How to build a high quality JavaScript Library

Last week, I was clear on why I should use JavaScript to build the WattDepot data retrieval library. However, before I start coding, I still need to do some research on how to build a high quality JavaScript library. Fortunately, I found a very good presentation about building a JavaScript library given by John Resig who is one of the authors of JQuery. Here I am going to share something I learned from his talk.

1. Always clear on the focus of your library. Every library should have its own specific focus. In another word, a good library should not cover too many things that from different scopes. It should focus on one target.

2. Keep your library as small as possible. The more code you write means the more likely that a bug is there and the more code you need to maintain. Therefore, a good library should not contain any unnecessary function. Any line of the code should be needed for your library.

3. The library should work for any browser. This is a classic problem for a lot of libraries. Since different browsers have different JavaScript support, and their settings keep updating along with different version, it is really hard to build a library that works for every browser. However, a good JavaScript library should work for most common browsers.

4. A good library should not affect or be affected by other person's code. In JavaScript, people can easily extend a object (class). In this case, variable naming method and function override checking are very important for keeping the library code functioning correctly.

5. Handling exceptions and document your code nicely. Usually users don't know the detail of a library, and they just want to use your library to perform certain tasks. In this case, your exception handling is the most easiest way to help users debug their code without looking through the code. If they really need to look at the code, your in-line comment will definitely help them.

All above are some important characters of a good JavaScript library. In the following week, I will find out how these rules applies in my JavaScript library project.