Open Source Resources for Web Application Developers

eyeos is an open source web desktop following the cloud computing concept. It is mainly written in PHP, XML, and Javascript. It acts as a platform for web applications written using the eyeos Toolkit. It includes a Desktop environment with 67 applications and system utilities. It is accessible by portable devices via its mobile front edu. eyeos lets you upload your files and work with them no matter where you are. It contains applications like Word Processor, Address Book, PDF reader, and many more developed by the community.

For developers, eyeos provides the eyeos Toolkit, a set of libraries and functions to develop applications for eyeos. Using the integrated Portage-based eyeSoft system, anyone can create their own repository for eyeos and distribute applications through it.

Each core part of the desktop is its own application, using javascript to send server commands as the user interacts. As actions are performed using ajax (such as launching an application), it sends event information to the server. The server then sends back tasks for the client to do in XML format, such as drawing a widget.

On the server, eyeos uses XML files to store information. This makes it simple for a user to set up eyeos on a server, as it requires zero configuration other than the account information for the first user, making it simple to deploy. To avoid bottlenecks, that flat files present, each user’s information and settings are stored in different files, preventing resource starvation from occurring.

Requirements: Apache + PHP5
Demo: http://eyeos.info/?lang=en
License: Affero GNU Public License version 3

• 4 Comments

UIZE (pronounced “you eyes”) is a powerful, open source, object oriented JavaScript framework – supporting widgets, AJAX, DOM, templates, and more. UIZE allows you to create more effective user interfaces in your Web-based applications and services.

UIZE does not extend native objects, and supports interoperability with other libraries that adhere to this principle. UIZE is server agnostic – so you can use it with any choice of server language and platform, including Java (Apache TomCat), C# (IIS / ASP.NET), Visual Basic (IIS / ASP), C/C++, Perl (Perl / Apache), PHP, Ruby (Ruby on Rails), Python, etc.

Requirements: -
Demo: http://www.uize.com/
License: GPL License

• 7 Comments

Gestalt is a library released by MIX Online Labs that allows you to write Ruby, Python & XAML code in your (X)HTML pages. It enables you to build richer and more powerful web applications by marrying the benefits of expressive languages, modern compilers, AJAX & RIAs with the write » save » refresh development model of the web.

For people to use the pages you write, they will need to have Silverlight installed on their machines. They harness the power of the Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR) to transparently compile any Ruby, Python & XAML blobs before running the scripts.

Requirements: Silverlight
Demo: http://visitmix.com/labs/gestalt/
License: MSPL License

• 6 Comments

Glow is a JavaScript library which aims to make working with JavaScript and the DOM easier. It tries to do this by abstracting common tasks, hiding cross-browser issues, and providing a set of user interface widgets. Glow isn’t the BBC’s first JavaScript library, although it is the first to be released as open source software.

There are a range of excellent open source JavaScript libraries available nowadays. However, on reviewing the major libraries, BBC found that none met their standards and guidelines, with browser support in particular being a major issue. Therefore, they decided to build a JavaScript library tailored to their requirements. Naming it Glow.

Glow is available under the Apache Licence, Version 2.0. This allows you to use the library in nearly all circumstances, and to modify it as you see fit.

Requirements: -
Demo: http://www.bbc.co.uk/glow/
License: Apache 2.0 License

• 4 Comments

scripty2 is a complete rewrite of the venerable script.aculo.us library. It is a powerful, flexible JavaScript framework to help you write your own delicious visual effects & user interfaces.

However, scripty2 is still in a prerelease alpha version and not meant for production use at the moment. Even in alpha, the effects engine can now do so much more, with less code to write.

Requirements: Prototype Framework
Demo: http://scripty2.com/demos/cards/
License: Creative Commons 3.0 License

• 1 Comment

Hemlock is an open-source web development framework, focused on allowing easy development of real-time, many-to-many apps. Hemlock follows the inspiration of Ruby web frameworks like Rails and Merb. It can be used for applications such as games, workspace collaboration and education.

A client registers for message and is only contacted when a relevant one arrives. By combining the scalability of XMPP with the flexibility of Flash, Hemlock allows you to create web applications that are more dynamic, interactive and exciting.

Hemlock 0.1 is now ready for download. Hemlock includes an example app called DrawingDemoContainer. This shows off two of the starter HemlockWidgets: a basic chatroom, and a multi-user canvas for drawing pictures. Either of these can be reused, modified, and skinned across Hemlock apps. You can learn more about Hemlock and the setup process in Learn section.

Requirements: Flash Required
Demo: http://hemlock-kills.com/
License: MIT License

• 0 Comments

jQuery Tools is a collection of the most important user-interface components for today’s websites. This single JavaScript file weighs only 5.8 Kb. This library contains some useful JavaScript tools like tabs, tooltips, accordions, overlays, smooth navigation, great visual effects and all those “web 2.0″ goodies that you have seen on your favourite websites.

You don’t need to be a programmer to use these tools. They have lots of Demos you can explore and you can copy their source code to your site and things will work. Each tool is used in a similar manner and by learning one tool you can easily learn the other tools.

And above all, the library is constantly maintained and updated. Expect to see new releases coming out on a regular basis. This library is dual licensed under MIT and GPL 2+ licenses.

Requirements: jQuery Framework
Demo: http://flowplayer.org/tools/demos/index.html
License: MIT, GPL 2+ License

• 10 Comments

Moousture is a mouse gesture library with power and flexiblity to mould itself for you. Implemented on Mootools following the Object Oriented standards. Library is aimed to set out a future framework for mouse guesters for any browser including modern mobile devices.

Its based on three major concepts. A probe, which probes the pointing device. A monitor, which tests the stability of probed device on given intervals and accordingly notifies Moousture events (onStable, onUnstable, onMove). And a Moousture recorder class that records the mouse movements and invoke the guesture object passed to it. Each class allows you to tune the way gestures for yourself.

Requirements: MooTools Framework
Demo: http://neofreeman.freepgs.com/Moousture/
License: GPL License

• 5 Comments

jQuery Masonry is a layout plugin for jQuery. Think of Masonry as the flip side of CSS floats. Where as floats arrange elements horizontally then vertically, Masonry arranges them vertically then horizontally. The result leaves no vertical gaps between elements of varying height, just like a mason fitting stones in a wall. Masonry will work with all structural elements: div’s, lists, p’s, spans.

There are no setting or options within in the plugin. Instead, all spacing properties can be set with CSS. The only property required for Masonry to work is for the width of the child elements. Child elements should be should have equal width in order to avoid any overlapping.

Requirements: jQuery Framework
Demo: http://desandro.com/resources/jquery-masonry
License: License Free

• 3 Comments

RestfulX is a framework that brings a clean, REST-inspired approach to Adobe Flex and AIR development and makes integration with RESTful Web Services as simple as possible.

If you want to use Ruby on Rails, Merb, Sinatra, CouchDB or Google App Engine and you want a UI that puts the word Rich into Rich Internet Applications give RestfulX a spin. RestfulX only takes 5 minutes to get started.

Instead of WSDL, SOAP or other complex specifications you’ll find a few common conventions that help you to abstract your application from repetitive CRUD code and switch/synchronize between various data providers with minimal effort.

Requirements: -
Demo: http://restfulx.github.com/
License: MIT License

• 0 Comments