97 Javascript & AJAX tips, tutorials, techniques & resources
60 More AJAX- and Javascript Solutions For Professional Coding
"This post presents over 60 new useful Ajax scripts, libraries and solutions which you can use in your future projects."
Improve form usability with auto messages
"This tutorial explains how to improve form usability adding an auto message which appears and disappears with a nice fade-in and fade-out effect when an user select a field."
Ajax Wireframing Approaches
"We’re going to go over a few techniques and approaches we use to create the foundation of every prototype—wireframes. In addition to serving as documentation for those working with the markup, wireframes are a great way to create screenshots and debug rendering problems that are happening during DOM manipulation."
Advanced JavaScript Debugging Techniques
"The purpose of this article is to provide a list of advanced debugging techniques that are not easily found elsewhere on the web. The following is a list of methods that every developer should have in their toolbox."
MooTools 1.2 OpenLinks Class
"One of the tips I tell my customer is "whenever you create links to PDFs, Excel XLS', Word DOCs, or JPG/GIF/PNG images, make the link open in a new window." Unfortunately, my customers don't always follow this guideline. In an effort to correct their mistakes, I've created a MooTools class that analyzes links on the page and adds a target attribute when necessary."
Build a Slick and Simple MooTools Accordion
"In speaking with designers, I frequently hear how much they'd like to use an accordion on their site but they think it's either too time-consuming or that they don't have the ability to code javascript. Not true! To prove my point, I'll use a little MooTools magic and some easy XHTML / CSS to accomplish a slick accordion effect."
Easy Scroll: Accessible Content Scroller
"Recently I have been working on a project that demanded content scrolling, so instead of reaching out for some heavy unobtrusive solutions, I decided to write my own function. As I was developing it I kept simplifying it so I came down to what I am presenting today - Easy Scroll v1.0, an accessible, unobtrusive content scroller."
Learning jQuery: Revealing Photo Slider
"So in my journey to to learn jQuery, I’m trying to learn to do some things that CSS can already do but that jQuery can do “sexier”. My first thought was a thumbnail photo gallery, where clicking a button would reveal the entire photo and more information about that photo."
Learning jQuery: Fading Menu - Replacing Content
"The more I learn about jQuery, the more natural it feels. Probably because of how closely tied to CSS it is. From a design perspective, the syntax for jQuery is: 'When I do this, make the CSS do this.'"
Sort out your drawers
"Craig Grannell provides you with a quick, easy and modular solution for creating website drawers, using a lean little script that’s just hundreds of bytes in size"
jQuery File Tree
"jQuery File Tree is a configurable, AJAX file browser plugin for jQuery. You can create a customized, fully-interactive file tree with as little as one line of JavaScript code."
8 Fantastic jQuery Tutorials for Designers
65 Excellent jQuery Resources
"Below, there are 65 Excellent jQuery Resources (tutorials,cheat sheets,ebooks,demos,plugins...). Hope they help."
Nice Ajax effect for message box using Mootools
"A friend asked to me how to implement a message box which appears when an user submits a form and disappears when a generic Ajax request is completed. A simple way to implement a chain of effects like this is using mootools and this tutorial explains how to implement it with some lines of JavaScript code."
Create a Digg-like FAQ Page Using mootools
"In this tutorial, We’re going to create a simple FAQ page similar to Digg using the mootools framework. Digg’s Frequently Asked Questions page is long, with over 60 questions. To make the page more scannable, they’ve hidden the corresponding questions only when the answer is clicked."
CSS SiteMap
"Recently I needed to crank out a visual sitemap (or is it a directory tree?) from a rather large site and had a devil of a time finding decent tools to help. Everything I found in my search was either too costly, too complicated, or too unattractive for my purposes. Why not roll my own sitemap diagram in HTML and CSS?"
markItUp!
"markItUp! is a JavaScript plugin built on the jQuery library. It allows you to turn any textarea into a markup editor. Html, Textile, Wiki Syntax, Markdown, BBcode or even your own Markup system can be easily implemented."
Using CSS and Mootools to simulate Flash horizontal navigation effect
"In particular using Flash I loved this kind of layout/effect: follow mouse sliding content. Yesterday I asked myself how could obtain the same effect using CSS and HTML... This tutorial explains how to use Mootools and pure CSS / HTML code to simulate a Flash (follow mouse) horizontal navigation effect."
Unobtrusive AJAX Star Rating Bar
"This is a rating bar script done with PHP and mySQL that allows users to rate things like can be done on Netflix or Amazon, all web 2.0-like with no page refresh. It is a major improvement on the previous version because it is now unobtrusive, meaning that if Javascript is off it will still work."
Flexigrid for jQuery
"Lightweight but rich data grid with resizable columns and a scrolling data to match the headers, plus an ability to connect to an xml based data source using Ajax to load the content."
Creating a fading header
"Since I’ve gotten lots of emails asking me how I created the fading header graphic for Bits and Pixels I’m going to write a tutorial explaining how created the effect. I’ll be creating the effect using some basic XHTML and CSS and some unobtrusive Javascript, using the jQuery library, for the effect itself."
Mootools Image Crop: MooCrop
"MooCrop is an image cropping utility using the powerful mootools javascript framework. Alone, it is only a selection tool but when used with a serverside script then it becomes an image manipulation tool."
AJAX, DHTML and JavaScript Libraries
"Ajax, DHTML and JavaScript components are important in the era of Web 2.0. Recent Web-applications tend to use them to provide more interactivity and guarantee better functionality. But what Javascript libraries can be used for a new web-project? What functions, effects and useful techniques are actually provided by them? We deliver answers. The result is an extensive list with over 60 Ajax, Javascript and DHTML Libraries - with detailed description. "
Tutorials Round-Up: Ajax, CSS, PHP and More
"You don’t have to re-invent the wheel all the time - you can use existing solutions, modify and improve them and publish them as well - just the way other people did it for you. In this post we’ve covered over 200 Ajax, CSS, Flash, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, RSS, XML as well as ASP, C++, Perl, Python and Java tutorials."
Scope in JavaScript
"This article will tackle the problem head-on, outlining definitions of context and scope, examining two JavaScript methods that allow us to manipulate context, and concluding with a deep dive into an effective solution to ninety percent of the problems I’ve run into."
Variable Scope for New Programmers
"I routinely see new programmers running into trouble with the concept of variable scope. It’s an extremely important concept, however, and one that must be understood in order to develop a reliable application. If you work in multiple programming languages, it can get even more confusing—each language has its own set of rules about how variable scope is handled."
More usability frosting for your accessibility cake
"Some of you may remember my last article for A List Apart, in which I discussed separation of JavaScript into self-limiting functions that leave pages usable and accessible whether they run or not. This is another take on that concept, applied to a form."
Objectifying JavaScript
"When I first began programming with JavaScript, I created my variables and then encapsulated any functionality I needed to reuse into a function. As my tasks got more complicated and as I started learning object-oriented programming in other languages, I began to see the benefits of applying that to JavaScript."
List of Ajax form Validators
"Inputing correct data into any web application or website is very important. There is two different ways to validate forms by either Server-side or Client-side. The list below is Client-Side Ajax Form Validator."
Extensible CSS Interface III: Adding Ajax Interactivity
"This third article documents the underlying components of Ajax, examines a few examples of Ajax in the demo, and wraps up with a shout-out to resolution dependence."
Improved JavaScript Striping
"I am sure everyone has seen the JavaScript Splintered Striper, or at least some variation of it. Well, I ran into a little problem with the splintered striper, and I have a solution to the problem. The problem occurred if you had multiple class names on the element you are trying to stripe. That may not make much sense, so I guess an example will suffice."
Ajax Forms with jQuery
"There are so many different javascript frameworks out there, but I have recently started to use jQuery, and I love it. Not only is the library much smaller than others, but it is so simple to use. I wanted to show how easy it is to turn a regular form into a AJAX form."
The rules of unobtrusive JavaScript
"One of the most important things to keep in mind when writing JavaScript for the Web is to make it unobtrusive, since you cannot rely on JavaScript being available. Sadly, there are many developers who do not seem to spend any energy at all on considering how to do that. Instead they choose to blindly forge ahead and assume that everybody who comes visiting will have full support for JavaScript and use a mouse."
CSS Selectors & jQuery
"This article provides an opportunity to dive deeper into markup and even a little scripting with the intent of educating the less experienced designer/coder, while furthering the knowledge of more experienced readers in the audience."
Image Transition Manager with Scriptaculous and Prototype
"The image transition manager is a javascript library based on scriptaculous and prototype. It supports several image transitions, such as fading, appearing, sliding, growing and shrinking. Because it uses the unobtrusive javascript technique, no inline javascript is needed and hyperlinks still function when javascript is disabled."
10 Websites That use JavaScript Animation Effectively!!
"How can we use JavaScript effectively in such a way that it wont distract the users attention and actually adds value to the website. Have a look at the 10 websites below which use JavaScript animations minimally and effectively."
Streamline your forms with widgets
"“Advanced forms” are rarely that. A more fitting name would be “Overwhelming and confusing forms”. But with Jason Long’s clever approach to streamlining a screen full of checkboxes, you might just be able to once again look fondly on your forms."
10 Auto Complete Ajax Scripts
"In 2005 when Google implemented Google Suggest, Ajax took off. Every web developer was trying to duplicate what Google accomplished. Its now 2008 and there are tons of ways to accomplish Google Suggest. Below is a list of 10 Auto Complete Scripts with various frameworks."
PHP components: Autosuggest
"After several requests I published this simple "PHP component", ready to use, to implement a search form with an autosuggest feature using PHP and MySQL."
List of Image Cropping Scripts
"After looking for awhile for a script that will crop your image in the browser I decided to put a list together. I found various types of scripts that will accomplish this. The list below is a list of image cropping scripts."
Extending The JavaScript Date Object with User Defined Methods
"Applications, particularly business applications, can often require a lot of date manipulation, but that code could be simplified if JavaScript’s core Date object had some additional methods. In this article, I will show you how to add custom methods to the Date object that are inherited by each date instance."
Keep JavaScript Simple
"For some reason, people think JavaScript is simple. Sure, writing “Hello World” in a form field is simple, but creating an accessible, usable, and cross-browser compatible W3C DOM script is anything but."
jQuery Crash Course
"For those who’d like to learn more about jQuery, one of the more popular libraries, here’s a crash course written with code-savvy web designers in mind."
50+ Amazing Jquery Examples
"Below I have provided a list of the 50 favorite plugins many developers use. Some of these you may have already seen, others might be new to you."
45+ Fresh Out of the oven jQuery Plugins
"Today, we are going to introduce 45+ more jquery plugins that were recently created, so you don’t have to do the search as we did it and will continue to do it to build a useful library of jquery plugins and solutions."
jQuery Tutorials for Designers
"This article contains 10 visual tutorials intended for web designers and newbies on how to apply Javascript effects with jQuery."
Graceful E-Mail Obfuscation
"Most e-mail obfuscation techniques I’ve tried tend to be bothersome and time-consuming to implement because they have to be applied to each and every e-mail address that you want to protect. Most require you to use lengthy inline script elements and inline event handlers. They may also invalidate your markup."
If I Told You You Had a Beautiful Figure...
"Lay out images consistently across your site using a liitle clever JavaScript."
User-Proofing Ajax
"When good web apps go bad, Peter Quinsey’s guidelines and techniques can help you and your users stay informed and productive."
Behavioral Separation
"Think separating presentation from structure is a good thing? Well, what’s good for CSS is good for JavaScript, too."
Getting Started with Ajax
"In a nutshell, it is the use of the nonstandard XMLHttpRequest() object to communicate with server-side scripts. It can send as well as receive information in a variety of formats, including XML, HTML, and even text files. Ajax’s most appealing characteristic, however, is its ‘asynchronous’ nature, which means it can do all of this without having to refresh the page."
Accessible Pop-up Links
"Sometimes we have to use pop-ups — so we might as well do them right. This article will show you how to make them more accessible and reliable while simplifying their implementation."
Win the SPAM Arms Race
"SPAM is evil, moronic, and pervasive, but help is on the way. All it takes is a bit of JavaScript, a smidgen of PHP, and the ten minutes it takes to read this short, sweet tutorial. Reduce dreck mail with Dan Benjamin’s easy-to-implement address encoder."
Complex Dynamic Lists: Your Order Please
"Help your site’s visitors reach their goals quickly with a dynamic menu that takes its cue from the Mac OS X Finder."
Dynamically Conjuring Drop-Down Navigation
"Got content? Got pages and pages of content? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could offer your readers a drop-down menu providing instant access to any page, without having to sit down and program the darned thing? By marrying a seemingly forgotten XHTML element to simple, drop-in JavaScript, Christian Heilmann shows how to do just that. There’s even a PHP backup for those whose browsers lack access to JavaScript. Turn on, tune in, drop-down."
The Table Ruler
"Make your site easier to use by giving your visitors a virtual “ruler” to guide and track their progress down long data tables. With a pinch of JavaScript and a dash of the DOM, your table rows will light up as your visitors hover over them."
Zebra Tables
"While misused tables are becoming increasingly rare, the table retains a legitimate role in data formatting. A little CSS and JavaScript magic can make tables better at what they do best: displaying tabular data."
JavaScript Image Replacement
"Perhaps it’s time to consider the ups and downs of a JavaScript-based alternative to the Fahrner Image Replacement technique. This version uses plain vanilla XHTML with no special IDs or CSS tricks."
Applying progressive enhancements to your website
"The key aspect here is that the core content is accessible to everyone. It allows you to add enhancements to a page while not requiring the end user to have specific technology enabled or plugins installed."
Time-Savers: Code Beautifier And Formatter
"The tools and services we've collected below aren't validators. They format and beautify the code; some of them can remove redundant elements. Using them, you have to make sure you have a backup, so your data can always be restored."
Take Command with AJAX
"This tutorial guides you through the AJAX basics and through the process of building a simple AJAX application."
Quick Calendar Using AJAX and PHP
"We need to create a calendar that can plug itself into any system seamlessly without problems. Whether we are using Wordpress, Mambo/Joomla or Drupal, we should only need to insert one line into our code for the calendar to work. ie something like this..."
What You Should Know About AJAX Security: 24 Tutorials
"Before you start downloading examples and making them live on your server you should learn a bit about security first. Below, you'll find a list of tutorials, examples, and articles that will detail many of the security implications of using AJAX."
How to Make Your AJAX Applications Accessible - 40 Tutorials and Articles
"AJAX is a great tool for creating rich internet applications, however, when improperly implemented it can cause huge accessibility issues. The good news is that most of these issues can be fixed so your websites are viewable by a much wider audience."
42 Recent AJAX Tutorials
"When I first started posting about AJAX over a year ago, many of the posts I found were about definitions, theory or examples. Today, most of the links that I find are tutorials and I applaud this. The following is a list of what I consider to be the best and most helpful AJAX tutorials I've found in the last two months."
60 More AJAX Tutorials
"This post is intended for individuals who learn best by example. Most of the listed tutorials come complete with instructions and source code. I've also categorized all of the tutorials for easy browsing."
Round-up of 30 AJAX Tutorials
"The following is a list of what I consider the be the best and most helpful AJAX tutorials that I've found over the past year."
How To: Learn AJAX in 20 minutes
"Here is a quick overview and example of AJAX in action."
AJAX: Instant Tutorial
"After taking a look at this tutorial and a couple others, I was disappointed at the quality of the code so here's a quick tutorial to get you jump started with AJAX"
Developing PHP the AJAX way
"Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax), is arguably the most popular new Web technology. In this two-part "Developing PHP the Ajax way" series, you will create a simple photo album as an online Web application, entirely in PHP and the Simple Ajax Toolkit (Sajax)."
Creating Sortable Lists With PHP And Ajax
"You might have been in a situation before where you had a list of items in your database that needed to be output in a specific order. This article covers the implementation of a system that lets you easily define the order of such a list."
Creating a MySQL connection with PHP/AJAX
"In this tutorial I will explain how to open a mysql database connection using PHP and the all popular AJAX. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the XMLHttpRequest object works within php and the advantages of using it."
AJAX Desktop Tutorial - Overview
"The purpose of this tutorial is to explain, step-by-step, how to create an AJAX desktop/homepage. The homepage we will create will have most of the capabilities of established homepages like Netvibes, PageFlakes, etc."
Speed Up Your Javascript Load Time
"Users hate waiting, so here are a few techniques you can use to trim down your sites."
Accessible expanding and collapsing menu
Creating a table with dynamically highlighted columns
"I like Crazy Egg's pricing table on their Pricing & Signup page. When you click on "Sign Up" for an option, that plan's column highlights, the other plans vanish, and a signup form takes their place."
Seven JavaScript Techniques You Should Be Using Today
"In this article, we’ll demonstrate seven techniques you can add to your daily code writing habits to make you a better programmer."
AutoCompleter Tutorial
"I thought I would write this tutorial because most of the auto completer applications I have seen just dump the code into a zip and tell you how to use it rather than how and why it works."
The Art and Science of JavaScript
"In this awe-inspiring tutorial, James shows us how he created a Doom-style dungeon that could be explored by any web user."
JavaScript: It's Just Not Validation!
"The term "JavaScript validation" is misleading! As Colin explains, JavaScript really provides input assistance, and that assistance is best achieved if it's tied closely to the back-end code that actually performs the validatio"
Introduction to AJAX
"In this tutorial you'll be learn about AJAX, a new and powerful technique in web development."
jQuery: Easy JavaScript for Designers
"The true beauty of jQuery is its simplicity. Single lines of jQuery code can replace a dozen lines of normal JavaScript, yet it remains very elemental and flexible."
Tasty Text Trimmer
"Drew McLellan examines a method of enabling users to control their interface with a dynamic text trimmer, similar to that found in Safari RSS."
Flickr Photos On Demand with getFlickr
"Christian Heilmann frolics with Flickr and provides a super simple way of using photos on your site without the need for server-side scripts or the full API."
Accessible Dynamic Links
"Mike Davies kicks off a mini-series on Accessibility and JavaScript by considering a number of techniques for hiding links, yet keeping them accessible."
Hide And Seek in The Head
"Peter-Paul Koch continues our focus on JavaScript and Accessibility by demonstrating how fall-back HTML elements can be convincingly hidden when their functionality is to be replaced by Ajax."
Writing Responsible JavaScript
"Drew McLellan investigates some of the ways JavaScript can be written to help it co-exist responsibly within your pages, and other pages too."
Improving Form Accessibility with DOM Scripting
"Ian Lloyd looks at how DOM Scripting can help out with an uncomfortable accessibility issue. Form field labels can be tricky to implement in some cases, but with a little ingenuity Ian demonstrates how a balance can be struck."
Easy Ajax with Prototype
"Drew McLellan talks us through how to get going with some quick and easy Ajax using the freely available Prototype JavaScript library."
Javascript cheat sheet
"The JavaScript cheat sheet is designed to act as a reminder and reference sheet, listing methods and functions of JavaScript. It includes reference material for regular expressions in JavaScript, as well as a short guide to the XMLHttpRequest object."
Javascript in Ten Minutes
JavaScript and Browser Objects Quick Reference
An 8-page printable PDF with loads of useful reminders, and space for developers to make their own notes.
JavaScript Reference Card
Six-page overview of Javascript basics.
Prototype 1.5.0 Cheat Sheet
"I decided to go through the latest version of the Prototype library and detail every method and property that was available."
A field guide to scriptaculous
Includes basic syntax, default options, and effects.
Scriptaculous Cheat Sheet
Mootools r.83 Cheat Sheet
"I've colour-coded this one to match the four main categories that are in the download section of the web site and within the documentation. This way, it should hopefully be clearer when trying to compare against the two."