Modal Ajax Windows - New Release [0.6.4]

My wife is working late today, and my customer is in Finnmark (way far North in Norway) and I was getting boored watching Google Code videos, so I was trying to twist my head for something intelligent to do so I thought - Hey we need Modal Ajax Windows, right...? :P
(Click the "Open another window" button to see them)



Now I could have just created them, though I wanted to proove a couple of points in the process - kind of like one of these because I can moments...

My first point is that I started 30 minutes ago; 21:15. I am finished with the feature now - 21:48 (going to build and deploy the updated samples and upload the new release.......)

And I am finished uploading the new release, building and deploying the new samples and the time is now 21:53...

So my point is that developing with Ra-Ajax is *DEADLY* fast...!

Sure I (obviously) know Ra-Ajax in and out, and also this wasn't like "rocket science" and all that, but it was in fact creating an Extension Behavior for Ra-Ajax, which in fact in most other Ajax Frameworks would be considered "really advanced stuff". And I was able to get a really spectacular cool feature out the door in less than an hour. In fact when I am finished writing this blog I will probably have spent the same amount of time writing this blog as I spent creating the new feature, updating our website AND uploading the new release to Google Code...

The second point I want to make is how extremely agile and alive this project is. As some of you know we had a release earlier today, and me and Kariem actually started on the WebMethods implementation *today*. Still we managed through pair programming a couple of hours on Skype to create a really cool feature, build a new release and updated our samples during a couple of hours of pair-programming. In fact we're now up to several releases per week! (look at the release history at our Google Code page if you don't believe me)

Now the "Modal Window" feature wasn't something a user of us asked us for, unless you count *me* as a user, but the WebMethod was something Angel asked us about in a forum post a couple of days ago. And there is my third point. We think that by giving our users what they need, we'll be creating a really great product for the whole world. This means, if you need some feature - let us know! We WILL meet your needs (well, mostly...;)

The fourth point is the SPEED I managed to create a new release within. This is thanx to the brilliant nAnt build system that Kariem has built which is very modular and flexible to use. That in addition to our Unit Testing suite (built using a *marvelous* tool called WatiN) makes us VERY flexible in regards to creating and wrapping up new releases.

So to conclude;

• If you need s feature in the core - ASK us about it. We WILL create it as long as it's a good idea...
• If we don't create it (since you're the only guy on the planet with that need) then create it yourself. You WILL be able to do so in some few hours fiddling with Ra-Ajax
• Use nAnt and automated build systems!
• Use WatiN!
• Trust Open Sauce projects to meet your needs
• And for God's sake - USE Ra-Ajax if you have Ajax needs for ASP.NET or Mono...
• Download the latest (0.6.4) version NOW - JavaScript development are for people who enjoy pain (and Ajax Framework developers)...

PS!
I spent 30 minutes writing this blog, almost half the time I spent creating the Modal Window Feature, wrapping up a new release and uploading it to Google Code...


Have a great day (II) :)

Thomas