prototype.js 1.4 原代码阅读

    var onComplete = this.options.onComplete || Prototype.emptyFunction;
    this.options.onComplete = (function(transport, object) {
      this.updateContent();
      onComplete(transport, object);
    }).bind(this);

    this.request(url);
  },

  updateContent: function() {
    var receiver = this.responseIsSuccess() ?
      this.containers.success : this.containers.failure;
    var response = this.transport.responseText;

    if (!this.options.evalScripts)
      response = response.stripScripts();

    if (receiver) {
      if (this.options.insertion) {
        new this.options.insertion(receiver, response);
      } else {
        Element.update(receiver, response);
      }
    }

    if (this.responseIsSuccess()) {
      if (this.onComplete)
        setTimeout(this.onComplete.bind(this), 10);
    }
  }
});

Ajax.PeriodicalUpdater = Class.create();
Ajax.PeriodicalUpdater.prototype = Object.extend(new Ajax.Base(), {
  initialize: function(container, url, options) {
    this.setOptions(options);
    this.onComplete = this.options.onComplete;

    this.frequency = (this.options.frequency || 2);
    this.decay = (this.options.decay || 1);

    this.updater = {};
    this.container = container;
    this.url = url;

    this.start();
  },

  start: function() {
    this.options.onComplete = this.updateComplete.bind(this);
    this.onTimerEvent();
  },

  stop: function() {
    this.updater.onComplete = undefined;
    clearTimeout(this.timer);
    (this.onComplete || Prototype.emptyFunction).apply(this, arguments);
  },

  updateComplete: function(request) {
    if (this.options.decay) {
      this.decay = (request.responseText == this.lastText ?
        this.decay * this.options.decay : 1);

      this.lastText = request.responseText;
    }
    this.timer = setTimeout(this.onTimerEvent.bind(this),
      this.decay * this.frequency * 1000);
  },

  onTimerEvent: function() {
    this.updater = new Ajax.Updater(this.container, this.url, this.options);
  }
});

/**
 * 这个函数就 Ruby 了。我觉得它的作用主要有两个
 * 1.  大概是 document.getElementById(id) 的最简化调用。
 * 比如：$("aaa") 将返回上 aaa 对象