jQuery = javascript goodness!

registered · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 6437

Over the past few months, I've been looking at various javascript / AJAX libraries and scripts, as discussed in other topics, for use with Nuke and specifically with . Eventually, we selected jQuery, and that I continue to be impressed with this fine library.

Initially, we considered scripts for new account validation (inline) and for password strength, and those will be included in the upcoming release of RavenNuke with RNYA. But by the time we selected jQuery, I had already implemented several standalone scripts for different functions (e.g. color picker, combobox, chained selects in nukeFEED and a tabbed interface in RNYA). I've since discovered equally excellent scripts that work with jQuery and will begin converting these other functions to jQuery over time (though maybe not for the first release).

For tabbed interfaces, I discovered the excellent Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! plugin. Functionally, it's very similar to the script from DynamicDrive I initially selected for RNYA. One of the issues with the DynamicDrive script is graphics. I used the default graphics, but what if people wanted to use other graphics? (sure, it's an admin function, so it isn't visible to visitors, but still...). Well, check Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! out. That's right - a web-based tool to roll your own graphics for use with jQuery UI! Just design your theme online, download the graphics, and off you go... Of course, there are 4 or 5 OTHER jQuery plugins that provide tabbed interfaces, but they don't have this kind of functionality and flexibility, which is important for a CMS as not everyone wants the same interface.

This kind of quality thought, design and planning seems typical of jQuery. I've been watching the Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! for the latest releases of Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login!. It's simply amazing - the number of new and enhanced plugins each day, and the overall quality - really awesome!

The structure of the initial implementation of jQuery in RN is weak, but I expect it to improve significantly in future releases to provide support for the MANY fine functions enabled by jQuery and it's plugins. I strongly encourage developers to check this out and prepare to make your Nuke addons even better with help from jQuery!

registered · Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 7:03 am

I cannot wait to dig into these further. It certainly will be important to get a good structure in place that module developers can count on.

Thank you sir for ALL the hard work you did in investigating the various libraries and then incorporating jQuery.

Site Admin/Owner Joined: Aug 27, 2002 Posts: 17088

I am constantly asked by people "Why RavenNuke(tm)?". I don't believe my response is as subjective as one might think at first.

The RavenNuke(tm) Team, of which KGuske is a founding/charter member, is one example of the dedication and expertise that continues to move RavenNuke(tm) ahead. We are not just about security although security is certainly one of our primary goals. We are about delivering a highly productive CMS that people can really use for all facets w/o being bloated. We have been looking at several libraries for different purposes that will become the building blocks (foundation) for what RavenNuke(tm) will become. We don't necessarily believe that "one size fits all" when it comes to the tools in our tool box. With each release we continue to firm up the security, foundation, efficiency, and functionality of RavenNuke(tm).

RavenNuke(tm) v2.30.00 is slated for release mid August. We will be debuting the RavenNuke_Your_Account (RNYA) module based on the unreleased next version of CNBYA. Kevin and several others have used that as their foundation and have improved on the already great model resulting in an amazing replacement for the standard Your_Account module. This will be built in as a standard core feature. You will only find this in RavenNuke(tm) Smile

.

Congratulations and thanks for taking the lead on this one Wink

!

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:32 pm

First, there is way too much work done by many others for me to take credit for this. Bob Marion created NSN YA, long ago, providing Nuke webmasters with much needed enhancements / flexibility for registration. Richard van Oosterhout (menelaos), André V Escudero, Peter Lindgren and a host of others picked it up when Bob focused on other things (like NukeSentinel!) and named it CNB YA. Richard & company made significant improvements to Bob's already great script, and brought it to version 4.4.2, on which RNYA is based. Richard was actively developing 5.0 when his life changed and he wasn't able to continue active development any longer. Many of the improvements in CNBYA 5.0 have been incorporated into RNYA. Several on the RN team have provided significant assistance in developing RNYA. Guardian has contributed testing, compliance and other fixes, language improvements and more. fkelly quickly found the needles (bugs) in the haystack of code, and pushes the development with ideas, suggestions, fixes and other contributions. Montego contributed TegoNuke integration before blasting away several remaining compliance issues and significantly improving the code standards. Of course, RNYA includes the previously mentioned jQuery, itself developed by a significant team of contributors. It also includes Jörn Zaefferer's excellent validation script, Tane Piper's Password Strength meter, and the Dynamic Drive AJAX Tab Contents script (which will eventually be replaced with jQuery UI). My part is merely to put the puzzle pieces together to make it more powerful, more flexible and easier to use. The RavenNuke umbrella makes that fun!

Now, on to the main point of this post: jQuery. I hope that you'll take a look at jQuery UI - make sure to look at the jQuery UI Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! - it's simply awesome. Then play around with some of the Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! for jQuery and see what strikes your fancy.

I can see major improvements in modules and blocks administration, enabled by jQuery and plugins. Better navigation, inline login / feedback / contact us / notifications. The list could go on and on...

What can you see? We can certainly use any help available to make RavenNuke more functional, more secure, easier to use, better documented... If you try, you might be amazed at what you can contribute!

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:16 pm

Here's another example - a powerful Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login! function that lets new users select their company from a database of hundreds of companies. This involved the addition of a few JS, a CSS, and a small PHP script that checks the database. This could eventually be an option for RNYA in the custom fields, but for now it's a manual entry. It has a number of powerful option that make it incredibly flexible. By default, it highlights the matching letters that have been typed - nice!

Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:57 am

Yeah, the oooh and aaahhh about Web 2.0 (my definition of it anyway). Very nice sir.

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:16 pm

The number of available jQuery plugins grows by the hour - it's incredible to watch the Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login!. Some of the stuff is just amazing - really useful, simple, elegant...OK, I'll stop gushing. Thanks to Guardian, I'll be learning even more about this powerful tool set.

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 3:22 pm

I saw a really cool addon for Joomla that lets you put nice slideshow effects, including a Ken Burns effect. Hmmm...is there something like that available for jQuery? Only registered users can see links on this board! Get registered or login!!