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Ask HN: What's your favorite Javascript library?

What do you love about it? What other libraries have you used? Why did you choose the one you did?

jacquesm 17y ago
I've used prototype a little bit, I asked the exact same question on HN, have since started using jquery and I like it quite a bit.
jdp 17y ago
I use jQuery. I only briefly checked out prototype before I found jQuery, and I don't remember anything about it. Like most of us, I got tired of using the same thing over and over so I checked out MooTools and didn't like that it had all sorts of $chk- and $empty-like identifiers, but otherwise it's a solid library. I ended up sticking with jQuery because it's what I like and what I know the best.
seasoup 17y ago
I've used jQuery, prototype, mootools, and dojo and researched some others. jQuery is my library of choice because it is the best at DOM manipulation and events, and excellent plugin ability. Also has excellent documentation and is the most popular library. Can be used side by side with other libraries. Sizzle - CSS selector engine. Just finds DOM nodes via css selector syntax and returns them. Used in jQuery, going to be added to Dojo and possibly Prototype. Mootools will not be using it. Prototype, imo, shows its age, a good, solid library, but there are parts of it that are not needed and development on it is slow and there is no easy way to extend it with plugins. Cannot be used with mootools. Mootools is a real javascript framework, providing excellent OO features, including classes and a solid inheritance model. If you want to use inheritance in your javascript, you should go with mootools. I often find this to be overkill for javascript, however, so I go with jQuery. Cannot be used with Prototype. And finally, Dojo. Another excellent library, but somewhat bloated and has poor documentation, has a build process to cut down on the bloat. Also, some key features missing from its core library while the core includes features that belong in plugins. Can be used along side other libraries. YUI, I only have experience with their 2.0 version and found that I hated it because I didn't want to type YAHOO.path.to.my.widget 13,000 times or always have to save a long path in a variable to refer to. That chased me away quickly. GWT - only use if you are a java developer that doesn't want to develop in javascript. DWR - some server side code required, primarily an ajax library, but it does provide some cool ajax features that other libraries do not... like Comet. Glow - YAJL. Unnecessary.
aaroneous 17y ago
I've been using MooTools a lot in the current project I'm on. It feels like more of a natural extension of JS than trying to change the language to meet one group's idea of how it should perform. The docs are pretty good and it's pretty easy to read as well (though I think it's probably more verbose than JQuery). I tried Prototype ~2 years ago and didn't care for it at the time. I'm sure it has since evolved, but it seems like the general favs among the people I know are JQuery and MooTools.
yannis 17y ago
I have used both Prototype and jQuery. I am now sold 100% to jQuery. I like the fact that using jQuery I can produce very concise and readable code. I also like the way you can extend the jQuery object with plugins. It has wide support and a large community of bloggers seem to be churning more and more plugins for it .. and I like the fact that John Resig is now working for the Mozilla Foundation.
noodle 17y ago
this topic comes up once every month or two. jquery. its very simple and fast by default, easy to build on top of, and easy to read. it has the most industry support, right now.
stuntgoat 17y ago
There is an interesting discussion going on right now, here: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/baypiggies/2009-August/005275.html http://mail.python.org/pipermail/baypiggies/2009-August/0052...

What do you love about it? What other libraries have you used? Why did you choose the one you did?

I've used prototype a little bit, I asked the exact same question on HN, have since started using jquery and I like it quite a bit.

jdp 17y ago

I use jQuery. I only briefly checked out prototype before I found jQuery, and I don't remember anything about it. Like most of us, I got tired of using the same thing over and over so I checked out MooTools and didn't like that it had all sorts of $chk- and $empty-like identifiers, but otherwise it's a solid library. I ended up sticking with jQuery because it's what I like and what I know the best.

seasoup 17y ago

I've used jQuery, prototype, mootools, and dojo and researched some others. jQuery is my library of choice because it is the best at DOM manipulation and events, and excellent plugin ability. Also has excellent documentation and is the most popular library. Can be used side by side with other libraries. Sizzle - CSS selector engine. Just finds DOM nodes via css selector syntax and returns them. Used in jQuery, going to be added to Dojo and possibly Prototype. Mootools will not be using it. Prototype, imo, shows its age, a good, solid library, but there are parts of it that are not needed and development on it is slow and there is no easy way to extend it with plugins. Cannot be used with mootools. Mootools is a real javascript framework, providing excellent OO features, including classes and a solid inheritance model. If you want to use inheritance in your javascript, you should go with mootools. I often find this to be overkill for javascript, however, so I go with jQuery. Cannot be used with Prototype. And finally, Dojo. Another excellent library, but somewhat bloated and has poor documentation, has a build process to cut down on the bloat. Also, some key features missing from its core library while the core includes features that belong in plugins. Can be used along side other libraries. YUI, I only have experience with their 2.0 version and found that I hated it because I didn't want to type YAHOO.path.to.my.widget 13,000 times or always have to save a long path in a variable to refer to. That chased me away quickly. GWT - only use if you are a java developer that doesn't want to develop in javascript. DWR - some server side code required, primarily an ajax library, but it does provide some cool ajax features that other libraries do not... like Comet. Glow - YAJL. Unnecessary.

aaroneous 17y ago

I've been using MooTools a lot in the current project I'm on. It feels like more of a natural extension of JS than trying to change the language to meet one group's idea of how it should perform. The docs are pretty good and it's pretty easy to read as well (though I think it's probably more verbose than JQuery). I tried Prototype ~2 years ago and didn't care for it at the time. I'm sure it has since evolved, but it seems like the general favs among the people I know are JQuery and MooTools.

yannis 17y ago

I have used both Prototype and jQuery. I am now sold 100% to jQuery. I like the fact that using jQuery I can produce very concise and readable code. I also like the way you can extend the jQuery object with plugins. It has wide support and a large community of bloggers seem to be churning more and more plugins for it .. and I like the fact that John Resig is now working for the Mozilla Foundation.

noodle 17y ago

this topic comes up once every month or two. jquery. its very simple and fast by default, easy to build on top of, and easy to read. it has the most industry support, right now.

stuntgoat 17y ago

There is an interesting discussion going on right now, here: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/baypiggies/2009-August/005275.html http://mail.python.org/pipermail/baypiggies/2009-August/0052...