Chapter 6. Hack Ajax with the Prototype and Rico Libraries

Hacks 5054

Prototype is a well-known open source library of JavaScript extensions that gives developers power tools to use with their Ajax applications. The library provides an alternative to developing and testing your own XMLHttpRequest library [Hack #3].

The upcoming hacks show how to use major Prototype objects and extensions, such as Ajax.Request, Ajax.Updater, Class.create( ), Object.extend( ), PeriodicalExecuter, and a number of extensions that (at the very least) help reduce typing for JavaScript developers. Prototype includes a lot more functionality than can be shown in this chapter (such as a powerful Enumeration object and a number of extensions to JavaScript's string methods); therefore, I recommend that you download the library and explore its various tools.

Rico is an open source JavaScript library that builds on Prototype. Rico includes built-in Ajax capabilities and objects that allow developers to add cool special effects and drag-and-drop capabilities to their applications. Rico "originated as work done in Sabre Airline Solutions to create a suite of rich Internet components, behaviors, and effects," according to its web site (http://www.openrico.org).

Prototype is distributed under an MIT-style license, and Rico uses an Apache 2.0 license.