Prototype 1.6.1

Without much fanfare, one of the world’s most recognized framework in developing Ajax and JavaScript based application has released an update. Prototype 1.6.1 was released 1st of September this year and the updates made significant strides as the framework tries to recapture the developer’s demand in building highly interactive applications.

This update is considered critical to the development of Prototype since they will have to catch up to their JavaScript counterparts. While there are functions that you will appreciate from Prototype, there are functions that can’t just be used in various browsers. Prototype deals with that problem in this update and more.

Features:

• Improved Adaptability with Various Browsers – Chrome and IE8 proved to be challenging for Prototype developers. While certain functions can still work with Chrome and IE8, Prototype can’t fully implement their application because minor functions with important roles in the application can’t work with the new browser and the update of IE. This update of Prototype is not just targeted on simple compatibility but even on the extended functions of the framework. With this update, developers should be able to exploit various functions of Prototype without having to customize their functions for Chrome and IE8.

• Smart Metadata Storage – Prototype calls it “Elemental Metadata Storage” which refers to the ability of the DOM to successfully connect to various functions. While the early build of Prototype is still efficient, other frameworks are very efficient in getting elements and values without additional prompt. This type of function was sought by many Prototype enthusiasts and because of the demand; the framework was updated to work with faster with value and elements in DOM.

• Improved Methods in Important Functions – one of the best updates of the current version of Prototype is actually on small things. Specifically, the new version of Prototype has improved some of its basic functions. Element#down, Function#bind and even String#escapeHTML have been improved so that the application will work faster. This improvement signals the focus of Prototype not only in adding features in the framework but also in improving its performance when launched in various browsers.

Addition of Sprockets

Another key feature of the new version of Prototype is the integration of Sprockets. This addition may provide additional processing power and speed in applications created with Prototype. Sprockets is basically a framework that improves the functionality of JavaScript by preparing the functions before they can be implemented. This eases distribution of functions in various browsers and integration with other 3rd party functions. This framework is basically an optimization tool that can help developers create more aggressive function without fear that their application might not work as expected.

Addition of PDoc

While this addition doesn’t mean improved in functionality and performance, it does offer significant help for developers. PDoc offers improved inline documentation which removes the need for developers to carefully note each function whenever they build an Ajax or JavaScript based application. The smart feature of PDoc is that it is known to work with Sprockets which means documentation to the additional framework is possible.