javascript APIs make me deeply sad

bullshit.js

var picker_id = this.id + 'start-date';
this.start_date_picker = this.date_picker_container.append('input');
this.start_date_picker.attr('type', 'text');
this.start_date_picker.attr('id', picker_id);
this.start_date_picker = $('#'+picker_id).datepicker();

// this DOES NOT work:

this.start_date_picker.setDate(this.response.start_date);

// instead, you have to do this:
$('#'+picker_id).datepicker('setDate', this.response.start_date);

it's not that hyperbolic a statement - the "community" (if you want to call it that) is not focused on the craft (like the Python community for example) but on creating useable and reusable code usually with production in mind. Since Javascript was written in something like a month by a guy (forgot his name) working at Netscape in an attempt to sail the next cannonball in the ie netscape browser wars - it doesn't have the Guido or the Matz shepherding its development and fostering its community.
Instead it's development is handled by a comity.
I'm sure a lot of this refusal to come up with simplified conventions that you've noticed comes from that fact that it was sort of an orphaned bastard child.

you're right; it's totally hyperbolic. If I've learned anything about commenting on programming, it's that constructive dialogue that isn't completely hyperbolic doesn't get people to pay attention and click on your links.

yep, I'm using requirejs. It's... decently helpful. I'm not so sure my mind is blown but I've found it to be helpful for my project, so I see why people use it. You have to shim jquery-ui but it's not a big deal. It doesn't really clean up this particular problem though.

Anyway, we have some module, and it adds this datepicker method to the jQuery object (in your example you don't actually call datepicker but I'm guessing it's just a typo and doesn't merit discussion). All my gripe is that when you run datepicker(), it should return an object that has appropriate methods on it. You'd still only be adding a single method, datepicker, to the jquery object; it's the return value that would get the setDate method.