Using jQuery Coda plugin, css-tricks.com has created a very good script for a featured content gallery with auto advancing. It can be created with simple html markups.

Suggested Enhancements

Add scroll functionality (carousel functionality) in the thumbnails so that any number of items can be featured.

For demo and download, please check the links

Open Demo | Open demo in new window | Info & Download code

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All demos can be found in the site http://gsgd.co.uk/sandbox/jquery/easing/

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Unlike many other libraries, multiple images can be opened at the same time. And a user can arrange the images as he wish on the browser. So it is definitly more usable than image gallery script that can show only one image – typical example is lightbox effect (opening the next closes the current).

The animation is also brilliant. Very smooth zooming of images. To open an image, you just need to click and to close, click on it again (Customizable in different ways). If you want to open two images, just click on the required images and those two will be popped up. Opening one image does not close the other.

Advantages:

• Stand alone javascript. Does not need a library.
• The most user friendly way to show images
• Good effects
• Can show HTML, AJAX content or Flash.
• Can open multiple images
• The opened image windows are draggable so that the user can arrange it in anyway. This is very useful if you want to compare two images.
• Creative Commons License – Free for personal use

Disadvantages:

• Not free for commercial sites. Requries a license. It can be purchased for one site or unlimited

The author has given good documentation and examples in his site highslide.com

Another cool site to check out is, http://youflow.finnrudolph.de. The author has successfully combined coverflow, youtube API and highslide to create a good mashup.

Is it the best?

Well, I think it has improved a lot. Using this script you can completely avoid browser popup windows. The ability to show images and non image (html, iframe) contents in a more userfriendly way makes it one of the best script ever made. The only drawback I see is the license. What do you think?

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Image flow is inspired by Apple’s cover flow. The javascript renders the cover flow effect without any noticeable flaw. Keyboard navigation (arrow keys), mouse scroll and dragging is supported. Very cool script to use.

Advantages

• XHTML compliant
• Keyboard and Mouse scroll wheel navigation supported
• Free to use on any site
• No dependencies
• small in size (Only 11 KB uncompressed)

Specifications

For demo and download, please check the links

Open | Open in new window

The above demo opens images in another tab/window. Means no lightbox support. But lightbox support can be integrated. Please check the links below

Open | Open in new window

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Shadowbox is a cross-browser, cross-platform, cleanly-coded and fully-documented media viewer application written entirely in JavaScript. Using Shadowbox, website authors can display a wide assortment of media in all major browsers without navigating away from the linking page.

This is a multi purpose pop up functionality like thickbox, graybox etc. Unlike many(for eg: thickbox), it doesn’t depend on a javascript library like jquery or mootools. So it is easier to integrate on any site without worrying dependencies.

Advantages

• XHTML compliant
• Highly configurable
• Can be used to display any media including SWF, Videos, images, sites etc
• Remains focused irrespective of scroll
• GPL Licence – Can be freely used/modified in any site
• Skinnable

Specifications

Open | Open in new window

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