of development, it's basically easier and cheaper to stick with what you know if it works.
For things that need really smooth animations, I used to find the mootools was a little smoother, but at least 8 months since I had to do anything with this wonderful gummy, so my testing. probably out of date.
For the dojo or yui or extJS ajax widget frame, there is probably a little more to offer, but at the cost of the size and complexity of the library.
So, sorry if this is a little vague, but like everything else, it boils down to what is the right tool for the job, as a general purpose tool, jQuery usually wins for me, but it depends on the job.
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[deep subjective breathing]
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The last few times I worked with dojo, the team found it to be very heavy, slow, messed up in some places (while iirc had a hidden glitch in the $ function) and this self-tuning actually made its profile pretty poorly used. It has a lot to do with technical terms and it is very easy to distribute the widget, although I really don't like implementing the widget again for bloat and weak OO. Ultimately I decided to avoid this these days.
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I am constantly impressed with the animation of mootools, imho this is way ahead of anything else, but at this time it has also been several months since I have used it personally and I never found the rest of the library to be much use for me.
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jQuery I found very high-level, but it seemed to be superior to dojo as a framework, although again there were deep-rooted iirc flaws. It has a significant amount of expansion, but no widget / components, and it degrades cleanly.
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Anyway, GWT is a niche and I don't trust it at all. Basically, I reject the suggestion that google automatic software can write better js than I can :)
Coming clean though, I'm an arrogant sod and I've been doing this for a while, so I have to say this for anything other than animation (too much math, not enough time, just use mootools). I am using my own code. AJAX is not that hard. I like and trust my CSS esque CSS / Xpath based selector. I have a cleaner implementation of components / widgets in a design methodology that suits me. Ultimately, I have absolute control.
I would recommend jquery / mootools (or even yui) for new starters and commands where standard knowledge is important. For those who are working on long-term projects or who have the credibility, time and skill to get away from it, I recommend ditching your own and generously stealing good ideas where you see them. :)
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For me, community support makes jQuery a good choice, but as noted above, if you wanted a site built around ui-widgets, I wouldn't go with jQuery (yet). The jQuery-ui framework is in its infancy and a good mile behind the likes of yui and extjs, it will catch up, but it will take time. However, I believe 95% of web application needs are met with jQuery. It comes with a great selector engine and good dom / ajax manipulation and simple effects. All this, combined with the size of the library, the availability of the plugin, ease of use, and support make it a solid choice. MS's solution to submit jQuery can only raise the buzz in the community and increase the progression of the ui platform.
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My personal opinion is that the real reason for jQuery's popularity is that it is so much less intrusive than other mature frameworks. You don't need to do your entire application in JavaScript (as is the case with ExtJS), and you don't need to deal with all the infrastructure as in YUI.
And please don't get me wrong: I think both ExtJS and YUI are great libraries - they're just fat for small projects where jQuery with plugins works very well.
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