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Shows how Prototype and Scriptaculous let you concentrate on what's important: implementing your ideas.
Prototype and Scriptaculous in Action is a comprehensive, practical guide that walks you feature-by-feature through the two libraries. First, you'll use Scriptaculous to make easy but powerful UI improvements. Then you'll dig into Prototype's elegant and sparse syntax. See how a few characters of Prototype code can save a dozen lines of JavaScript. By applying these techniques, you can concentrate on the function and flow of your application instead of the coding details.
About the Technology
Common Ajax tasks should be easy, and with Prototype and Scriptaculous they are. Prototype and Scriptaculous are libraries of reusable JavaScript code that simplify Ajax development. Prototype provides helpful methods and objects that extend JavaScript in a safe, consistent way. Its clever Ajax request model simplifies cross-browser development. Scriptaculous, which is based on Prototype, offers handy pre-fabricated widgets for rich UI development.
Table of Contents takes you straight to the bookdetailed table of contents
foreword
preface
acknowledgments
about this book
about the title
about the cover illustration
Part 1 Getting Started
1. Introducing Prototype and Scriptaculous
1.1. A brief history of Ajax
1.2. What is Prototype?
1.3. What is Scriptaculous?
1.4. Applying Prototype and Scriptaculous
1.5. Summary
2. Introducing QuickGallery
2.1. Design and implementation
2.2. Evaluating the classic web app model
2.3. Summary
3. Simplifying Ajax with Prototype
3.1. Redesigning for Ajax
3.2. Using XML and Ajax
3.3. Using JSON and Ajax
3.4. Summary
4. Using Prototype’s Advanced Ajax Features
4.1. Prototype’s advanced Ajax classes
4.2. Using HTML and Ajax
4.3. Comparing data- and content-centric Ajax
4.4. Summary
Part 2 Scriptaculous Quickly
5. Scriptaculous Effects
5.1. Quick win: adding an effect with only one line
5.2. Setting up Scriptaculous and the examples
5.3. Types of Scriptaculous effects
5.4. Understanding the effects
5.5. Easy toggling of Show and Hide effects
5.6. Working with transitions
5.7. Gaining control during effects
5.8. Canceling effects
5.9. Controlling multiple effects
5.10. Summary
6. Scriptaculous Controls
6.1. Using the sample programs for this chapter
6.2. The in-place text editor
6.3. The InPlaceCollectionEditor
6.4. The Ajax autocompleter control
6.5. The Scriptaculous local autocompleter control
6.6. The slider control
6.7. Summary
7. Scriptaculous Drag and Drop
7.1. The sample code for this chapter
7.2. The sample code for this chapter
7.3. Dragging things around
7.4. Dropping dragged things
7.5. Sorting by drag and drop
7.6. Summary
Part 3 Prototype in Depth
8. All About Objects
8.1. Introducing the Scratchpad application
8.2. The Object type
8.3. Objects and Prototype
8.4. Summary
9. Fun with Functions
9.1. JavaScript functions
9.2. Extending functions with Prototype.js
9.3. Summary
10. Arrays Made Easy
10.1. Introducing Arrays
10.2. The native JavaScript Array
10.3. Prototype.js and Arrays
10.4. Methods of the Enumerable object
10.5. Working with Hashes and ObjectRanges
10.6. Summary
11. Back to the Browser
11.1. A crash course in DOM methods
11.2. Prototype and the DOM
11.3. Extending the Event object
11.4. Working with HTML forms
11.5. Summary
Part 4 Advanced Topics
12. Prototype and Scriptaculous in Practice
12.1. QuickGallery application requirements
12.2. Building the slideshow editor
12.3. Adding Ajax-based persistence
12.4. Creating the toolbar
12.5. Building the slideshow player 384
12.6. Putting it all together
12.7. Summary
13. Prototype, Scriptaculous, and Rails
13.1. Generating JavaScript
13.2. Ajax helpers
13.3. Scriptaculous helpers
13.4. To JavaScript or not to JavaScript
13.5. The next level: RJS
13.6. Summary
Appendix A: HTTP Primer
Appendix B: Measuring HTTP Traffic
Appendix C: Installing and Running Tomcat 5.5
Appendix D: Installing and Running PHP
Appendix E: Porting Server-Side Techniques
index
What's inside
- Explore Prototype's Ajax helper classes
- How to add Scriptaculous effects and controls
- Closures in JavaScript
- Over 100 working examples
- Covers Prototype 1.5
About the authors
Dave Crane is an Ajax authority and lead author of the best-selling Ajax in Action. He is currently senior developer for UK-based Historic Futures Ltd., developing the next generation of socially responsible supply-chain systems using Ajax to link rural cooperatives and multinational corporations.
Michael "Bear" Bibeault is a US-based Java programmer with over 20 years' experience in enterprise and Web applications. He's a popular moderator on JavaRanch and coauthor of Manning's Ajax in Practice.
Tom Locke is an UK-based independent web developer and trainer specializing in Ruby on Rails. He is the creator of Logix, a multi-language programming system, and the CTO of LiveLogix.
