First, some terms:
JavaScript is a programming language, unrelated to Java (just to be
confusing), that is often used in Web browsers as a means of
controlling the behavior or presentation of the page. All modern
browsers include a JavaScript interpreter, and most allow the end-user
to switch it off for whatever reason, too.
jQuery is a framework, written in JavaScript, that aims to do several
things: first, it smoothes over the ugly gaps between various browsers
(cough, IE, cough); second, it provides a uniform programming
interface for developers to use when creating browser-based effects.
jQuery distinguishes itself by being extraordinarily “plug-able”.
There are countless packaged effects available for it, and they often
allow you to create some amazing effects with little or no technical
knowledge. The only issue that I have found with it is that once you
want to do something even a little bit different than what your chosen
plug-in does, you are often stuck finding a different plug-in, rather
than being able to change a few parameters here and there to get what
you’re looking for.
Prototype is another framework in JavaScript, geared more toward a
developer who is building a Web application – who needs something
less “off the shelf”. Scriptaculous is an animation framework that
uses Prototype to talk to the browser, and which allows you to create
any sort of wizzy visual effect you can imagine. Think of
Scriptaculous plus Prototype as a toolkit for building Flash effects
without Flash. But realize that Prototype gives you the tools to write
your own browser to play those effects in, too, should you need that
level of control. Prototype and Scriptaculous were both extracted from
the wildly popular Ruby on Rails development environment, and are
found in the “plumbing” of many major Web 2.0 sites.
Then, in practice:
Freeway ships with a set of visual effects built on Prototype +
Scriptaculous. Select an item on the page, then look in the main menu
under Item / Actions / for Attention FX, Transition FX, and Sound FX.
Each of these can be chained together in combination, and you can also
invoke Scriptaculous effects in the Rollover and Target Actions, too.
I have written an Action called Protaculous that allows you to create
anything you can dream up in JavaScript (it’s very much a geek-
friendly tool) using those libraries. All it does is attach the
libraries to the page in a manner that won’t conflict with Freeway’s
built-in Actions, and provide you a set of fields for typing in your
own code.
I have also written a set of more packaged effects: Carousel (actually
ships as part of Protaculous), ScriptyAccordion, and ScriptyLightbox.
All of these are available at ActionsForge.
Max Fancourt wrote an Action called Script Action Set that contains
similar tools to Protaculous, but less framework-centric. You could
use it to add jQuery to your page, along with any of the
aforementioned plug-ins.
Walter
On Apr 28, 2010, at 2:52 AM, Thomas Kimmich wrote:
Hi all,
I´m always fascinated by smooth elements used in websites like:
http://www.themeflash.com/50-best-photoshop-web-design-tutorials/
or
http://www.slicemachine.com/ (my favourite one).
Now - a lot of them are made in flash, but more and more they are
made with jQuery or even JavaScript (is this correct?). Frankly open
spoken - without any knowledge - it seems like an unopened can to me.
Would you see such things as possible to build in freeway?
Are there any tips and tricks you would recommend to get closer to
the theme?
Are there any Freewayer, that tried to rebuilt something like that
(or even wrote a tutorial) where we could have a look on?
… or is even something to be expected from Softpress to make
jQuery-life simpler?
Or are my thoughts just too complicated and it´s to do much easier
and I missed?
Thanks for any thoughts in advance.
Best regards
Thomas
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