My Archives

Hi folks.

I am recently very fond of the term “code in a tweet” which means that a very useful piece of source code can even fit a Twitter post.  Below here is the shortest javascript that can detect IE browser by Andrea (yeah, IE sucks and we have to detect it to eliminate its problems)

IE='\v'=='v'

Moreover, Gareth Heyes has come up with other browser detections and gather them together

//Firefox detector 2/3 by DoctorDan
FF=/a/[-1]=='a'

//Firefox 3
FF3=(function x(){})[-5]=='x'

//Firefox 2
FF2=(function x(){})[-6]=='x'

//IE detector I posted previously
IE='\v'=='v'

//Safari detector
Saf=/a/.__proto__=='//'

//Chrome
Chr=/source/.test((/a/.toString+''))

//Opera
Op=/^function \(/.test([].sort)

Usage: The variable assignment is the abbreviation of the browser e.g. FF, IE, Op, Saf, Chr which return true or false.

And this is the most interesting part: one-liner to rule them all

B=(function x(){})[-5]=='x'?'FF3':(function x(){})[-6]=='x'?'FF2':/a/[-1]=='a'?'FF':'\v'=='v'?'IE':/a/.__proto__=='//'?'Saf':/s/.test(/a/.toString)?'Chr':/^function \(/.test([].sort)?'Op':'Unknown'

Usage: B will return a string of the abbreviation of the browser
Tell me what do you think? And if you find any cool stuff like that let me know.

[Updated] Sorry to be arrogant and simple minded but I always think jQuery rocks and try to inspire as many people as possible to use or move to jQuery because of  one simple reason: the more users and developers use jQuery the better it is and the more plugins will be created.

[Updated] jQuery 1.3 is out and it is super fast ! Read more

I have once used Mootools for one of my projects and it turned out to be running well. The performance was fast and I had no problem implementing its animation effects and plugins. However, I found several complaints about mootools on the Internet that will affect my choice of JS library in the future.

1. Mootools does not have any well organized or responsive forum.
2. It does not even have all of the many useful threads that were written for 1.1 available. What it does have – a Google group – is so undermonitered that John Resig’s profile shows up on the home page (now what does that say about JQuery responsiveness)! I have never, never! gotten a response to any of the requests I have made on the Google group page, despite my not being a noob.
3. No plugins are available unless you already know where to find them, or you write them yourselves. As oppossed to J which makes it easy to get plugins. Yes I know they posted something on the blog.
4. SVN was dumped for GIT. Maybe not bad from a technical standpoint, but I don’t know how to use GIT, and am not about to start learning.
5. I rarely see the core developers on IRC, probably because we have different hours. But it is very difficult to get answers there, and thread is downright insulting to noobs – no matter how much he wants to learn. Worse though, the channel is not be stored. All of the questions and answers that are served are only to individuals – they cannot be accessed by someone who is searching for an answer. And lets face it – IRC is not good for most users. Is it so hard to have a chat box on the screen that allows for normal people to communicate, or at least to be able to see the thread?! I know a good framework that can be used to write such a tool!