MooTools explained

MooTools
Developer:	The MooTools Dev Team
Released:	^[1]
Latest Release Version:	1.6.0
Latest Release Date:	^[2]
Genre:	Ajax framework / JavaScript Framework
Programming Language:	JavaScript
License:	MIT License^[3]
Repo:	https://github.com/mootools/mootools-core

MooTools (My Object-Oriented Tools)^[4] is a lightweight, object-oriented JavaScript framework. It is released under the free, open-source MIT License.^[5]

Overview

MooTools provides the user with a number of options beyond native JavaScript. These include:

• An extensible and modular framework allowing developers to choose their own customized combination of components.^[6]
• MooTools follows object-oriented practices and the DRY principle.^[7]
• An advanced effects component, with optimized transitions such as easing equations used by many Flash developers.^[8]
• Enhancements to the DOM, enabling developers to easily add, modify, select, and delete DOM elements. Storing and retrieving information with Element storage is also supported.^[9]

The framework includes built-in functions for manipulation of CSS, DOM elements, native JavaScript objects, Ajax requests, DOM effects, and more. MooTools also provides a detailed, coherent application programming interface (API),^[10] as well as a custom downloads module allowing developers to download only the modules and dependencies they need for a particular app.^{[11] [12]}

History

Valerio Proietti first authored the framework and released it in September 2006^[13] taking as his inspiration Prototype and Dean Edward's base2. MooTools originated from Moo.fx, a popular JavaScript effects library released in October 2005 by Valerio Proietti as an add-on to the Prototype Javascript Framework.^[14] It can be used as a lighter alternative to script.aculo.us or other, bigger libraries. It provides simple, basic effects, and guarantees a small library size.

Whereas Prototype extended - prototyped - many of JavaScript's native String, Array, and Function objects with additional methods, Proietti desired a framework that (at the time)^[15] further extended the native Element object as well^[13] to offer greater control of the Document Object Model (DOM).^[16]

Components

MooTools includes a number of components, but not all need to be loaded for each application. Some of the component categories are:

• Core: A collection of utility functions that all the other components require.^[17]
• More: An official collection of add-ons that extend the Core and provide enhanced functionality.^[18]
• Class: The base library for Class object instantiation.^[19]
• Natives: A collection of JavaScript Native Object enhancements. The Natives add functionality, compatibility, and new methods that simplify coding.
• Element: Contains a large number of enhancements and compatibility standardization to the HTML Element object.^[20]
• Fx: An advanced effects-API to animate page elements.^[21]
• Request: Includes XHR interface, Cookie, JSON, and HTML retrieval-specific tools for developers to exploit.^[22]
• Window: Provides a cross-browser interface to client-specific information, such as the dimensions of the window.^[23]

Browser compatibility

MooTools is compatible and tested with:^[24]

• Safari 3+
• Internet Explorer 6+
• Mozilla Firefox 2+
• Opera 9+
• Chrome 4+

Emphasis on modularity and reusability

Every JavaScript framework has its philosophy, and MooTools is interested in taking full advantage of the flexibility and power of JavaScript in a way that emphasizes greater modularity and code reuse. MooTools accomplishes these goals intuitively to a developer coming from a class-based inheritance language like Java with the MooTools Class object.

Class is an object of key/value pairs containing either properties or methods (functions). Class is effortlessly mixed and extended with other Class instantiations allowing for the most excellent focus of MooTools: Code reuse achieved through maximizing the power of JavaScript's prototypical inheritance but in a Class object syntax more familiar to classical inheritance models.^[25]

Object-oriented programming

MooTools contains a robust Class creation and inheritance system that resembles most classically based Object-oriented programming languages. For example, the following is MooTools' equivalent of the examples in Wikipedia's polymorphism page:

var Animal = new Class;

var Cat = new Class;

var Dog = new Class;

var animals = ;

Object.each(animals, function(animal)); // alerts the following://// Missy: Meow!// Mr. Bojangles: Meow!// Lassie: Arf! Arf!

See also

• Ajax framework
• Rich Internet application
• Web 2.0
• Comparison of JavaScript frameworks
• XMLHttpRequest
• JavaScript framework
• JavaScript library

Further reading

• "The Introduction to MooTools Architecture". Applied Mechanics and Materials.
• "Interactive Consultation Based on MooTools Long Polling Techniques". Applied Mechanics and Materials.
• Book: Leslie M.. Orchard. Ara. Pehlivanian. Scott. Koon. Harley. Jones. Professional JavaScript Frameworks: Prototype, YUI, ExtJS, Dojo and MooTools. Wrox Press. 1st. 888. August 31, 2009. 978-0-470-38459-6.
• Book: Aaron. Newton. MooTools Essentials: The Official MooTools Reference for JavaScript and Ajax Development. Apress. 1st. 300. September 18, 2008. 978-1-4302-0983-6.
• Book: Xavier. Lecomte. Découvrez MooTools : Un framework JavaScript pour un site dynamique et interactif (FR). DigitBooks. 1st. 260. June 1, 2012. 978-2-8150-0215-8.

Notes and References

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20061206015242/http://mad4milk.net/entry/mootools-released Original release announcement
2. Web site: Release 1.6.0 · mootools/Mootools-core. GitHub.
3. Web site: MooTools. mootools.net.
4. Web site: MooTools at FOSDEM slides . 2010-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110723055127/http://cpojer.net/Talks/MooToolsFOSDEM.pdf . 2011-07-23 . dead .
5. http://mootools.net The Official MooTools Website
6. http://mootools.net/core MooTools' Core Download Page
7. http://docs.mootools.net/Class/Class MooTools Class Object
8. http://docs.mootools.net/Fx/Fx MooTools' Effects (FX) Class
9. http://docs.mootools.net/Element/Element MooTools' Element Class - A comprehensive list of Element manipulation methods.
10. http://mootools.net/blog/2010/03/19/a-better-way-to-use-elements/ A Better Way to Use Elements
11. http://mootools.net/core MooTools Core Builder
12. http://mootools.net/more MooTools More Builder
13. Book: Aaron. Newton. MooTools Essentials: The Official MooTools Reference for JavaScript and Ajax Development. Apress. 1st. xvi. September 18, 2008. 978-1-4302-0983-6.
14. Book: Aaron. Newton. MooTools Essentials: The Official MooTools Reference for JavaScript and Ajax Development. Apress. 1st. xv. September 18, 2008. 978-1-4302-0983-6.
15. Version 1.6.1 of Prototype includes "an element metadata storage system." Prototype 1.6.1 released by Sam Stephenson, written September 1st, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
16. Note that MooTools does not extend the native Object - all JavaScript primitives like String and Function inherit from it - but instead provides a convenient Hash for the purpose: Think of it like having a set of utility methods that allow for nearly effortless object manipulation of regular JavaScript objects that are otherwise unaffected by the process. (Book: Aaron. Newton. MooTools Essentials: The Official MooTools Reference for JavaScript and Ajax Development. Apress. 1st. xvi. September 18, 2008. 978-1-4302-0983-6.)
17. http://mootools.net/docs/core MooTools Core
18. http://mootools.net/docs/more MooTools More
19. http://docs.mootools.net/Class/Class#Class MooTools Class
20. http://docs.mootools.net/Element/Element MooTools Element
21. http://docs.mootools.net/Fx/Fx MooTools Fx Class
22. http://docs.mootools.net/Request/Request MooTools Request Class
23. http://docs.mootools.net/Element/Element.Dimensions#Element:getSize In addition to getting the size for any Element, you can easily get the dimensions of the window
24. http://mootools.net/ MooTools lists its compatibility on its homepage.
25. http://jqueryvsmootools.com/ jQuery versus Mootools