Overview

This document doesn’t contain any code (except one function, dbugScripts, which is used in compressed files and is included here only for documentation); it just outlines the CNET Global Framework and how to use it and maintain it.

Credits

Documentation and original framework authored by Aaron Newton (aaron [dot] newton [at] cnet [dot] com), with the exception of Mootools (http://mootools.net).

Summary
OverviewThis document doesn’t contain any code (except one function, dbugScripts, which is used in compressed files and is included here only for documentation); it just outlines the CNET Global Framework and how to use it and maintain it.
LibrariesEach individual file in this collection contains a small amount of functionality.
cnet. global. framework.jsAcross all redball properties we include a base javascript file that includes all shared functionality across all sites.
Global (common) files not in cnet. global. framework.jsThe collection here contains numerous other widgets and helper functions that are not in the global file included on all pages.
utility/ common vs. implemenation codeCode that is written to be reused elsewhere, typically in the form of a Class goes into the common directory of the Global Framework files.
Global implementationsLocated in the cnet.global.implemenations directory are a few implementation scripts (for searching, logging in, etc.)
Site implementationsEach site on the cnet network (downloads, news, etc) has a folder of its own.
concatenationThe files in the global framework are broken up into funciton specific documents and then concatenated before being compressed.
compressionAs stated in the concatenation section, our javascript is maintained in numerous smaller files to make maintenance easier and also to make documentation more useful, then concatenated to collect the functionality into files meant for compression, and then finally compressed into releaseable code.
debuggingThe global framework has some pretty slick debugging tools that I hope to add to with time.
Functions
dbugScriptsThis function is included at the top of any compressed file and allows the user to instruct the browser to discard the compressed file and instead include an uncompressed version of the library.
Change Log$Source: /cvs/main/flatfile/html/rb/js/global/cnet.global.framework/Overview.js,v $ $Log: Overview.js,v $ Revision 1.17 2007/06/27 22:45:19 newtona docs update to overfiew.js tabswapper gets some events action fixed a typo in the docs for smoothmove

Libraries

Each individual file in this collection contains a small amount of functionality.  Files should be broken up as much as possible for two reasons: so that their functionality can be included only when required and to make the documentation easier to use.

Individual files are then concatenated and compressed into libraries that are actually released.

These libraries are the result of combining numerous other scripts to create an environment that engineers and tech producers can depend on.

cnet. global. framework.js

Across all redball properties we include a base javascript file that includes all shared functionality across all sites.  This file is cnet.global.framework.js and it contains the following files.

Mootools

CNET files

Global (common) files not in cnet. global. framework.js

The collection here contains numerous other widgets and helper functions that are not in the global file included on all pages.  These files are still considered global because they are not specific to any single site.  For example, a class that validates forms doesn’t care if the form is on Download.com or CNET.com.

Individual files from the library are meant to be included only in the environments that need them.  These can all be found in the cnet.global.framework/common directory.

utility/ common vs. implemenation code

Code that is written to be reused elsewhere, typically in the form of a Class goes into the common directory of the Global Framework files.  Code that implements those classes or contains functions and variables that are specific to a single environment goes into the implementations directory.

Common code

In general, you should try and write as much of your code as general as you can, then, seperately, implement that code for your environment.  For instance, if you wanted to make a popup alert DHTML window in the page, write the popup code first, then implement an instance of it for your error window.  All common code should go into the global framework common directory.

Global implementations

Located in the cnet.global.implemenations directory are a few implementation scripts (for searching, logging in, etc.) that are included on all pages.

Site implementations

Each site on the cnet network (downloads, news, etc) has a folder of its own.  In this folder is one for concatenating files, another for compressed files, and an implementations directory.  This directory should contain all the code that is specific to that site.  Each file should be broken up as much as is practical and each should contain executions and instances of common code in the global/common directory.

concatenation

The files in the global framework are broken up into funciton specific documents and then concatenated before being compressed.  We then compress (see: compression) these concatenated libraries together into the actual published files.

In this way we can have useful documentation rendered and easily maintain the code, but the file delievered to the user is compressed and requires as few hits to the server as possible.

To concatenate the files into those that are to be compressed, you can execute the batch files in the cat directory.  These contain an ordered list of the files in them so that the files are concatenated in the proper order.  You can edit these files to include more libraries, but care should be taken to ensure that files that have dependencies are included after those on which they depend, as well as to ensure that functionality that is not needed on most of our pages don’t weigh down the global library.

Example of a concatenation batch file

echo off
echo building download.global.framework.js

echo ADDING GLOBAL FRAMEWORK FILES
echo adding cnet.global.framework\addons\carousel.js
cat "..\..\global\cnet.global.framework\addons\carousel.js" > download.doors.js

echo ADDING DL.COM IMPLEMENTATION FILES
echo adding download.implementations\tabs\tabSet.tabs.js
cat "..\download.implementations\tabs\tabSet.tabs.js" >> download.doors.js

pause

The first cat command must have only one right quote (>) so that it creates a new file, overwriting what was there before.  All subsequent cat commands must have double quotes (>>) so that their contents will be appended.  The last line (pause) will let the window remain open until the user hits a key.

These batch files are clumsy and antiquated, but until we have a build system in place for these files they are the fastest way to create the concatenated libraries.

compression

As stated in the concatenation section, our javascript is maintained in numerous smaller files to make maintenance easier and also to make documentation more useful, then concatenated to collect the functionality into files meant for compression, and then finally compressed into releaseable code.

The compression for these documents is handled using Dean Edwards /packer/ program, which can be found here: http://dean.edwards.name/packer/.  We use the compression level of <b>none</b>, which just strips tabs, comments, extra spaces, and line breaks.  While the other schemes produce smaller files, the browser has to decompress the file every time it loads it, even if it’s cached.  We choose to pay the price once (on the first page load); for example, the redball.global.framework when using the default compression in this compressor takes around 400ms to decompress.

Each library generated in the /cat directory is compressed and dropped into the /compressed directory.

Note

A copy of the /packer/ website is included in cvs at /flatfile/html/rb/js/js.util/packer/.

See also

dbugScripts

debugging

The global framework has some pretty slick debugging tools that I hope to add to with time.  The first is the dbug object, which lets you put debugging lines in your code but only print them out to the firebug (http://getfirebug.com) console when you turn debugging on.  If you don’t have firebug installed or are on a browser other than firefox, the library comes with Debugger.js which will emulate firebug (crudely).  This dbug wrapper ensures that your console commands don’t execute if firebug isn’t installed or the user is not using firefox, so you don’t get js errors or crash safari.

It also means that even if you do have those things you won’t see our messy debug statements unless you explicitely turn them on.

There are three ways to turn debugging on so that your dbug log commands are executed

  • include “jsdebug=true” in the url query string (http://cnet.com/......?jsdebug=true or &jsdebug=true if there is already a query string)
  • type dbug.enable() into the console
  • put dbug.enable() in your code (but don’t publish it that way!)

See also: dbug, dbug.enable

Since all the script we deliver is compressed (see compression) debugging it is tricky because the code is abstracted and there are no line breaks. including jsdebug=true in the header of your document will also include the uncompressed scripts and discard the compressed ones so you can actually find errors and fix them.  This command will also include Debugger.js as well.

The files included depend on how the script is configured, but typically it includes the files on c18 in the cat directory.

See also: concatenation, dbugScripts

Summary
Functions
dbugScriptsThis function is included at the top of any compressed file and allows the user to instruct the browser to discard the compressed file and instead include an uncompressed version of the library.

Functions

dbugScripts

function dbugScripts(baseurl,
libs)

This function is included at the top of any compressed file and allows the user to instruct the browser to discard the compressed file and instead include an uncompressed version of the library.

Arguments

baseurlthe url directory in which the uncompressed libraries exist
libsarray with the remainder of the url not expressed in the base url for each script to be included when debugging

Examples

if(!dbugScripts("http://www.somewhere.com/js/", ["myScript.js"]
    eval(...compressed version of myScript.js from <http://dean.edwards.name/packer/>);
}

If the url for the page includes jsdebug=true, we’ll throw out the compressed stuff and instead include the file at http://www.somewhere.com/js/myScript.js

if(!dbugScripts("http://www.somewhere.com/js/",["one.js","two.js","three.js"])){
    eval(...compressed code from /packer/ for one.js...);
    eval(...compressed code from /packer/ for two.js...);
    eval(...compressed code from /packer/ for three.js...);
});

Here we’re including several files in place of the compressed stuff.

if(!dbugScripts("http://www.somewhere.com/js/",["one/something.js","two/another.js"])){
    eval(...compressed code from /packer/ for one/something.js...);
    eval(...compressed code from /packer/ for two/another.js...);
});

Here the included debugging scripts are in different directories.

Additional Functionality

You can also include “basePath=this” and instead of pointing to the url configured in the compressed script, the script included will be at the host and port that you’re on.

For example, let’s say this is where you’re working

http://dev.cnet.com:8006/blah/blah.html

If you change your url to this

http://dev.cnet.com:8006- /blah- /blah.html?jsdebug=true

You’ll turn on dbug and you’ll include the decompressed scripts on the servers specified in them (typically our back-end publish server).  For example you might point at this file:

/html/rb/js/global/cat/cnet.base.js

If you change the url to this

http://dev.cnet.com:8006- /blah- /blah.html?jsdebug=true- &basePath=this

You’ll change the host and port to be the one of the page you’re looking at

http://dev.cnet.com:8006- /html- /rb- /js- /global- /cat- /cnet.base.js

Change Log

$Source: /cvs/main/flatfile/html/rb/js/global/cnet.global.framework/Overview.js,v $ $Log: Overview.js,v $ Revision 1.17 2007/06/27 22:45:19 newtona docs update to overfiew.js tabswapper gets some events action fixed a typo in the docs for smoothmove

Revision 1.16 2007/05/29 22:29:36 newtona docs update for Fx.SmoothShow

Revision 1.15 2007/05/29 22:01:53 newtona Split element.cnet.js into seperate files; updated docs in files to note this Changed element.visible to element.isVisible (left old namespace for legacy support) Fixed Element.empty in prototype.compatibility.js Removed as many dependencies in common code to element.*.js as possible (espeically element.shortcuts.js)

Revision 1.14 2007/04/13 19:06:11 newtona dependency update in the docs

Revision 1.13 2007/03/09 20:20:24 newtona strict javascript warnings cleaned up

Revision 1.12 2007/02/08 19:18:12 newtona updating debugScripts to use cookies

Revision 1.11 2007/01/26 06:19:01 newtona docs update

Revision 1.10 2007/01/23 00:28:51 newtona docs update

Revision 1.9 2007/01/22 22:49:05 newtona docs update

Revision 1.8 2007/01/11 21:08:16 newtona docs update, cnet.functions -> local.vars.js and login.status.js

Revision 1.7 2007/01/10 00:06:32 newtona updated docs for syntax error

Revision 1.6 2007/01/09 23:06:54 newtona * empty log message *

Revision 1.5 2007/01/09 22:46:36 newtona updated docs

Revision 1.4 2006/11/22 00:58:52 newtona docs update

Revision 1.3 2006/11/22 00:45:17 newtona docs update

Revision 1.2 2006/11/04 00:51:21 newtona updated dbugScripts to add the basePath=this option

Revision 1.1 2006/11/02 21:30:13 newtona first check in, added cvs footer

The base class object of the http://mootools.net framework.
The files in the global framework are broken up into funciton specific documents and then concatenated before being compressed.
function dbugScripts(baseurl,
libs)
This function is included at the top of any compressed file and allows the user to instruct the browser to discard the compressed file and instead include an uncompressed version of the library.
function $A(array)
returns a copy of the array.
Same as Array.copy, but as function.
function $each(iterable,
fn,
bind)
Use to iterate through iterables that are not regular arrays, such as builtin getElementsByTagName calls, arguments of a function, or an object.
Contains Array prototypes, $A, $each
Contains String prototypes.
Contains Function prototypes and utility functions .
function $(el)
returns the element passed in with all the Element prototypes applied.
Contains useful Element prototypes, to be used with the dollar function $.
Contains the class Hash.
Contains the Color class.
Window cross-browser dimensions methods.
Base class for the Effects.
Contains Fx.Base, the foundamentals of the MooTools Effects.
Css parsing class for effects.
The Style effect, used to transition any css property from one value to another.
Contains Fx.Style
Allows you to animate multiple css properties at once; Colors must be in hex format.
Contains Fx.Styles
Fx.Elements allows you to apply any number of styles transitions to a selection of elements.
Contains Fx.Elements
Contains the basic XMLHttpRequest Class Wrapper.
An Ajax class, For all your asynchronous needs.
Contains the Ajax class.
A cookie reader/creator
Simple Json parser and Stringyfier, See: http://www.json.org/
Wrapped XHR with automated sending and receiving of Javascript Objects in Json Format.
Contains Json.Remote.
The Accordion class creates a group of elements that are toggled when their handles are clicked.
Contains Accordion
Extends the Mootools <Window> class.
These are mootools authored extensions designed to allow prototype.lite libraries run in this environment.
This extends the Element prototype.
Extends the Element object with some basic shortcuts (like .hide and .show).
Extends Element for backwards compatibility with Prototype.js.
Extends the Element object.
Extends the Element object.
Moves an element to another location (relative to another element) with a transition.
Iframe shim class for hiding elements below a floating DOM element.
Collection of mouseover behaviours (images, class toggles, etc.)
Handles the scripting for a common UI layout; the tabbed box.
As stated in the concatenation section, our javascript is maintained in numerous smaller files to make maintenance easier and also to make documentation more useful, then concatenated to collect the functionality into files meant for compression, and then finally compressed into releaseable code.
dbug is a wrapper for the firebug console plugin for firefox.
Creates Firebug http://www.getfirebug.com style debugger for browsers without Firebug.
turns on the dbug functionality so that messages will show up in the firebug console.