Aliro's base JavaScript architecture is built around the Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) DOM (http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/dom/∞) & Event (http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/event/∞) components. These component give Aliro a solid set of cross-browser methods for dealing with things like identifying parts of the DOM, processing DOM objects, and detecting when key DOM events have fired (ex) DOM ready, load, click, etc. The Event utility even allows for creation and firing of custom events so it would be possible to build a JavaScript event system much like one already in place for Aliro PHP based plugins. The main goals behind formalizing the JavaScript architecture are to provide a consistent interface throughout the system, a reduced dependency on external libraries, enhanced cross-browser support via the graded browser support model (http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/articles/gbs/)∞, and just more efficient code overall.

The Aliro team is working hard to assure that all the JavaScript within the system is properly namespaced and that it follows recommended object oriented conventions. The Aliro JavaScript architecture makes use of public, private, and protected variables and functions through the use of object literals and closures (http://www.crockford.com/javascript/private.html)∞. We feel that the CMS should not simply be a collection of a 1000 JavaScript functions scattered throughout. Namespacing is a major concern since the system declares functions as need which in turn just places those into the browsers global namespace (http://www.dustindiaz.com/namespace-your-javascript/)∞. This is where collisions happen. All the JavaScript in Aliro shall live under the "ALIRO" namespace and thus remain isolated from all other JavaScript loaded by extensions, 3rd party JavaScript libraries, etc. We advocate the YUI Library, but there is no reason a developer can't use his or her favorite like jQuery or Prototype since the t=rest of the system has been properly namespaced.

Learning Resources:

• Video Series: Understanding JavaScript
• Douglas Crockford (http://www.crockford.com∞) - Father of json, jslint, jsmin.
• Book: Javascript: The Good Parts∞
• Book: Pro JavaScript Techniques∞
• Book: Pro JavaScript Design Patterns∞
• Book: JavaScript: The Definitive Guide∞
• YUI Documentation Site∞
• Book: Learning the Yahoo! User Interface library∞
• SlideShow: Writing Efficient JavaScript∞

Development Tools:

• JavaScript Syntax Checker, JSLint∞
• Aptana Studio IDE∞
• Eclipse IDE∞
• JavaScript Debuggers, Firebug∞
• Firefox Web Developer Toolbar∞

JavaScript Object Notation (JSON):

• Wikipedia Entry∞
• JSON in JavaScript∞
• JSON and the YUI Library∞

The Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI):

• The Aliro team has selected The Yahoo! User Interface Library (YUI)∞ as our JavaScript library of choice. This selection was based on YUI's functionality, large user base, attention to detail, fantastic documentation, active support forums, and graded browser support model. Does this mean as a third party developer you must utilize YUI? It most certainly does not. Developers are free to utilize whatever tool best suits their needs. That being said we would most certainly recommend YUI and developers should find working with it in Aliro to be fairly straightforward. We will do our best to expose its powerful functionality to 3rd party developers within Aliro and document it's usage here.

JavaScript Performance:

• Aliro is highly focused of performance. JavaScript is only one component of the overall system, but an important one none-the-less. Therefore, the team is heavily focus on writing optimized JavaScript code and taken additional steps to help less its run-time impact to the system via minification, obfuscation, etc. These same techniques can and should be continued in custom 3rd party code. Learn more about performance here.