Applications, Frameworks, and Servers

As with all topics at this conference, there were many...

Varying Opinions

Kit Cambridge

Sail

Sail is a general purpose web framework for app development, including a node.js server solution.

Cambridge's suggestions in app development:

• Use general purpose solutions over micro libraries.
• Stop making plugins!
• Accept Constraints
• Reduce Abstractions
• Know all browsers bugs and ensure you have work arounds

Tom Rudick

Windows Azure

An extremely simplified app and server development framework.

Features:

• Easy service creation using node.js
• Easy app creation using javascript
  • Sleek web interface
• Web interface allows easy management of apps and services
• Many pre-built services such as texting through apps

Itay Neeman

Splunk & bigdata.js

Splunk offers extremely fast and powerful data/feed management server software focusing on live data.

Simple solution with extreme power:

• node.js
• JSON Feeds
• Ask your data questions

In my opinion...this is a fantastic use of javascript! We should make note of this when designing systems!

John-David Dalton

Lo-Dash

Lo-Dash is a drop-in replacement for Underscore.js that delivers performance, bug fixes, and additional features.

• Performance

  • Avoid native methods. This gives performance and compatibility.
  • Reduce number of function calls
  • Use method compilation(Dynamically creating a method at run time that is optimized for your current environment.)

Lo-Dash

• Bug Fixes

  • Provides bug fixes for issues we see in certain browsers, making a dev environment that is the same across all browsers.

• Features

  • AMD support out of the box (Asyncronous Module Definitions)
  • Deep cloning capability
  • Much more...

• Builds, minification, compiling, and unit tests.

  • Self explanatory...

This is an awesome architecture that we should look into using.

Finally...What can we say?

• Varying opinions in app development & architectures
• Great ideas on service and data setups
• I like node.js given it's the correct solution for your app.
• I will be looking to use Lo-Dash in the future.

The Future of Javascript

Out of the entire conference, 2 projects stuck out to me:

Shadow DOM & require.js

Angelina Fabbro

Shadow DOM

• Shadow DOM: A small document that lives inside of its host element. The parent element essentially doesn’t know anything about the child shadow element.
• Example: HTML5 video tag. You can edit the video controls using the Shadow DOM.

What does the Shadow DOM accomplish?

• Encapsulation
• Less complex element selection. i.e. Simplified CSS selectors
• Shadow DOM is being included in the next version of google chrome

HTML Templating and Custom DOM Elements

Merrick Christensen

require.js

In short...turns javascript into a big boy language. require.js adds:

• An Object Oriented Environment
• Inheritance
• private & public access modifiers
• require functionality (i.e. require("another_file.js");
  • You can require files besides JS files i.e. CoffeeScript
• Graceful app restarting
• Tons More!

Finally...What can we say?

• Fabbro and Christensen's ideas vary from other speakers like Tom Rudick.
• This is where I believe JS is heading
• I will definitely be using require.js in the future.

Hardware and Robots Controled With JS

Emily Rose

Controls a fog machine, interractive lights, and a sound system with JS.

Rick Waldron

Programs robots with JS. Had a robot walk and dance for us.

Chris Castle

Keg + node.js = beer over JS

What was learned?

• Javascript is going to become a more powerful language in the future, with the ability to use more a more conventional OO model.
• We should keep our eyes on: jquery, node.js, require.js, Shadow DOM, and Lo-Dash
• My Final Question...
  • Where the hell was the games segment?!