Today’s JavaScript landscape consists of dozens if not hundreds of frameworks. Some of them serve as tiny additions to your Web page – they  implement just a certain design pattern. For example, if you need to implement declarative binding of your HTML elements and data models, use knockout.js. If you just want to check if certain HTML5 features are supported by the user’s Web browser add a small modernizr.js to your Web page.

But there are feature-complete frameworks that you can use a foundation of your entire Web application. Such framework include rich library of UI components, support MVC paradigm, offer their own layout managers, styling, effects, and may even have server side components. One of such large and multi-featured frameworks is Ext JS from Sencha.

It’s being used by many IT shops developing enterprise Web applications. In our company we also use Ext JS in some Web applications. We’ve also  added Ext JS code generation to our open source tool Clear Data Builder – it’s a useful tool for creating CRUD applications having Ext JS on the client side talk to Java on the server. We’ve also developed our own Ext JS training curriculum and teach it as two or three day workshop by request.

My colleague Victor has recorded a one hour screencast that can serve as a brief introduction to Ext JS. This presentation has been a part of our fifth annual symposium on enterprise software development. Enjoy the presentation!