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A List of JavaScript Tools and Libraries

100 points by SarahJune 13y ago

ixmatus 13y ago
Title is a bit misleading, this is a list of development tools and libraries with a focus on Javascript. There are quite a few non-js tools in there.
- basshat 13y ago
  Yes, I don't even use binary or an operating system on my computer.
- ivanoats 13y ago
  Seriously? You should try programming JavaScript without an operating system or a browser.
  - ixmatus 13y ago
    Yes, seriously. So by your logic we should be listing the browsers, the operating systems, the compilers, the linkers. No. The title is misleading, I clicked on it expecting a good breakdown of the current can't-do-without javascript libraries for web application programming. MongoDB? PostgreSQL? Why don't we mention Python too since not every Javascript programmer is using NodeJS, oh wait - maybe we should start mentioning Haskell to JS compilers too, yes, because those are Javascript tools and libraries. All of those things are interesting but the title mislead me and I made note of it. Get off my back.
    - coldtea 13y ago
      >MongoDB? PostgreSQL? Why don't we mention Python too since not every Javascript programmer is using NodeJS, oh wait - maybe we should start mentioning Haskell to JS compilers too, yes, because those are Javascript tools and libraries. I don't understand this slippery slope argument. One can mention tools relevant to JS developent that are not themselves written in JS, without going to the extreme of listing everything under the sun. Even if it's a little fuzzy when you stop, MongoDB is known to be a great tool for NodeJS projects, whereas everybody understands that the linker and the compiler is not really relevant to the discussion.
      - ixmatus 13y ago
        It's pretty easy to understand and it's not a slippery slope; what is slippery is bringing in tools and libraries that have nothing to do with Javascript. Also, this whole argument has gone on far more than I intended - simply pointing out that the title was misleading and the reason why I thought it was misleading has suddenly turned into a holy jihad (proof given by the downvoters) to defend MongoDB's inclusion in the list (which is sad because MongoDB isn't a great DB either but that's not part of this argument). I hold on to the fact, though, that it was indeed misleading and my desire for clarity is important to me and meaningful writing; when people criticize my writing for the smallest or the largest of reasons I want to hear it. Misleading title? Okay, why and what would you suggest?
sonnym 13y ago
I did not find this list particularly useful. It is a nice attempt, but the way it categorizes libraries can be deceptive. I do not think anyone would consider bower and npm to be comparable projects, except in the most abstract sense. The same applies with node and express; one may as well conflate ruby with rails. That said, a lot of the tools are really good. I would, personally, argue that underscore is the most important javascript library in existence. It transcends frontend and backend, server and client. It is data manipulation at its finest. It brings functional programming paradigms to javascript. It is beautiful. After spewing this mantra, one of my colleagues wrote a blog post about it that presents a nice introduction[1]. I would also highly recommend Michael Fogus's book, Functional Javascript[2], that heavily relies on it. 1. http://singlebrook.com/blog/simplify-your-javascript-with-underscorejs http://singlebrook.com/blog/simplify-your-javascript-with-un... 2. http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028857.do http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028857.do
- Consultant32452 13y ago
  When I went to that list I was specifically looking for underscore.js and date.js. Seeing a serious project that does not use these libraries makes me twitch.
  - mikeyanderson 13y ago
    The title says: "A List of Foundational JavaScript Tools" seems like those could be useful but not foundational. Right?
  - hijk 13y ago
    Maybe you couldn't see underscore.js because it was written as "Underscore"? Or maybe you didn't read the article…
    - Consultant32452 13y ago
      Yeah, underscore was there but date wasn't. I guess my point was that there wasn't a date.js or some reasonable equivalent time library because date/time programming sucks.
hhsnopek 13y ago
I could Google JavaScript tools or libraries and turned up more results
hhsnopek 13y ago
I could Google JavaScript tools or libraries and turned up more results
hhsnopek 13y ago
I could Google JavaScript tools or libraries and turned up more results
hhsnopek 13y ago
I could Google JavaScript tools or libraries and turned up more results
hhsnopek 13y ago
I could Google JavaScript tools or libraries and turned up more results
cmpb 13y ago
I was pleased to see Knockout.js listed (inappropriately as an MVC framework) on the image, but then there was no mention of it at all in the descriptions section. For a list sluggedly touting itself as the 'complete-list-of-javascript-tools', it really is missing a lot of information.
- victorantos 13y ago
  I was looking for Knockout.js also, it's not in that list by Google trends it should be second after AngularJs
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
sheetjs 13y ago
Is there a list of the best lists of javascript tools and libraries? If so, what list is at the top of that list?
at-fates-hands 13y ago
How come nobody looked at this list and said, "Holy shit, why do need 6 templating libraries?", or "Why is it we have 6 libraries that are build tools?" At some point I would've thought some of these would get consolidated, but instead all we have is more and more and more libraries popping up. Instead of just building in features, we're just simply building new libraries to address some need a developer had which wasn't in an existing library. I'm all for an awesome set of tools, but at some point, shouldn't we really think about combining some of these and just build one or two tools with all the features a developer needs?
- pkroll 13y ago
  Except, you have to get one of the existing ones to clearly win, or else you end up here: https://xkcd.com/927/ https://xkcd.com/927/
grumblestumble 13y ago
Cool little diagram, couple of nits - Assertion libraries aren't a backend thing. Jasmine is very useful on the front-end - If you're gonna have underscore under templates, and underscore and lodash under "functional programming", you better put lodash under templates too ;p - I wouldn't call Knockout a MVC framework, it's really just a 2-way data binding library.
godDLL 13y ago
I don't understand, where's Curl.js or Require.js? Isn't modular, namespaced code a priority for any large project?
- cwmma 13y ago
  they mentioned browserify :)
cwmma 13y ago
It's nice, but things like listing node.js as a server along with express.js make me feel like somebody isn't 100% on what node.js is.
DonPellegrino 13y ago
Nice list, I've used most of those tools at the previous startup I worked at. Shameless plug: You might find this tool I wrote useful in plenty of situations: https://github.com/SGrondin/bottleneck https://github.com/SGrondin/bottleneck
egfx 13y ago
Any lib list that refuses or neglects to recognize Enyo is not a list.
yoanizer 13y ago
This is written in a way that suggests that APT came from/for Ubuntu. Get your facts right kid. (nevermind the fact that this has nothing to do in a list of javascript libraries/tools, why not add Vim, and Unix, then?)
fiatjaf 13y ago
Why is this amateur list important? It doesn't say anything new and it even makes stupid mistakes.
- mikeyanderson 13y ago
  Probably because there are a ton of people getting started on full stack JS who need a list like this.

100 points by SarahJune 13y ago

Title is a bit misleading, this is a list of development tools and libraries with a focus on Javascript. There are quite a few non-js tools in there.

basshat 13y ago
Yes, I don't even use binary or an operating system on my computer.
ivanoats 13y ago
Seriously? You should try programming JavaScript without an operating system or a browser.
- ixmatus 13y ago
  Yes, seriously. So by your logic we should be listing the browsers, the operating systems, the compilers, the linkers. No. The title is misleading, I clicked on it expecting a good breakdown of the current can't-do-without javascript libraries for web application programming. MongoDB? PostgreSQL? Why don't we mention Python too since not every Javascript programmer is using NodeJS, oh wait - maybe we should start mentioning Haskell to JS compilers too, yes, because those are Javascript tools and libraries. All of those things are interesting but the title mislead me and I made note of it. Get off my back.
  - coldtea 13y ago
    >MongoDB? PostgreSQL? Why don't we mention Python too since not every Javascript programmer is using NodeJS, oh wait - maybe we should start mentioning Haskell to JS compilers too, yes, because those are Javascript tools and libraries. I don't understand this slippery slope argument. One can mention tools relevant to JS developent that are not themselves written in JS, without going to the extreme of listing everything under the sun. Even if it's a little fuzzy when you stop, MongoDB is known to be a great tool for NodeJS projects, whereas everybody understands that the linker and the compiler is not really relevant to the discussion.
    - ixmatus 13y ago
      It's pretty easy to understand and it's not a slippery slope; what is slippery is bringing in tools and libraries that have nothing to do with Javascript. Also, this whole argument has gone on far more than I intended - simply pointing out that the title was misleading and the reason why I thought it was misleading has suddenly turned into a holy jihad (proof given by the downvoters) to defend MongoDB's inclusion in the list (which is sad because MongoDB isn't a great DB either but that's not part of this argument). I hold on to the fact, though, that it was indeed misleading and my desire for clarity is important to me and meaningful writing; when people criticize my writing for the smallest or the largest of reasons I want to hear it. Misleading title? Okay, why and what would you suggest?

sonnym 13y ago

I did not find this list particularly useful. It is a nice attempt, but the way it categorizes libraries can be deceptive. I do not think anyone would consider bower and npm to be comparable projects, except in the most abstract sense. The same applies with node and express; one may as well conflate ruby with rails. That said, a lot of the tools are really good. I would, personally, argue that underscore is the most important javascript library in existence. It transcends frontend and backend, server and client. It is data manipulation at its finest. It brings functional programming paradigms to javascript. It is beautiful. After spewing this mantra, one of my colleagues wrote a blog post about it that presents a nice introduction[1]. I would also highly recommend Michael Fogus's book, Functional Javascript[2], that heavily relies on it. 1. http://singlebrook.com/blog/simplify-your-javascript-with-underscorejs http://singlebrook.com/blog/simplify-your-javascript-with-un... 2. http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028857.do http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920028857.do

Consultant32452 13y ago
When I went to that list I was specifically looking for underscore.js and date.js. Seeing a serious project that does not use these libraries makes me twitch.
- mikeyanderson 13y ago
  The title says: "A List of Foundational JavaScript Tools" seems like those could be useful but not foundational. Right?
- hijk 13y ago
  Maybe you couldn't see underscore.js because it was written as "Underscore"? Or maybe you didn't read the article…
  - Consultant32452 13y ago
    Yeah, underscore was there but date wasn't. I guess my point was that there wasn't a date.js or some reasonable equivalent time library because date/time programming sucks.

hhsnopek 13y ago