[pcunite]

After 10+ years as a performance leaning C++ desktop app developer I'm looking for any and all tips to make JavaScript (jQuery too) work in perceivably faster ways. I'm use to threading database calls, using message queues, and views updating themselves from caches. It’s a new world for me and feels somewhat like a step backwards.

Here I come html5!

[oscilloscope]

You can use queues when creating a large number of elements. Use requestAnimationFrame and each frame pop some elements off the queue to render them. This will help prevent the page from locking up during render events.

[PavlovsCat]

Also, when adding many elements (or not so many, but over and over), add them to a DocumentFragment [ http://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/DocumentFrag... ] first, and then attach that to the DOM in one piece (one big DOM update is better than many small ones).

[slacka]

Avoiding writes to the DOM is a good tip for beginners. As a desktop developer, you're going to realize quickly that DOM is decent model for documents, but a terrible paradigm for interactive applications.

Overall performance is terrible and varies widely between browsers. We either need a new standard or a DOM browser battle like what happened with JavaScript, bringing it from 100x to 3x of native.

[TheAceOfHearts]

The only thing that matters in most cases is that it's being done over 60FPS. Use Chrome Dev Tools and to monitor the framerate.

[hising]

I guess knowledge like yours are important in making better tools and patterns available for JavaScript developers who haven't yet had the opportunity to work with those types of tools, patterns and languages you have. A big opportunity for people who come from more mature environments to share their knowledge!

[ivanca]

For performance any platform is a step backwards, the leveling for easier/broader access is never free.

[tlarkworthy]

try angular JS for self updating views.