Descript.org - lightweight, open-source framework for advanced JavaScript application

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Descript.org - lightweight, open-source framework for advanced JavaScript application

desiter

Hi guys, I have something fresh for you!
Btw. it's not an advert, because I have no profit from that... just tell me what you think about the project itself.

Here is the link:
http://www.descript.org

Few words about the project:
Descript is a lightweight, open-source foundation for advanced web applications development which requires a well-organized and object-oriented approach. It is a kind of framework which fills the gaps in pure JavaScript programming, making it more intuitive and compatible with modern patterns.

Main advantages:

Fully object-oriented JavaScript code - define and inherit class definitions, override methods, use packages...
Simple integration - just one instead of several script tags in your HTML source;
Event driven development inspired by W3C DOM events model, extended and applied to wider application area.
Easy debugging and runtime control with build-in Debug Console tool;
No cross library conflicts thanks to unique namespace for Core features and package system;
Untouched native prototypes - doesn't affect any native JavaScript objects' implementation;

Thanks for your attention.
Desiter

rnd_me

what's the question: how useless is this code?

Jeff_Mott

desiter, if you want to build interest in your library, then I think you'll need to show its advantages over comparable and established libraries, like Dojo, Closure, or YUI.

desiter

First of all it is not a library, it's a foundation framework for object-oriented development. If you need a library - use jQuery, etc.

The main advantages are:
- the way you define classes, how you can deal with inheritance
- overriding and accessing overrided (parent's) methods,
- "this" scope, no need to bind every method 'cause it always points the method's owner
- how you import and use the classes
- no need to include several <script...> tag in you HTML - just one with descript.js
- no conflicts, no interference with other libs, no extensions to native prototype...

The are more advantages... I spent a lot of time implementing complex projects using a variety of different frameworks. This framework is what a had to create just to have any chance of integration my work with any existing website - doesn't matter what library the website uses.

If you never met such problems you will never see any advantages... Descript is useless for you - sorry for bothering

Jeff_Mott

Dojo, Closure, and YUI each include a "foundation framework." They each provide a mechanism for defining classes and dealing with inheritance, and for importing classes without extra <script> tags, and they do so without conflicts and without modifying native prototypes. (jQuery, on the other hand, doesn't provide this kind of functionality, which is why I didn't include it in my list.)

So -- only in my opinion -- I think it would be useful if you could explain how your foundation framework surpasses the similar functionality of established libraries.

desiter

Give a bit of time - i'll prepare few examples of doing the same in each of mentioned frameworks... In the meantime check the Hello world example - maybe you will see the difference yourself.
ttyl

DracoMerest

Looks like you have put a lot of effort into this project. However, as with all the
other foundation frameworks and libraries, why would I need to learn how to
incorporate these applications into my web products when they are written in
the language I already use?

I can already alert 'hello world' in several different ways, I don't need another.

Being an assembly programmer I am fully capable of writing an entire project
using the simple repetition of get number, change number, store number.
That's almost all I need; conditional arguments notwithstanding.

I can fully appreciate the ease of using a higher level language such as
JavaScript. But I cannot see a point in using an even higher level language
which emulates what can already be achieved. It seems all too pre-fabricated.

rnd_me

i meant to be dismissive.

it's going to be an uphill climb for any general-purpose framework to take off at this point, there's simply too many 500lbs gorillas to compete with.

If you could simplify the usage and minimize the weight it would help. The best thing to do, imho, would be to specialize the functionality into something unique; a niche not covered well by jQuery et al. consider JSON2, litebox, and DNDs script; they all perform usefull functionality with little fuss, and they are all relatively popular for pendant productions.

mobile ui, A/V handlers, and distributed data models are areas ripe for developing; if you can emphasize the advantages in those areas, which your framework excels at, you'll have an easier time making a pitch to programmers, most of whom seem to hate change...

still, it's a good exercise for a developer to make robust code, i encourage everyone to develop his/her own common base script to develop on top of.