Let’s start with the jQuery code block we created in Part 1:

(function($) {
    $.fn.slPlugin = function(options) {
            var defaults = {
                myVar: "This is", // this will be the default value of this var
                anotherVar: "our awesome",
                coolVar: "plugin!",
            };
            var options = $.extend(defaults, options);
            this.each(function() {
                ourString = myVar + " " + anotherVar + " " + coolVar;
            });
            return ourString;
    };
}) (jQuery);

We want our plugin to do a little more than return, “This is our awesome plugin!” so let’s come up with some functionality to build. For this exercise, let’s create a simple plugin that allows truncates a blob of text to a specified length while providing the user an option show/hide the rest of the text. Since the most common character length limitation on the Internet these days is Twitter’s 140 characters, we’ll use that mark in our example.

Taking what we know about the basic jQuery plugin structure, let’s create the foundation for our new plugin — slPlugin2:

(function($) {
    $.fn.slPlugin2 = function(options) {
 
        var defaults = {
            length: 140,
            moreLink: "read more",
            lessLink: "collapse",
            trailingText: "..."
        };
 
        var options = $.extend(defaults, options);
    };
})(jQuery);

As you can see, we’ve established four default variables:

• length: The length of the paragraph we want before we truncate the rest.
• moreLength: What we append to the paragraph when it is truncated. This will be the link the user clicks to expand the rest of the text.
• lessLink: What we append to the paragraph when it is expanded. This will be the link the user clicks to collapse the rest of the text.
• trailingText: The typical ellipses to append to the truncation.

In our jQuery plugin example from Part 1, we started our function with this.each(function() {, and for this example, we’re going to add a return for this to maintain chainability. By doing so, we’re able to manipulate the segment with methods. For example, if we started our function with this.each(function() {, we’d call it with this line:

$('#ourParagraph').slPlugin2();

If we start the function with return this.each(function() {, we have the freedom to add further manipulation:

$('#ourParagraph').slPlugin2().bind();

With such a simple change, we’re able to add method calls to make one massive dynamic function.

Let’s flesh out the actual function a little more. We’ll add a substantial bit of code in this step, but you should be able to follow along with the changes via the comments:

(function($) {
    $.fn.slPlugin2 = function(options) {
 
        var defaults = {
            length: 140, 
            moreLink: "read more",
            lessLink: "collapse",
            trailingText: "..."
        };
 
        var options = $.extend(defaults, options);
 
        // return this keyword for chainability
        return this.each(function() {
            var ourText = $(this);  // the element we want to manipulate
            var ourHtml = ourText.html(); //get the contents of ourText!
            // let's check if the contents are longer than we want
            if (ourHtml.length > options.length) {
                var truncSpot = ourHtml.indexOf(' ', options.length); // the location of the first space (so we don't truncate mid-word) where we will end our truncation.
 
   // make sure to ignore the first space IF the text starts with a space
   if (truncSpot != -1){
       // the part of the text that will not be truncated, starting from the beginning
       var firstText = ourHtml.substring(0, truncSpot);
 
       // the part of the text that will be truncated, minus the trailing space
       var secondText = ourHtml.substring(truncSpot, ourHtml.legnth -1);
                }
            }
        })
    };
})(jQuery);

Are you still with us? I know it seems like a lot to take in, but each piece is very straightforward. The firstText is the chunk of text that will be shown: The first 140 characters (or whatever length you define). The secondText is what will be truncated. We have two blobs of text, and now we need to make them work together:

(function($) {
    $.fn.slPlugin2 = function(options) {
 
        var defaults = {
            length: 140, 
            moreLink: "read more",
            lessLink: "read less",
            trailingText: "..."
        };
 
        var options = $.extend(defaults, options);
 
        // return this keyword for chainability
        return this.each(function() {
            var ourText = $(this);  // the element we want to manipulate
            var ourHtml = ourText.html(); //get the contents of ourText!
            // let's check if the contents are longer than we want
            if (ourHtml.length > options.length) {
                var truncSpot = ourHtml.indexOf(' ', options.length); // the location of the first space (so we don't truncate mid-word) where we will end our truncation.
 
   // make sure to ignore the first space IF the text starts with a space
   if (truncSpot != -1){
       // the part of the text that will not be truncated, starting from the beginning
       var firstText = ourHtml.substring(0, truncSpot);
 
       // the part of the text that will be truncated, minus the trailing space
       var secondText = ourHtml.substring(truncSpot, ourHtml.legnth -1);
 
       // perform our truncation on our container ourText, which is technically more of a "rewrite" of our paragraph, to our liking so we can modify how we please. It's basically saying: display the first blob then add our trailing text, then add our truncated part wrapped in span tags (to further modify)
       ourText.html(firstText + options.trailingText + '<span class="slPlugin2">' + secondText + '</span>');
 
       // but wait! The secondText isn't supposed to show until the user clicks "read more", right? Right! Hide it using the span tags we wrapped it in above.
       ourText.find('.slPlugin2').css("display", "none");
                }
            }
        })
    };
})(jQuery);

Our function now truncates text to the specified length, and we can call it from our page simply:

<script src="jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="jquery.slPlugin2.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
$(document).ready(function() {  
    $('#slText').slPlugin2();  
});
</script>

Out of all the ways to truncate text via jQuery, this has to be my favorite. It’s feature-rich while still being fairly easy to understand. As you might have noticed, we haven’t touched on the “read more” and “read less” links or the expanding/collapsing animations yet, but we’ll be covering those in Part 3 of this series. Between now and when Part 3 is published, I challenge you to think up how you’d add those features to this plugin as homework.

-Cassandra

Separation of Concerns

It is important when sitting down for the first time to build a website to come up with an outline. Start by making a list of the parts of your website and the functions of those parts. I always start at the base of my web structure and work from there. HTML is always the foundation of a website; it defines the structure and outlines how you will display your data – plain and simple. It doesn’t have to include data or styles, nor does it need to be dynamic … At its essence, it’s a static file that browsers can cache.

Client-side scripting languages like JavaScript will take care of client-side animations and data dispersal, while cascading style sheets (CSS) take care of style and presentation, and server-side scripting languages like PHP or Perl can take care of data retrieval and formatting.

Data Transfer

Where is your data going to come from, and what format it will be in when the client receives it? Try to use a data format that is the most compatible with your scripting languages. I use JavaScript as my primary client side scripting program, so I try to use JSON as my data format, but that’s not always possible when dealing with APIs and transferring data from remote computers. JSON is quickly becoming a standard data format, but XML* is the most widely accepted format.

I prefer to use REST APIs as much as possible, because they sends the information directly on the client, rather than using the server as a proxy. However, if a REST API is not available or if there is a security risk involved, you get the advantage of being able to format the data on the server before pushing it to the client. Try to parse and format data as little as possible on the client side of things, the client should be concerned with placing data.

Changes in Data

In the past, websites were made from multiple HTML documents, each one containing different data. The structure of the pages were the same though, so the data changed, but the code was nearly identical. Later, using server side scripting programs, websites became more dynamic, displaying different data based on variables passed in the URL. Now, using AJAX or script injection, we can load new data into a static webpage without reloading. This means less redundant code, less load on the client, and better overall performance.

Page Structure

It is important when displaying data to understand when to change the structure of the page. I start by creating a structure for my home page – it needs to be very open and unrestricting so I can add pictures and text to build the site. Once the overall loose structure is established, I create a structure for displaying products (this will be more restrictive, containing tables and ordering tools). The idea is to have as few HTML structures as possible, but if you find that your data doesn’t fit or if you spend a lot of time positioning your data, then it might be time to create a new structure.

The Impact of a Modern Layout

Following these steps will lead to quicker, more efficient websites. This is (of course) not a new subject, and further understanding of web layout can be found in Model-View-Controller frameworks. If you find that you spend too much time writing code to interface with databases or place data, then frameworks are for you.

-Kevin

*If you have to deal with XML, make sure to include JavaScript libraries that make it easier to parse, like JQuery.