Using JSDT #4 : Adding Third Party Library

I’m documenting my experiences using the Eclipse JSDT.

In this post I will add a 3rd party library.  I will describe a success (mooTools) and a failure (jQuery).

Update: There is improved information in this post: Adding Third Party Library Redux.

Previously

• #1: JSDT resources.
• #2 : Run First Project
• #3 : HTML5 limitations

Adding mooTools Library

MooTools is one JavaScript library I’ve been playing with lately.

First download the uncompressed version (mooTools-1.2.4-core-nc.js) and save it somewhere.

Now in Preferences, add the library. Make sure after adding the library, you also add the mooTools .js file you previously downloaded.  It should look like this:

MooTools Content Assist

Now create a Static Web Project.

• Expand the project in Project Explorer and right click on JavaScript Resources and select Properties.
• From this dialog, you can add MooTools.
• Add JavaScript Library – User Library – Next – Select moo Library you already added.  Finish.

You should see this in Explorer:

Content Assist

Now create a JavaScript file in your project and try some Content Assist.

Ah it can see the Cookie constructor!

And variables and functions that start with $:

And members:

MooTools Problems

I should mention that I could not get this to work in a workspace I had been working in for awhile.  In fact I spent many hours trying to get it to work and finally determined the workspace I was working had been corrupted somehow.  From the .log, I had experienced several crashes, some related to AST parsing, in that workspace.  And no amount of removing user libraries and creating fresh projects would allow me to see MooTools Content Assist.

Supposedly, if your 3rd party library uses jsDoc, the editor functionality is more robust.  MooTools does not seem to document with jsDoc.

jQuery Failure

Update: I’ve added bug 324416 for this problem.

I followed the same steps to add jQuery (1.4.2 uncompressed from the download page) as a user library. However, after adding it and opening it in Explorer, it seems that parsing has failed.  The AST is confused.

According to Explorer, it seems to know about the jQuery variable though.  But when I try to get some CA for jQuery, even though the jQuery variable is listed, I get none.  Same for _load, add, etc.  Nada.

Dojo? Prototype? YUI?

I’m wondering what experiences others have had adding 3rd party libraries or their own libraries.

Next: Adding Third Party Library Redux

« Contributing to JSDT #5: Launching the Product

Using JSDT #5: Adding 3rd Party Library Redux »