Synopsis
Do not reinvent the wheel. Use plugins if they fit your functional requirement.
Ensure the plugins are fit-for-purpos, well regarded and well tested.
Description
Plugins are a way by which any developer can extend the jQuery library. They are often useful, frequently well tested and supported, and may well cut down on development time.
The following are some commonly used plugins:
- Form plugin: http://malsup.com/jquery/form/
- BlockUI plugin: http://malsup.com/jquery/block/#
- TableSorter plugin: http://tablesorter.com/docs/
- Select Box Plugin: http://www.texotela.co.uk/code/jquery/select/
Reviewing Plugins for Use
The review process for including a plugin should encompass some sort of investigation into the plugin itself. The following aspects should be examined:
- The current level of use – I.e. is it widely adopted? Those with a large number of users will be well tested and developed.
- For which version of jQuery was it written? Is it still valid for your current version of jQuery?
- The current level of support. E.g. does it have a website with examples, etc. An example of one with good support is BlockUI (http://malsup.com/jquery/block/#)
- Quality of plugin comments – A quick scan of the code will see if it’s well documented. If its well documented, then it should be well written.
- How well is it regarded?. A quick internet search across the jQuery community and its users should reveal this.
- Availability of vsdoc js for intellisense. Not critical, but would be a factor in choosing two plugins that were identical to each other in every other aspect.
Writing Plugins
Whenever you find yourself developing some jQuery that could be considered generic, and could certainly adopted within other areas of the code base, then you should consider turning it into the jQuery plugin.
The ‘how’ of doing this is outside the scope of these standards. Refer to jQuery literature (department books and online) for how to do this. Experienced jQuery developers may also be able to assist.
As a starting point, any plugin should begin with the following closure code convention:
function($){ //plugin code }(jQuery);
jQuery Coding Standards Menu
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