Scaffolding for Ajax

Talking about scaffolding makes us think about building construction support. The term scaffolding was also admitted by Rails as a way of helping developers build an application faster. In Rails, developers enjoy the privilege of having a temporary code to build a demo of the application.

This code is not built for long time use, but just enough to support the system for a demo. Some says it is a waste of time but when you take a look at it, it is actually a good thing. Developers on Rail will practically have an advance view of what their system will look like and at the same time receive an early feedback from users.

Your initial coding could even be inspected so you’ll have tips in advance before you actually do the proper coding of the application.

Taking a clue for Rails, Richard White has developed a scaffolding generator for Ajax. As we all know, Ajax could get you confused and frustrated if you are not prepared to push your knowledge in programming to the limit.

With scaffolding, you can actually test your theory and watch it being built with Mr. White’s scaffolding tool. It is not the finished product but that should give you head start on how to develop your Ajax based application.

Basically, the scaffolding generator for Ajax is much like Rails but it has integrated other languages to build it for Ajax.

This generator builds the application as a component. It shortens that complex functions so you will see immediately the planned application. The good thing about being a component is it could be used with an admin console.

You can practically make some changes in the application while seeing the updated version through the admin. You can even integrate other applications that were used with scaffolding and see how they work together.

But do not dismiss the generated code yet when you are about to build the actual application. In Rails, the initial code looks good but only for a demo. The scaffold generator for Ajax on the other hand provides a decent look at the application.

It is almost production ready with all the components. The generator even builds the application with all the design in mind. Some CSS styles are also found in the generator so that you can add further functions in your test application.

In browser compatibility, the generated scaffolding code has been tested and has worked in the following browsers: Safari 2 or better, IE 6 or better and Firefox 1 or better. Other browsers may also accept the code but that remains to be seen. Personally, this code might work in other browsers as long as they can accept an Ajax based coding built for Mozilla-type browsers.

Try this simple but very useful code generator for your Ajax based application. You can download the package in RubyForge as an open source application. This generator is one of the best ways to test your theory and see it applied even before a single code for the actual application is made.