Javascript libraries in container and gadgets

[Michael Mahemoff <li...@mahemoff.com>]

Hi All,

Are there any plans regarding Javascript libraries/frameworks within 
Shindig? For example, any plans to go with a particular framework such 
as JQuery, Dojo, Ext2, Prototype, MooTools, etc., or to build a similar 
custom library.

There are a couple of angles to this:
- How will the container be built out, e.g. if and when a feature such 
as container-based drag-and-drop were to be implemented, which library 
would be used?
- Will inlined gadgets be able to assume a common library is available? 
I could see that being useful, mainly to reduce the JS footprint.

(Incidentally, I'm working on BT's widget/gadget strategy along with 
Martin Webb who has also posted here.)

Re: Javascript libraries in container and gadgets

[Kevin Brown <et...@google.com>]

On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 1:37 AM, Michael Mahemoff <li...@mahemoff.com> wrote:

> > Container based isn't too important (as long as the license is
> compatible),
> > since actual containers may use whatever they want. Our sample container
> can
> > use whatever makes sense, but that doesn't mean real sites have to
> (though,
> > by all means, they can certainly use whatever work we do).
>
> Does that mean the current plan is for the sample container *not* to use
> a standard library, or is it just undecided as yet?


Probably more of the latter. The sample container really is just that -- a
sample container. I wouldn't use it in production. Maybe in the future, but
not now.


>
>
> > Assuming you mean Caja -- yes, most likely (and a proposal was brought
> up in
> > the spec discussion group to standardize this). The caja people have
> been
> > working on "taming" various js libraries. So far as I know, jQuery and
> YUI
> > support exists in some form, but I don't know about dojo, scriptaculous
> or
> > others. This is probably a question for the spec discussion group and/or
> the
> > caja developers -- currently at
> > http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec and
> > http://code.google.com/p/google-caja respectively.
>
> I've posted the question to the gadget spec group
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec/browse_thread/thread/ab5c14b150fb0995
>
> I can't see any mention of standardising a toolkit within the Caja spec
> or discussions. I can only see mention of taming the libraries, as you
> say.
>

Those concepts are closely related. It's difficult to discuss taming without
identifying the scope of what it is that you are taming.

-- 
~Kevin

Re: Javascript libraries in container and gadgets

[Michael Mahemoff <li...@mahemoff.com>]

> Container based isn't too important (as long as the license is compatible),
> since actual containers may use whatever they want. Our sample container can
> use whatever makes sense, but that doesn't mean real sites have to (though,
> by all means, they can certainly use whatever work we do).

Does that mean the current plan is for the sample container *not* to use 
a standard library, or is it just undecided as yet?

> Assuming you mean Caja -- yes, most likely (and a proposal was brought up in
> the spec discussion group to standardize this). The caja people have been
> working on "taming" various js libraries. So far as I know, jQuery and YUI
> support exists in some form, but I don't know about dojo, scriptaculous or
> others. This is probably a question for the spec discussion group and/or the
> caja developers -- currently at
> http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec and
> http://code.google.com/p/google-caja respectively.

I've posted the question to the gadget spec group
http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec/browse_thread/thread/ab5c14b150fb0995

I can't see any mention of standardising a toolkit within the Caja spec 
or discussions. I can only see mention of taming the libraries, as you say.

Re: Javascript libraries in container and gadgets

[Kevin Brown <et...@google.com>]

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 4:42 PM, Michael Mahemoff <li...@mahemoff.com> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Are there any plans regarding Javascript libraries/frameworks within
> Shindig? For example, any plans to go with a particular framework such
> as JQuery, Dojo, Ext2, Prototype, MooTools, etc., or to build a similar
> custom library.


Nothing solid, yet, although we have been using jQuery in some opensocial
code.


> There are a couple of angles to this:
> - How will the container be built out, e.g. if and when a feature such
> as container-based drag-and-drop were to be implemented, which library
> would be used?


Container based isn't too important (as long as the license is compatible),
since actual containers may use whatever they want. Our sample container can
use whatever makes sense, but that doesn't mean real sites have to (though,
by all means, they can certainly use whatever work we do).

- Will inlined gadgets be able to assume a common library is available?
> I could see that being useful, mainly to reduce the JS footprint.


Assuming you mean Caja -- yes, most likely (and a proposal was brought up in
the spec discussion group to standardize this). The caja people have been
working on "taming" various js libraries. So far as I know, jQuery and YUI
support exists in some form, but I don't know about dojo, scriptaculous or
others. This is probably a question for the spec discussion group and/or the
caja developers -- currently at
http://groups.google.com/group/opensocial-and-gadgets-spec and
http://code.google.com/p/google-caja respectively.

For what it's worth, I really would like to standardize around using
existing, well-established libraries instead of having to re-invent
everything. I'm partial to jQuery, YUI, and mootools, but others are
certainly worth examining.

-- 
~Kevin