JavaScript Frameworks: Still looking...

So many choices!

There are so many MV* frameworks and libraries available for client side JavaScript application development it’s nearly impossible to give them the proper amount of time to investigate them.

I’ve looked at Backbone.js, Knockout.js, Spine.js, Ember.js, Zappa, Express, JavaScriptMVC, Require.js, jQuery, jQuery Mobile, Handlebars.js, Jasmine, Angular.js, the list goes on.

For the server side I’m looking at Node.js and possibly MongoDB or CouchDB. Not sure…

I’ve also learned just how much I don’t know about JavaScript and how far it’s come. I had no idea what a REPL was until someone mentioned jsFiddle on Twitter.

Then there’s the whole JavaScript or CoffeeScript thing. I think it’s important to learn JavaScript before jumping into CoffeeScript, but it sure looks inviting…

At the moment, entirely subject to change, it looks like either Knockout.js or Backbone.js. I like the MVVM-like nature of Knockout.js data binding. But, Backbone.js has a very active community behind it. I’m nearing the point where I’ll just have to bite the bullet and pick one or I’ll never get going.

More examples soon. I promise!

I’m cursed, but I love it. May you live in interesting times or something like that…

New Year Resolutions

It's that time of year again...


What is my quest: To update my software development skills.
What to study: Phone app development
What kind of apps: Eventually games, but let's start with something simple... 
Possible technologies: Native, Web, Cross platform?


Where to start? Well, I started by poking around the web for a few weeks looking at possible development frameworks and stacks. 


I have an iPod Touch and a Macbook so native Xcode was an obvious starting point. Although I still want to develop native apps with Objective-C, I'd also like to update my web development skills.


HTML5 web apps look pretty good. The cross platform issue is solved by using a web based app, but you run into issues with offline use. Client side HTML5 solves this, but how do you market it?


PhoneGap to the rescue. I can wrap client side HTML5 into a native app wrapper that can target iOS, Android, Windows Phone, etc.


There are a lot of frameworks available. SpineJS is still in the running but I think it needs a bit more work on the mobile side. I really like coffeescript, but as a "classically" educated developer (code for "get off my lawn") I feel it's necessary to understand the foundation layers. So, I'm starting with javascript.


To learn javascript, I'm going to follow a great series written by Alan Young at DailyJS.com called "Let's Make a Framework". 


Here's what my preliminary framework looks like. It's subject to change of course.

• PhoneGap/Apache Callback - native cross platform phone wrapper
• Javascript/Coffeescript - code
• BackboneJS/UnderscoreJS - MVC framework
• Jasmine - TDD/BDD
• Eco - coffeescript template markup
• Stylus - CSS markup
• Brunch - scaffolding (possibly)