mootools from Valerio Proietti is now available
mootools is a very compact, modular, object-oriented JavaScript framework and is less than 19Kb in size (compressed JS, 34Kb uncompressed) for the entire set of scripts and add-ons. mootools replaces the moo family of JavaScript libraries (moo.fx, moo.dom, moo.ajax, etc).
I prefer the moo.* libraries over the Prototype/Script.aculo.us combo due to the former’s much smaller file size. Prototype by itself weighs in at 60Kb uncompressed and add at least another 30Kb for Script.aculo.us.
What’s really interesting is the way you can download mootools. The download page allows you to pick and choose which parts of the library you want and whether or not you want to compress the JS source file.
With the availability of many quality client-side frameworks and the buzz surrounding AJAX and Web 2.0 these days, being able to minimize the library’s file size by ways of pruning unused features and code compression is really important in today’s web applications.
A lot of developers tend to forget that there are still quite a few users out there who aren’t hooked up on a broadband connection. You can build the slickest, fanciest front-end but if it takes forever for your target audience to even download it and get started, what’s the point?
mootools is released under the MIT license meaning you can use or modify it on all your projects, whether they’re commercial or not.