MarkItUp - Light and Data Friendly Application

MarkItUp! is a lightweight yet very efficient JavaScript plug-in for developers who want to build an Ajax based website. The plug-in could be integrated easily in a jQuery library – upgrading the libraries already extensive list of functions.

This plug-in was developed by Jay Salvat and it is available for free in his website: http://markitup.jaysalvat.com. MarkItUp! is used to be called the jTagEditor during its beta version but was eventually changed to markItUp! when released as a stable plug-in for jQuery library.

Before moving on, we have to clarify that markItUp! is not a complete application in itself. Developers can only use this application in a JQuery library alone. The plug-in is also not a WYSIWYG editor so it requires a little bit of a familiarity with the set of functions provided JQuery.

Basically markItUp! is a text area converter. Once it determines there is a text area in the website or application, the application gives the developers the option whether or not to transform the area into a mark-up editor. By converting the text area into this function, more information is available in a certain text area. With the ability to add more information in a certain function, it is easier to understand the application even when they are passed on to another developer.

This plug-in is very useful not only for an Ajax based website but also forums and blogs. Developers can easily build tools for forums and edit the information uploaded by their users with a simple tweak that could be done right in the text area of the application. Developers will not need to reconfigure the whole application just to change a simple data in one part of the website.

Among the features of markItUp! are the following:

Ease of usage - markItUp! comes with easy to remember shortcuts so that developer could easily “exploit” the whole system with a single stroke of a keyboard.

The plug-in also comes with a toolbar and menu options just in case you do not want to deal with keyboard shortcuts.

Customizable – markItUp! comes with different buttons in the menu area. However, if you do not like what you see, you can always go ahead and make your own.

The scripts that suggest the style could also be custom-designed – giving you unlimited options for designs.

The skins can also be changed at whim by the developer on a specific marked-up area.

What makes this application very useful for an Ajax website is its ability to make some changes in a specific area without changing the whole coding of the application. This plug-in also works great with the help of a server-side parser. Using the parser, you can preview your mark-up area while it is being updated.

Every time you make some changes in the text area, you can easily preview the effect before launching it without interrupting the whole system. Aside from these features and functions, markItUp! ultimately gives the developers a free hand of their data while maintaining the lightweight feel of the application.