jQuery in Action
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CHAPTER 9
Prominent, powerful, and practical plugins
9.4.2 UI widgets and visual effects
Although we'd love to go into great detail regarding the extensive set of user
interface widgets that the
interface widgets that the
UI
Plugin provides, reality intervenes. In lieu of any
deep discussion, we'll at least give you a taste of what's available, so you'll know
what to go look up in the online documentation.
what to go look up in the online documentation.
The following lists the available widgets with short descriptions. Visit http://
docs.jquery.com/ui for more details.
Accordion--A simple widget that creates expanding and contracting levels out
of simple markup, such as lists or nested
<div>
elements.
Tabs--A widget for creating tabbed sets with a fairly interesting and potentially
complicated set of options. Anchor elements are used to specify the tabs, and their
href
attributes are used to identify the tabbed sections (using page-internal hash
references). This widget accounts for usage of the back button and can be config-
ured to open a specific tab on page load.
ured to open a specific tab on page load.
Calendar--A widget that provides a dynamic date picker, which is associated
with an input element. This widget is highly configurable and can appear on-
page or within a dialog box.
page or within a dialog box.
Dialog--A modal dialog box widget with move and resize capability.
Slider--A control that creates a slider (similar to that available for desktop
Slider--A control that creates a slider (similar to that available for desktop
applications) that can be integrated into a form via hidden elements. The control
can be oriented in various ways, and its minimum and maximum values are com-
pletely configurable.
can be oriented in various ways, and its minimum and maximum values are com-
pletely configurable.
Table--A sortable table widget that's considered robust and fast.
In addition to these widgets, the following visual effects are provided:
Shadow--Generates a drop shadow for specified elements.
Magnifier--Causes the contents of elements to enlarge (magnify) upon mouse
In addition to these widgets, the following visual effects are provided:
Shadow--Generates a drop shadow for specified elements.
Magnifier--Causes the contents of elements to enlarge (magnify) upon mouse
proximity.
With these
UI
elements at our disposal, we gain many options for creating
great Rich Internet Applications. As they say, "But wait! There's more!" The
jQuery community is willing to share their enhancements to jQuery. Vijquery.com/plugins for some insight into the many--and we do mean many--
plugins that have been published by other jQuery users.
jQuery community is willing to share their enhancements to jQuery. Vijquery.com/plugins for some insight into the many--and we do mean many--
plugins that have been published by other jQuery users.
9.5 Summary
From the outset, jQuery's creators designed it to provide an easy, but robust,
plugin architecture. The idea was that the core jQuery download would stay small
plugin architecture. The idea was that the core jQuery download would stay small