Used to be that writing front-end code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) wasn’t terribly complex. The syntax of HTML and CSS isn’t all that difficult to get the hang of and JavaScript (back in the day) was just a tool to validate form fields and play funny tricks on poor unsuspecting visitors. These days, JavaScript has become the language for front-end development and it’s not just for printing the ‘lastModifiedDate’ of a document.
Anyone who has kept up with the advancements of JavaScript knows the Prototype library. For those who don’t know, it’s a JavaScript library that wraps a whole bunch of functionality into easy to use (and remember) “shortcuts” for doing things like getting elements on a page, manipulating said elements, and dealing with data. It’s all written in JSON notation and allows you do things like:
$('element-id').addClassName('active').show();
Instead of
var element = document.getElementById('element-id');
element.className = 'active';
element.style.display = 'block';
Anyway, things like Prototype, jQuery, Dojo, and YUI all provide some convenience to writing custom JavaScript applications. I haven’t dug super deep into any of the frameworks’ source (mostly because the code has been somewhat obfuscated and “compressed” to save space), but I imagine that they all have one thing in common; they make use of the prototype property to extend both existing and custom built objects/classes in JavaScript.
The prototype Property
Even if you don’t make heavy use of one of the afforementioned framework/toolkits, using the prototype property to extend existing JavaScript objects and/or classes can be quite useful. Say you want an easy way to print out a date. Rather than createing a separate function, just extend the Date object itself.
Date.prototype.months = new Array(
{name: "January", abbrev: "Jan", number: "01"},
{name: "February", abbrev: "Feb", number: "02"},
{name: "March", abbrev: "Mar", number: "03"},
{name: "April", abbrev: "Apr", number: "04"},
{name: "May", abbrev: "May", number: "05"},
{name: "June", abbrev: "Jun", number: "06"},
{name: "July", abbrev: "Jul", number: "07"},
{name: "August", abbrev: "Aug", number: "08"},
{name: "September", abbrev: "Sep", number: "09"},
{name: "October", abbrev: "Oct", number: "10"},
{name: "November", abbrev: "Nov", number: "11"},
{name: "December", abbrev: "Dec", number: "12"}
);
Date.prototype.dow = new Array(
{name: 'Sunday', abbrev: 'Sun', number: "01"},
{name: 'Monday', abbrev: 'Mon', number: "02"},
{name: 'Tuesday', abbrev: 'Tue', number: "03"},
{name: 'Wednesday', abbrev: 'Wed', number: "04"},
{name: 'Thursday', abbrev: 'Thu', number: "05"},
{name: 'Friday', abbrev: 'Fri', number: "06"},
{name: 'Saturday', abbrev: 'Sat', number: "07"}
);
Date.prototype.getShortDate = function() {
return this.months[this.getMonth()].abbrev + ' ' + this.getDate() + ' ' + this.getFullYear();
};
Date.prototype.getLongDate = function() {
return this.dow[this.getDay()].name + ', ' + this.months[this.getMonth()].name + ' ' + this.getDate() + ', ' + this.getFullYear();
};
Date.prototype.getValueDate = function() {
var d = (this.getDate() < 10) ? '0'+this.getDate():this.getDate();
return this.getFullYear() + '/' + this.months[this.getMonth()].number + '/' + d;
};
var now = new Date();
document.write(now.getLongDate());
And you get something like this . Handy.
Now, there’s a couple of issues with the above script. One, the names aren’t localized and two, there’s probalby a more efficient way to formatting a date (much like the example on this page). But, it works in all the browsers I tested (Chrome, Firefox, IE7, Safari [Mac]).
You can prototype most of the default objects in JavaScript. Say you have an application the has to validate a bunch of text fields. Prototype the String objects to add built in parsing methods for various fields.
String.prototype.isValidEmail = function() { ... }
String.prototype.isValidPhone = function() { ... }
You get the idea.
The prototype property is a handy little tool. There maybe some limitations between browsers, but overall, it should help simplify your code and prevent repetitive and reduntant methods.
The Belgium’s are truly maters at brewing and, in general, most of the Belgium beers I’ve tried have been really good. Affligem’s Noël, while a true Belgium in flavor, is nothing to write home about. It’s certainly no [St. Bernardus Christmas Ale][2], but good overall. Smells of good Belgium with hints of spices and caramel and medium brown in color. Careful pouring this, I ended up with a good three inches of cream colored head in one glass (and it takes forever to dissipate). While the taste is that of a decent Belgium strong ale, it didn’t stand out for me.
Hop heads rejoice! This YuleSmith Holiday Ale is chock full of hops. It’s very different from your traditional holiday selection but a welcome change from norm. It has that murky golden color and a wonderful citrus hop smell. It also has an awesome hop kick that lingers in the back of your mouth. If your a true hop head, this is *the* holiday ale for you. Just pay attention when picking up a bottle; YuleSmith comes in a summer version as well. The summer version comes in a patriotic, 4th of July bottle. It’s hard to miss, but I made the mistake last year and was forced to drink both (such a shame, I know).
Here’s yet another beer from a brewery in which I am less familiar with. I was pleasantly surprised with this fantastic [winter warmer][2]! It has a nice dark, reddish-brown color and lovely smell. You can definitely smell the hops amongst the various hints of nutty ale goodness. I starts off with a traditional English ale flavor and finished with a nice hop bitter. Another sleeper in my book.
Anderson Valley makes some really good beers. Even better is the fact that you can usually get some at Trader Joe’s at a reasonable price. Winter Solstice is a really decent ale. It’s smooth, full bodied and flavorful. Last year I seem to remember it having a distinct vanilla finish which I didn’t taste so much in this year’s batch (which, to me, is a good thing). It’s relatively low in ABV so don’t be afraid to have a couple on a crisp, winter night.
WOW! I don’t even know where to begin with this one! Technically, this is not a holiday beer but it’s generally available starting in December. Goose Island does have a [Christmas Ale][2], though, which is why I’m not counting this as a holiday brew (though it should count for *two* since it has a ridiculously high ABV). This beer is almost not a beer at all. It’s a very dark and very complex brew and as you can guess from the name, is aged in bourbon barrels. I pours black as a winter night and has the aroma of a fine bourbon mixed with an awesome stout. The taste is absolutely amazing. It has very distinct oak, roasted malt, bitter chocolate and charcoal smoke flavors with a strong bourbon kick at the end. It finishes a little on the dry side, but is a very intense beer.
Full Sail Brewing is yet another brewery that brews many a beer that rarely disappoints and I generally like anything they have to offer. Wassail is perfect example of Winter Warmer ale with a good aroma and excellent hop flavor. Most winter warmers that I have had tend to lose their hop taste but Wassail nails it. It pours a lovely dark brown with nice subtle head. It’s crisp, hop flavor and holiday spice tones is a warm welcome on a cold winter night.