Why use zjrJS at all? This article will detail all selling points.
Unobtrusive
zjrJS was created to be added to any web page and start its magic. It should stay out of your hair, tests options before it uses them, and offers its own debugging methods. It adds behavioural event handlers, and can add html elements, without requiring any change in your html, other than adding the link to the library.
Cross-browser, cross-platform
OmegaJunior happens to prefer Opera for web browsing, communication, and development. Lots of other manufacturors have developed their own web browsers, with sounding names like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Seamonkey. Each of these enjoys their own user base and fan base. Some unfortunates out there even get forced to suffer Microsoft's variation on Spyglass.
zjrJS strives to do its thing in all of these, and more. This is why it is a library: a black box that can be trusted to work in most environments.
Alas, it is a Javascript library, and as such, it needs an environment that interprets Javascript, like some graphical web browsers do. Text-based browsers like Link and w3m will miss out. (Yes, this is a reminder to all you script-crazed Google-taught copy-paste devs: make your web pages work before slathering client-side script all over them.)
JSON, not a singleton
zjrJS is written like JSON. This resembles a javascript singleton without the specific advantages of a singleton. Why? Because we tested and tested, and found no advantages in using a singleton. We did find advantages in using JSON.
AJAX-free
zjrJS employs a simple method to include data and article parts from other pages: it creates a cacheable HTMLScriptElement. This works asynchronously and with call-back functions. This allows us to include data from all over the world, whereas browsers limit simple AJAX methods to include data from the same domain only.
Client-side caching
When HTML5 introduced clientStorage, webStorage, and similar client-side caching mechanisms, OmegaJunior decided to create a transparent API that allows the web developer to cache data. If the browser fails to support the new client-side caching mechanisms, zjrJS falls back to using cookies instead. We assume, that if the browser fails that too, it is doomed. The web developer is freed from the burden of having to choose which storage and caching mechanism to use: zjrJS will take whatever the browser supports.
Oh. And it is free.
That's right. You can use zjrJS free of charge, and make as many copies as you wish, and even alter it to suit your needs (as long as you keep our copyright notice intact). You don't have to advertise your use of zjrJS, don't have to include a link back to this site, and zjrJS also doesn't phone home. If we want to know where zjrJS is used, we can ask Google. We only claim copyright because we are proud of zjrJS.
zjrJS was created to be added to any web page and start its magic. It should stay out of your hair, tests options before it uses them, and offers its own debugging methods. It adds behavioural event handlers, and can add html elements, without requiring any change in your html, other than adding the link to the library.
Cross-browser, cross-platform
OmegaJunior happens to prefer Opera for web browsing, communication, and development. Lots of other manufacturors have developed their own web browsers, with sounding names like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Seamonkey. Each of these enjoys their own user base and fan base. Some unfortunates out there even get forced to suffer Microsoft's variation on Spyglass.
zjrJS strives to do its thing in all of these, and more. This is why it is a library: a black box that can be trusted to work in most environments.
Alas, it is a Javascript library, and as such, it needs an environment that interprets Javascript, like some graphical web browsers do. Text-based browsers like Link and w3m will miss out. (Yes, this is a reminder to all you script-crazed Google-taught copy-paste devs: make your web pages work before slathering client-side script all over them.)
JSON, not a singleton
zjrJS is written like JSON. This resembles a javascript singleton without the specific advantages of a singleton. Why? Because we tested and tested, and found no advantages in using a singleton. We did find advantages in using JSON.
AJAX-free
zjrJS employs a simple method to include data and article parts from other pages: it creates a cacheable HTMLScriptElement. This works asynchronously and with call-back functions. This allows us to include data from all over the world, whereas browsers limit simple AJAX methods to include data from the same domain only.
Client-side caching
When HTML5 introduced clientStorage, webStorage, and similar client-side caching mechanisms, OmegaJunior decided to create a transparent API that allows the web developer to cache data. If the browser fails to support the new client-side caching mechanisms, zjrJS falls back to using cookies instead. We assume, that if the browser fails that too, it is doomed. The web developer is freed from the burden of having to choose which storage and caching mechanism to use: zjrJS will take whatever the browser supports.
Oh. And it is free.
That's right. You can use zjrJS free of charge, and make as many copies as you wish, and even alter it to suit your needs (as long as you keep our copyright notice intact). You don't have to advertise your use of zjrJS, don't have to include a link back to this site, and zjrJS also doesn't phone home. If we want to know where zjrJS is used, we can ask Google. We only claim copyright because we are proud of zjrJS.
