Yahoo User Interface YUI 3.0

Updating your framework is often one of the least friendly tasks a developer would do. This process requires re-evaluation of the functions already implemented and see if the update benefits the said function.

It is often tedious and could take days especially if the update is massive. But updates are essential especially for Ajax and JavaScript frameworks. Through updates, the website is adapting to the increasingly demanding users who want more than just simple websites in their browsers.

With that said, YUI (Yahoo User Interface) has just released a major update for their JavaScript framework. Like most of the updates, this is set to be YUI's best version as they provide impressive improvements on their functions. This might seem a lot of work for those who are already adapting YUI but these changes will surely improve user experience.

Improved Completion

A highlight of the improvement of YUI is on its seed file. With less than 7kbs after compression, the seed file can launch even with slow internet connection. But the size of the seed file is not the only improvement. The seed file can be used as a starting point to almost any function in the YUI library.

Developers will be able to implement any functions faster without any problem as the seed file automatically completes the function. This means developers will be able to build functions without pushing for additionalresources. Developers simply place the seed file in the same page and the rest will load faster.

Smarter Utilities

YUI is keeping up with the growing demands of interactivity. While JavaScript is already well known for its intensive interaction with data, it's not known to work well with animation. Previous versions are very challenging to work with animations because the functions are limited.

In YUI 3.0, animation and additional interaction is now possible. The utility suite of YUI has been released and can be used without limitation. The IO, Drag and Drop as well as other utilities can also be used for additional interaction.

Sandbox and NameSpacing

A very impressive feature of the latest version of YUI is its namespacing. Developers will no longer have to resort to longer syntax just to implement a single function. In this version, namespacing will literally look like this: YUI (). It's a very simple code which will help developers adjust their frameworks faster.

The sandbox feature of YUI did not make any efficient improvement in terms of functionality but it was able to deal with security. The current sandbox automatically protects the data and commands inside the parenthesis. Developers simply push their important functions inside the sandbox and YUI will protect the data.

Overall, the changes made on YUI is very impressive. Smarter namespacing, additional interaction through utilities and a very smart seed file have made YUI 3.0 a very attractive framework for developers. Running a purely JavaScript online application is possible with the help of the application. Even better is that the above mentioned updates are just the tip of the iceberg as YUI 3.0 also has a lot of minor updates.