Ext JS is a pure JavaScript application framework for building interactive web applications[1] using techniques such as Ajax, DHTML and DOM scripting.
Originally built as an add-on library extension of YUI by Jack Slocum, Ext JS includes interoperability with jQuery and Prototype. Beginning with version 1.1, Ext JS retains no dependencies on external libraries, instead making their use optional.[2]
Features
GUI controls
Ext JS includes a set of GUI-based form controls (or "widgets") for use within web applications:
- text field and textarea input controls
- date fields with a pop-up date-picker
- numeric fields
- list box and combo boxes
- radio and checkbox controls
- html editor control
- grid control (with both read-only and edit modes, sortable data, lockable and draggable columns, and a variety of other features)
- tree control
- tab panels
- toolbars
- desktop application-style menus
- region panels to allow a form to be divided into multiple sub-sections
- sliders
- vector graphics charts
Many of these controls can communicate with a web server using Ajax.
Ext JS 2.0
Ext JS version 2.0 was released on 4 December 2007. This version was promoted as providing an interface and features more similar to those traditionally associated with desktop applications. Also promoted were the new user documentation, API documentation, and samples.[3]
Ext JS 2.0 did not provide a backward compatibility with version 1.1. A migration guide was developed to address this.[4]
Ext JS 3.0
Ext JS version 3.0 was released on 6 July 2009. This version added communication support for REST and a new Ext.Direct server side platform. New flash charting and ListView elements were added to the standard display components. It was backwards compatible with version 2.0 code.
Ext JS 4.0
Version 4.0 of the Ext framework was released on April 26th, 2011. It includes a completely revised class structure,[5] a revised data package, an animation and drawing package that uses SVG and VML,[6] and revised charting and theming. It also includes an optional architecture that provides a model–view–controller (MVC) style of code organization.
Sencha
On 15 June 2010, the merger of Ext JS with JQTouch and Raphaël was announced[7] forming a new organisation called Sencha Inc. Ext JS continues to be available as a main product on the new Sencha website[8] together with Sencha Touch, Sencha GWT, Sencha Architect, Sencha Animator and Ext Core.
Ext.Net
Main article: Coolite
Ext.NET is an Open Source ASP.NET component framework integrating the Ext library,[9] current version (as of May 2011) is 1.0 which wraps Ext version 3.0.
License history
YUI-Ext was available under the BSD license. In April 2008 the open source license associated with Ext was changed. In version 2.0.2, the authors stated that Ext was available under an LGPL-style license as long as you "plan to use Ext in a personal, educational or non-profit manner" or "in an open source project that precludes using non-open source software" or "are using Ext in a commercial application that is not a software development library or toolkit". This was no longer the case with Ext 2.1.[10] Some people[who?] claimed that the license conditions as the authors described it stood while others[weasel words] claimed that clause 7[11] of the LGPL-style license enabled the software to be used by all regardless of Ext's conditions. The Ext authors claim that section 7 of the LGPL as it is worded did not apply to "conditions" which their license required before distribution under the LGPL was permitted as opposed to "additional restrictions" which section 7 allowed a distributor to remove.[citation needed]
On 20 April 2008, Ext 2.1 was released under a new dual license structure which allowed the options of the full GPL 3.0 license or a commercial license.[12]
The change in license over time, from a permissive open source license to a restrictive dual license, caused controversy in the Ext user community.[13][14][15][16]
See also
References
Bibliography
- Orchard, Leslie M.; Pehlivanian, Ara; Koon, Scott; Jones, Harley (August 31, 2009). Professional JavaScript Frameworks: Prototype,YUI, ExtJS, Dojo and MooTools (1st ed.). Wrox Press. p. 888. ISBN 978-0-470-38459-6.
- Frederick, Shea; Ramsay, Colin; 'Cutter' Blades, Steve (November 28, 2008). Learning Ext JS (1st ed.). Packt Publishing. p. 299. ISBN 978-1-84719-514-2.
External links
Server Side Ext
