getElementByAttribute

I don't use many JavaScript libraries, I prefer to write my own implementations of code that I need so that I don't have to import the entire library (although the example I am referring to in this post was not written by me). With Java, the compiler weeds out things you don't use, but the browser doesn't. There is really no mainstream mechanism for the browser to say "Only import method X".

I've used Taconite and DWR for a current project, but as a general rule I've found that for what I do, most libraries are limited to just solving one part of the problem. Taconite is great for AJAX support and being able to add XHTML to the DOM while still maintaining a readable XHTML file so you don't have to wrap everything in DOM methods. However, it doesn't cut it with cross-domain issues. Similarly, DWR is great for making AJAX calls by invoking a JavaScript wrapper with the same name as your Java class method, but it suffers from the same limitation.

I'll write more on this topic later, but the main purpose of this post is to identify the source of some code I found on Mahesh Lambe's blog

Mahesh obviously paid attention in school! The getElementByAttribute function that he wrote uses two inner functions and recursion to search for an element that contains the attribute you specify and the value you specify. The search consist of making a recursive call by diving down through all of the child elements in one call while checking the sibling in another call. This results in a thorough check down the DOM tree. It reminds me vaguely of something I may have done in Lisp with Fibonacci numbers in college.

This is one of the reasons that I love JavaScript. I just don't come across code like this in Java. With JavaScript, the code seems more true to the spirit of Computer Science, while still representing the language of interactive web applications.