Exactly what is mootools?

[juanc]

Hi

I'm keen to learn as much as I can about mootools but at the risk of looking like a complete idiot I just cannot see anywhere on mootools.net that explains firstly what it is and secondly how you would get started with it. Sure I could download it in the hope there's some readme files....but even then there's so many different possible things you could download that how do I know what to go for.

Does anyone else agree or is it me?

While I'm here what is it exactly meant by the word "framework"

Well enough ranting can someone please enlighten me on what mootools is and how I can get started with it.

thanks very much.

[VIPStephan]

Originally Posted by juanc

While I'm here what is it exactly meant by the word "framework"

Definition of the term “framework”.

[A1ien51]

What is MooTools? It says it right on the front page of their site.

MooTools is a compact, modular, Object-Oriented JavaScript framework designed for the intermediate to advanced JavaScript developer. It allows you to write powerful, flexible, and cross-browser code with its elegant, well documented, and coherent API.

Article on what a framework is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_framework

MooTools is pretty well documented here: http://docs.mootools.net/ which gives you all of the functionality of the api.

Also if you do a general search: http://www.google.com/search?q=mootools+tutorial you can find plenty of tutorials out there to get you started.

There are plenty of frameworks and toolkits out there. MooTools is just one of many.

Eric

[juanc]

I appreciate the replies guys and certainly don't want to get into a heated debate....

the opening paragragh on the mootools.net is obviously very jargon filled ........the wiki links even on what a framework is ..even more so......http://docs.mootools.net I felt still did not tell what the thing actually was.......and of course I could research it on google but my point was that a complete beginner could come to the mootools site and leave being none the wiser......so if he wanted to learn what mootools was............... going to the site wouldn't be the best start.

I believe that (and this is understandable) you need to be an accomplished developer from the outset to get productive with mootools straight away.

[A1ien51]

Learning a framework is just like learning any language out there. You would have the same issue if you wanted to start to write an application with .NET, Rails, Java, Python, etc.

To me that opening paragraph is not jargon filled if you understand what Frameworks and JavaScript is about

MooTools is a compact, [Small size]
modular, [Can be used in parts]
Object-Oriented JavaScript framework [OO JavaScript? : http://java.sun.com/javascript/ajaxi...tion_ApB.html]
designed for the intermediate to advanced JavaScript developer.

It allows you to write powerful, flexible, and
cross-browser [It deals with the browser quirks]
code with its elegant, well documented, and coherent API. [compared to other frameworks the api is nice]

You are not forced to use this thing [unless your boss says you are]. There are plenty of frameowrks out there from prototype to JQuery to Dojo and so on. There are 1000's of them. Find one you like.

Eric

[sybil6]

hello juanc

i'm a beginner too, i have been a couple month with javascript, the best thing before getting into a framework is to learn javascript fundaments(like events, accessing elements on pages), i suggest :simplyjavascript a book by sitepoint editions then you can check a framework (or as you read in parallel):jquery is for now the one i prefer: the website is very clear when exposing different functions.

[binaryWeapon]

I believe that (and this is understandable) you need to be an accomplished developer from the outset to get productive with mootools straight away.

I too didn't find mootools the easiest thing to learn to use. But then again, thats probably because I myself am barely competent enough to fall into the "intermediate" category ...

oh ya...remember to do that prefixing title with the name of the framework thing... it sould be
"[mootools] What is mootools?". Seems kinda pointless except for the fact that when there are a lot of threads in this category, people could sort by the thread name to group all the threads together.