Reference: Putting the Brakes on SharePoint with JQuery
Thoughts:
I remember the dinner conversation and follow-up emails quite well. Eric was kind enough to share his opinions and experiences further explaining some points I was confused on. Once we dropped the thread, it seemed more more a lesson in communication and properly articulating a point then a technical debate for me. Thinking back to the original dinner conversation I wish I had articulated my point more clearly. For after an email or two it became clear that we were saying many of the same things just slightly different.
Recommendation:
JQuery is just a tool that can be used to solve a problem. It is not always the right tool. In the example Eric uses he demonstrates a solution where the want to use JQuery outweighs the benefit provided. As a result performance was impacted.
Solution:
It would seem obvious not to use JQuery for such a style modification and accomplish it via CSS. Unfortunately, too often this is not what happens. Basically, we fall into the situation where to a hammer everything looks like a nail. The core of the issue is developing on autopilot and not thinking about what is being developed.
I guess I reminded of a statement my friend Roy often makes “…there’s no patch for stupid.”
Long Story Short:
- I agree 100% with everything Eric states.
- There is a HUGE potential for overuse and abuse with JQuery. I would even add-in FLASH, Sliverlight, etc.
- As Covey’s 7 Habits suggest “Know your outcome.”
- What problem are you trying to solve?
- How many concurrent users do you need to support?
- Think (Design) before you do.
- Test, Test, Test (Visual Studio Stress Test, Yahoo YSlow)
Just some additional thoughts. Hope they added some value. If you have anything to add to the conversation please leave a comment.