Ajax, DHTML and JavaScript components are important in the era of Web 2.0. Recent Web-applications tend to use them to provide more interactivity and guarantee better functionality. But what Javascript libraries can be used for a new web-project? What functions, effects and useful techniques are actually provided by them? We deliver answers.

The result is an extensive list with over 60 Ajax, Javascript and DHTML Libraries – with detailed description. Links checked on May/07 2008 – screenshots added.

• AjaxAC
  AjaxAC is an open-source framework written in PHP, used to develop/create/generate AJAX applications. The fundamental idea behind AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript And XML) is to use the XMLHttpRequest object to change a web page state using background HTTP sub-requests without reloading the entire page.
• Ajax.NET Professional
  Ajax.NET Professional (AjaxPro) is one of the first AJAX frameworks available for Microsoft ASP.NET and is working with .NET 1.1 and 2.0.
• AjaxRequest Library
  AjaxRequest is a layer over the XMLHttpRequest functionality which makes the communication between Javascript and the server easier for developers.
• AHAH: Asychronous HTML and HTTP
  AHAH is a very simple technique for dynamically updating web pages using JavaScript. It involves using XMLHTTPRequest to retrieve (X)HTML fragments which are then inserted directly into the web page, whence they can be styled using CSS
• dojo, the Javascript Toolkit Dojo is the Open Source Javascript toolkit that makes professional web development better, easier, and faster
• Code Snippets
  Snippets is a public source code repository. Easily build up your personal collection of code snippets, categorize them with tags / keywords, and share them with the world
• Cross-Browser.com
  This site features X – a cross-browser DHTML javascript library, and many demos, applications, articles and documentation.
• DHTML API, Drag & Drop for Images and Layers
  JavaScript Library – Developer: Walter Zorn
• DHTMLgoodies.com
  A library of DHTML and AJAX scripts
• DHTML Kitchen
  DHTML Kitchen is your resource for ready-made or custom-built DHTML scripts. We also specialize in JSP, and front-end Java solutions.
• Dynamic Drive DHTML & JavaScript code library
• DynAPI
  DynAPI 3 is an open-sourced project initiated by Dan Steinman, created to make cross-browser Dynamic HTML a reality. The DynAPI library uses an object-oriented approach to solve problems associated with scripting for both Netscape and Internet Explorer.
• Engine for Web Applications
  Engine for Web Applications is an application framework for client-side development and Web applications. It provides an environment in which to develop and run JavaScript components and applications.
• FACE
  A way to easily bring life and interactivity to websites without having to use Flash. Completely accessible, with easy plug-and-play implementation.
• JavaScript Libraries
  Mark Wilton-Jones
• MochiKit A lightweight Javascript library
• JSL :: JavaScript Standard Library
  JSL is a single and small file ( IE4 compatible packed version: 7.77 Kb ) with some JavaScript 1.6 standard methods or functions that are not present on some browsers. Its goals is to forget work arounds for every library or script that’s included on a web page. You could just add JSL even before your scripts to add portability or more compatibility, then you don’t need to rewrite anything..
• Javascript Toolbox
  This site is intended to be a repository of code and reusable libraries which address common needs that many web developers encounter. The code found here is based on standards but also tries to be backwards-compatible for browsers which don’t support the standards
• jQuery – New Wave Javascript
  jQuery is a Javascript library that takes this motto to heart: Writing Javascript code should be fun. jQuery achieves this goal by taking common, repetitive, tasks, stripping out all the unnecessary markup, and leaving them short, smart and understandable.
• JSAN – JavaScript Archive Network
  JavaScript Archive Network is a comprehensive resource for Open Source JavaScript libraries and software.
• Kabuki AJAX Toolkit
  Kabuki AjaxTK is a client developer library, similar in style to traditional object-oriented widget libraries like Eclipse’s SWT, albeit for Javascript.
• LINB(Lazy INternet and Browser)
  LINB(Lazy INternet and Browser) is designed to allow developers coding in a more targetable, clearly, and efficiently way. LINB is platform-independent, language-independent, and C/S, B/S, RIA compatible.
• moo.ajax
  moo.ajax is a very simple ajax class, to be used with prototype.lite from moo.fx.
• ASP.NET AJAX A free framework for building a new generation of richer, more interactive, highly personalized cross-browser web applications.
• moo.fx
  superlightweight javascript effects library
• overLIB
  overLIB is a JavaScript library created to enhance websites with small popup information boxes (like tooltips) to help visitors around your website..
• overlibmws DHTML Popup Library
  Download and Test Directory for the overlibmws DHTML Popup Library
• PlotKit – Javascript Chart Plotting
  PlotKit is a Chart and Graph Plotting Library for Javascript
• Prototype
  Prototype is a JavaScript framework that aims to ease development of dynamic web applications. Featuring a unique, easy-to-use toolkit for class-driven development and the nicest Ajax library around…
• qForms JavaScript API
  the most complete JavaScript API for interfacing forms. The qForms API has been designed to make forms easy to work with. It simplifies tasks HTML developers normally find tricky to handle
• qooxdoo
  qooxdoo is an advanced open-source JavaScript-based GUI framework. It helps you to implement professional AJAX-enhanced web 2.0 applications..
• Rico
  An open-source JavaScript library for creating rich internet applications. Rico provides full Ajax support, drag and drop management and a cinematic effects library.
• Ruby on Rails
  Rails is a full-stack framework for developing database-backed web applications according to the Model-View-Control pattern. From the Ajax in the view, to the request and response in the controller, to the domain model wrapping the database, Rails gives you a pure-Ruby development environment. To go live, all you need to add is a database and a web server.
• Sajax
  Sajax is an open source tool to make programming websites using the Ajax framework — also known as XMLHTTPRequest or remote scripting — as easy as possible…
• script.aculo.us
  script.aculo.us provides you with easy-to-use, cross-browser user interface JavaScript libraries to make your web sites and web applications fly
• JonDesign’s Smooth SlideShow Library
  Using moo.fx and prototype.lite.js, this javascript slideshow system allows you to have a simple and smooth (cross-fading…) image slideshows and/or showcases on you website.
• Spry Framework for Ajax
  Adobes Spry framework for Ajax is a JavaScript library for web designers that provides functionality that allows designers to build pages that provide a richer experience for their users.
• Tabtastic
  This library is a simple way to implement tabs on your page using CSS, a little JS, and semantic markup which degrades gracefully on browsers with CSS unavailable or disabled.
• Taconite
  Taconite is a framework that simplifies the creation of Ajax enabled Web applications. It’s a very lightweight framework that automates the tedious tasks related to Ajax development, such as the creation and management of the XMLHttpRequest object and the creation of dynamic content…
• Tacos
  The Tacos library project provides components and ajax behaviour for the Tapestry java web application framework. Most of the functionality is based on the exceptional dojo javascript library.
• The Solvent
  The Solvent is a cross-browser AJAX application toolkit written in JavaScript. The Solvent is provided as modules or as an entire toolkit. The projects focus is to promote robust web applications and enable rapid web development.
• ThyApi
  ThyAPI is an api to allow the developement of better user interfaces for web applicaticions, Using javascript and Ajax, it allows a complete visual interface definition using CSS and encapsulates all objects data manipulateion. Build over DynApi
• TwinHelix
  Portfolio of original, high-performance DHTML and JavaScript examples. Designed them all to be as small as possible (once you trim out the comments, of course) and fast — small code is my main priority when developing scripts, as users don’t want to wait half an hour for their site to load”
• TurboWidgets
  TurboWidgets are JavaScript client-side controls that provide a rich user-interface experience for AJAX-style web applications. Built on top of the popular Dojo Toolkit, TurboWidgets are designed for ease-of-use and flexibility. Please see the dev-o-meter for latest developments.
• UIZE JavaScript API
  JavaScript Examples
• High Performance JavaScript Vector Graphics Library
  This JavaScript VectorGraphics library provides graphics capabilities for JavaScript: functions to draw circles, ellipses (ovals), oblique lines, polylines and polygons (for instance triangles, rectangles) dynamically into a webpage..
• WMS Javascript Library
  A Web Map Server (WMS) will return a static map image if given the required parameters in the URL. The purpose of the WMS Javascript Library wmsmap.js is to facilitate the creation of dynamics maps using freely available WMS servers…
• Yahoo Design Pattern Library
• Yahoo! User Interface Library
  The Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) Library is a set of utilities and controls, written in JavaScript, for building richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, DHTML and AJAX…
• Zapatec AJAX Suite
  Jump start your AJAX deployment by using the Zapatec suite which includes six widgets, three modules and a library. Don’t be intimidated by the Suite’s breadth, its components are built with ease of use in mind, and you can start with one or two and migrate to using the full suite as your needs and familiarity increase.
• Zebda
  Zebda is a general purpose javascript library built on Prototype 1.4.0.
• Zephyr
  Zephyr is an ajax based framework for php5 developers. you can easily develop business applications using this robust framework. this is extremely easy to learn and very simple to implement
• ZK
  ZK is an open-source Ajax Web framework that enables rich user interface for Web applications with no JavaScript and little programming.

Source Link: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2006/11/15/ajax-dhtml-and-javascript-libraries/