The Spry framework for Ajax is a JavaScript library for web designers that provides functionality that allows designers to build pages that provide a richer experience for their users. It is designed to bring Ajax to the web design community who can benefit from Ajax, but are not well served by other frameworks. The first release of the Spry framework is a preview of the data capabilities that enable designers to incorporate XML data into their HTML documents using HTML, CSS, and a minimal amount of JavaScript, without the need for refreshing the entire page. The Spry framework is HTML-centric, and easy to implement for users with basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The framework was designed such that the markup is simple and the JavaScript is minimal. The Spry framework can be used by anyone who is authoring for the web in their tool of choice.
This is just the start of the project. We're releasing a preview build now so that you have plenty of time to give us feedback on what’s working for you, and what isn't. Your feedback and participation is important to us as we build out the framework.
Before you get started, please take a moment to review the following
important information.
Disclaimer
We want to remind you that this is PRE-RELEASE code. We are making it available to get
your feedback and help us figure out where to take it. We expect to make changes to the framework as we go forward. We want you to build on this and let us know what you think, but please understand that we will make changes. We can't guarantee that something you build today will work in the next release.
What is included in Prerelease 1?
Includes - JavaScript files that implement the framework.
- SpryData.js - contains the code that defines XML data sets and dynamic regions.
- xpath.js - Google's JavaScript implementation of the XPath 1.0 standard. You can get more information about it by visiting their open source google-ajaxslt project page.
Docs - Documentation that describe the Spry framework.
- Dynamic Table Tutorial - overview of how Spry works by walking you through the conversion of an HTML table containing static data to one that can load its data dynamically.
Demos - Samples that show the Spry framework in action.
- Photo Gallery - An XML-based photo gallery.
- Product Table - An interactive data grid displaying XML-based data.
- RSS Reader - An RSS reader showing how multiple XML files can be used to build a rich interface.
Please note: These demos are a proof of concept for the data capabilities of the Spry framework. They are not keyboard or screen reader accessible. Please review the FAQ for more information.
License - Spry is licensed under a BSD license.
Where can I get more information?
FAQ - Frequently asked questions (and answers!) about the Spry framework.
Spry article on Logged In - Article introducing the Spry framework giving more details about the philosophy behind it.
Creating a Web Photo Album with Spry - Walk through the steps to create a dynamic and flexible page using the Spry framework with remarkably few lines of code.
Adobe Labs Spry Forum - Post any questions or feedback on the Spry framework to the forums available on the Adobe Labs site.
Adobe Labs Wiki - The Adobe Labs wiki allows editing of pages and content by the community, but only within specific sections of the site. For resources that provide group edit access, you will be required to log in with your Adobe Labs/Adobe.com username.
We do ask that you only contribute to a page or resource if you feel you can improve it. Please do not add comments or feedback to the author to the pages directly- there is a 'Discussion' tab available for most all areas of the site you can submit your feedback within, if you so desire. Use this tab to comment on or discuss a particular page or resource, so we can keep the content focused and on-topic.
Spry Team Blog - Keep up to date on news from the development team.
Adobe Labs RSS Feeds - Please subscribe to the RSS feeds on Adobe Labs to be notified when new releases of Spry become available.
How You Can Help Us
While
we want to hear about bugs that you find in this prerelease, we are
especially interested in what you think about our approach. We are making
this
available so that we have a better opportunity to address your feedback.
Please
let us know:
Are there things that miss the mark?
Are there things that make you think "This would
be great if they just changed/added..."?
Are there things that don't work the way you think they should?
Feedback
Post any questions or feedback on the Spry framework to the forums available on the Adobe Labs site.