The never ending question these days: Which AJAX Framework to use?

I have written about it before (here and here). The question about which javascript framework to use. In lack of defacto standards both inside and outside of my professional area I have used prototype.js and script.aculo.us heavily and starts to like them both, especially the prototype.js.

On the other hand, IBM is using DOJO, not much, but they are. So there’s a need for us all to learn DOJO. Unfortunately the DOJO framework is, to say, a bit under documented. Not even the tutorials on their web site is working. So I guess the question boils down to if the DOJO should be used because IBM uses it and that the development will be better in a very short time? Or should everyone go with their own preferences just like today while we wait for some of the framework to become more popular. I don’t think this is so important when it comes to the pure AJAX connections, they tend to work the same way in many of the frameworks. More important is it to find a good tool for the graphical components.

Do you work in this field, what is your company’s preferences in the javascript framework debate?

February 5th, 2007 in Uncategorized | tags: , , , , ,
  • http://www.parme.it/wordpress Parme

    I’m using Dojo. You’re right it’s a little bit undocumented so it’s an harder starting but it’s really a big framework. I’m starting to develop custom widget. But after all, from this 1000 function and classes only few are for communication and all the other are UI and other utility. So if interested only in AJAX connection pheraps there’s no need to learn DOJO

  • http://www.crossedconnections.org Jeff Crossett

    We looked at alot of frameworks but YUI came out on top. Dojo had alot more flash and bang, but when dploying enterprise applications, we felt that solid documentation would better suit us.

  • http://www.11tmr.com/ Matt White

    I’ve been using Dojo and Prototype for different projects for quite a while. In my view you have to pick the framework which best suits the project. Dojo is a big set of files so you need to go all out and use it for everything otherwise the overhead hardly seems worth it.

    Dojo is going to a 1.0 version this summer (according to the guys at Lotusphere anyway) so I’d wait for then if you haven’t already got into it. The APIs will settle down at that point and the documentation should catch up with the code. In the meantime prototype is a nice simple framework that has become a de facto standard so works for smaller projects or one which just require the basic AJAX function calls.

    Matt

  • Joachim Dagerot

    We are putting DOJO on hold until the 1.0 version Matt is refering to above is in place.

    I just started a new project where we will look into the YUI which is very promising, especially in conjunction with Jack Slocum’s yui-ext library.

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