JavaScript, also known under the acronym JS, is a dynamic computer programming language, it has also been called an “assembly” language or “the x86 of the web”. Bottom line, JavaScript is a programming language widely used by web developers as part of web browsers. It’s typing discipline is described on Wikipedia as dynamic and/or duck.
By using JavaScript, developers either made stuff work on that blasted IE9 (thank the Gods Microsoft discontinued its support) or implemented client-side scripts that interacted with the user, controlled the browser, allowed asynchronous communication and alterations on the document content displayed.
All in all, JavaScript is beyond any shadow of a doubt one of the most popular and most widely used programming languages in the web development industry and it comes with its own bag of goodies. Namely, libraries and a lot of them, by using libraries attached to the programming language of their choosing, developers are able to do more with writing less. In other words, you don’t have to go through the struggle of reinventing the wheel, there’s already a library for that. So, without further ado, here are out top ten picks for awesome JavaScript libraries.
1. jQuery
jQuery is probably the most popular JavaScript library out there. It’s fast, small and feature-rich, therefore developers turn to it frequently. jQuery has a lightweight footprint, is completely CSS3 compliant, supporting CSS3 selectors to find elements as well as in style property manipulation and it is supported cross-browser. By using jQuery things like HTML document traversal and manipulation, event handling, animation and Ajax become simpler to manage.
2. Three.js
Three.js is a JavaScript library that will help you create 3D websites by using WebGL. What the Three.js library does is provide an extra layer between your code and WebGL so that all the code you’d have to write in WebGL in order to achieve a simple 3D object like a cube will be shrunk to only a fraction.
3. Sticker.js
This is a simple, yet fun to use JavaScript library. It will allow you to create a mouse over Sticker Effect in your website easily without any jQuery requirements.
4. ScrollReveal.js
ScrollReveal is a JavaScript library used to create and manage how elements are animated on-scroll. With an active imagination and a website whose theme works with this kind of reveal animations, ScrollReveal can make your website truly memorable.
5. Ember.js
Ember.js is a JavaScript library that aims to provide a framework that enables you to create ambitious web applications. Using Ember you will have to write dramatically less code due to its Handlebars integrated templates, use common idioms integrated by Ember and focus on what makes your application special and work faster than ever before due to its developer ergonomic design.
6. YUI
YUI is an open source JavaScript and CSS library created for building highly interactive web applications. YUI is fast, scalable and robust due to its modular architecture, it comes with an intuitive and well-documented API, its community is thriving so there’s always someone to lend a hand and it’s free.
7. HandleBar.js
Handlebars is a JavaScript library that allows you to construct semantic templates efficiently and rapidly. It is largely compatible with Mustache templates as well.
8. Backbone.js
Backbone is a JavaScript library meant to give structure to web applications. It provides models with key-value binding and custom events, views that are packed along with declarative event handling, collections with a rich API ready to be used and the ability to connect to all of your existing API using a RESTful JSON interface.
9. DropZone.js
With this JavaScript library you will have complete freedom to drag and drop your files onto a HTML element whereupon they are taken up and uploaded to the server via Ajax. Dropzone.js will also offer your image previews for your file uploads.
10. Angular.js
Angular.js is the perfect choice of JavaScript library for extending HTML vocabulary for your application. By using it, you will be able to declare dynamic views in your web-applications and make your environment memorable, expressive and readable.