Adobe® Dreamweaver® CS5 Bible

Chapter 17. Working with JavaScript Frameworks

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Working with JavaScript

• Using Code Hints

• Working with jQuery framework functions

• Implementing Web widgets

In recent years, JavaScript has moved to the forefront of Web technologies and is now a key tool in developing engaging online experiences. Driving this widespread adoption of JavaScript is the development and proliferation of numerous JavaScript frameworks. "Framework" is another term for code library or collection of useful functions, maintained in one or more external files.

A great number of frameworks are available today — some estimates place the number well over 200. Among the most popular JavaScript frameworks are the Yahoo! User Interface Library (better known as YUI), jQuery, Moo Tools, and Prototype. As noted throughout this book, Adobe has developed its own framework, Spry, from which many components (or widgets) and effects are integrated into Dreamweaver.

All of the frameworks have their followers and even advocates. Dreamweaver, rather than become married to a single framework — even one from its own company — has evolved into a mutually supportive platform. Now advanced coding functionality such as code hinting and code completion previously available to the most broad-based technologies such as HTML, ColdFusion, and PHP, is automatically implemented for a referenced framework. Even custom coding can benefit from the on-the-fly code hinting available in Dreamweaver.

Although this enhanced JavaScript support ...