Libraries
What's a library?
Just some JavaScript someone else wrote that makes your life easier.
How do you use a library?
ProTip #1: Always use the minified version.
ProTip #2: Inherit your dependencies properly.
Order of inheritance
- jQuery
- jQuery plugins (if any)
- Other libraries (underscore, d3, etc)
- Your custom JavaScript
ProTip #3: Read the docs!
When do you use a library?
Not Invented Here
vs.
Reinventing the Wheel
Sometimes, libraries are too complex.
Story time!
We started with a library called Fluidbox.
Fluidbox had a lot of code and functionality we weren't using. And it was buggy.
So we built our own lightbox.
Pros
Much less code
Does what we need it to
Not buggy
Cons
Development time
Not as well tested
Hard to add functionality
But...
To achieve the slide approach, we used a library.
We tried building our own, but it took too much time.
Instead, we altered the code to fit our needs.
Pros
Took less time
Supported experiments
Cons
Had to fix bugs
Overriding functionality
So what do you do?
Ask these questions
- Does the library solve all of your needs?
- How well does the library work?
- How hard would it be to develop your own version of the library?
Suggestions for libraries
jQuery
Always use jQuery.
Underscore
Use Underscore for manipulating arrays and objects.
Bootstrap
Bootstrap's JavaScript has some nice functionality, such as Scrollspy.
d3.js
d3.js is the best data visualization tool around. However, it's super hard to use.
Highcharts
Highcharts is an easier, though less flexible, charting library.
Leaflet
Use Leaflet instead of Google Maps for map-based data.
FitVids
Use FitVids to make your video embeds play nice with responsive designs.
Unveil
If you have a long page with a lot of images, Unveil will let you "lazy-load" those images.
Spreadsheets
Come see me. There's a workshop later.