Web applications continue to have greater emphasis placed on JavaScript to allow complex behavior that is simple, intuitive and visually attractive to the user. Many Web application developers fell in love with jQuery as it largely resolved browser quirks and provided a fun way to manipulate the DOM. Yet, jQuery does not provide a convention for JavaScript and can easily lead to spaghetti code and a messy application with lots of repetition on intermingled concerns.

Several months ago, I started a search for a JavaScript framework. Something to help provide common meaning to my applications. After investigating many frameworks such as JavaScriptMVC, PureMVC, KnockOutJS, corMVC, Sprote Core and even Google’s Web Toolkit nothing felt quite right. I had a specification in mind and each of the frameworks I evaluated missed my mark. As I was about to begin rolling my own I stumbled on a new framework released late in 2010 called Backbone.js. Backbone.js is a (free) product of DocumentCloud that elegantly solves most of the problems I faced while developing Web applications that rely on JavaScript for more than pretty animations.

Join me February 1st. 2011 in Tampa, Florida to learn how Backbone.js can provide structure to your JavaScript application.

Not interested in Backbone.js? That’s ok! I am also going to show how I optimize my CSS and JS files to reduce HTTP calls using Google Closure and some other tricks I’ve picked up over the course of my journey.

What will we cover?

• What is Backbone.js?
  
• What problems does Backbone.js solve? Why should you consider using it?
  
• What pieces make up a Backbone.js application?
  
• How does Backbone.js work with jQuery?
  
• How does it all fit together?
  
• How can we use Google Closure to optimize our files to reduce HTTP calls and bandwidth?
  

Who should come?
Anyone interested in building Web applications that don't rely on the server for all the business logic. Doing AJAX? Making API calls? Logic in your JavaScript? If you wanted to know how a CMS can be built, a cool blog, a Web site like Facebook or Twitter or anything else "Web 2.0" this is for you. I am glad I found Backbone.js and hope to share it with you.

Who should not come?
This meeting is not focused on animation or making cool UI effects. jQuery does a fantastic job of doing that. If you are only interested in seeing pretty things dance and bounce this presentation will
not satisfy your appetite. You will definitely learn stuff--I just don't know how applicable it will be to your interests.

Agenda
IMPORTANT - We are starting at a different time than previous meetings.
6:00pm - Doors open
6:00pm - 6:30pm : Networking and Food
6:30pm - 8:00pm : Presentation (online and in-person)
8:00pm - 8:30pm : Open Q&A / Networking
8:30pm - Doors close

Not in Tampa, Florida?
You can join us online! Around 7pm we will begin a Adobe Connect Session using the following URL: http://experts.adobec...

About our speaker
Our speaker is Aaron Greenlee. Aaron is a Senior Developer at WRECKINGBALL and is primarily responsible for writing ColdFusion, CSS and JavaScript for WRECKINGBALL. In June 2009, Greenlee founded the Central Florida Web Developers User Group (CFWUG) with a mission of continued professional and personal member development achieved through presentations, discussions and exercises to advance technical skills. Greenlee’s experience in the industry began at the age of 16 when he licensed and sold an expansion pack for the video game “Quake.” He continued in Web development for local and national businesses before moving into sales/business administration for a publicly traded RV Manufacturer where he spent five years in management. Following his passion for coding, he returned to Web development in 2008 and currently supports accounts such as Adobe and Time Warner Cable for WRECKINGBALL.