Extending jQuery

Book excerpt: Summary Extending jQuery teaches you to build custom extensions to the jQuery library. It covers all the extension points within jQuery and provides guidelines and techniques on how to make use of them. You'll not only discover how to write plugins, but how to design them for maximum reuse. You'll also learn how to write new widgets and effects for jQuery UI. Along the way, you'll explore extensions in key areas including Ajax, events, animation, and validation. About the Technology jQuery, the most popular JavaScript library, helps make client-side scripting of HTML easy. It offers many built-in abilities to traverse and alter the DOM, but it can't do everything. Fortunately, you can tap into jQuery's numerous extension points to create your own selectors and filters, plugins, animations, and more. About this Book Extending jQuery teaches you to build custom extensions to the jQuery library. In it, you'll discover how to write plugins and how to design them for maximum reuse. You'll also learn to write new widgets and effects for the jQuery UI. Along the way, you'll explore extensions in key areas including Ajax, events, animation, and validation. This book assumes intermediate-level knowledge of jQuery and JavaScript. No experience writing plugins or other extensions is required. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. What's Inside Create jQuery UI widgets and effects Make extensions available for distribution and reuse Build your own libraries About the Author Keith Wood has developed over 20 jQuery plugins including the original Datepicker, World Calendar, Countdown, and SVG. Table of Contents PART 1 SIMPLE EXTENSIONS jQuery extensions A first plugin Selectors and filters PART 2 PLUGINS AND FUNCTIONS Plugin principles Collection plugins Function plugins Test, package, and document your plugin PART 3 EXTENDING JQUERY UI jQuery UI widgets jQuery UI mouse interactions jQuery UI effects PART 4 OTHER EXTENSIONS Animating properties Extending Ajax Extending events Creating validation rules