Is there a better (lightweight) solution for autocomplete with php and codeigniter without jquery ui?

Question

I was searching a lightweight and crossbrowser compatible solution for my web site. Here is the solution i have successfully implemented:

Codes: http://www.jamipietila.fi/codeigniter-and-autocomplete-with-jquery/ Working Example: http://demosivut.net/demo/ci_jquery_autocomplete/index.php/autocomplete

But using jquery.ui costs 200 kb for js file and another 33 kb for css file.

I am planning to implement that autocomplete box into every pages and it seems that costs a lot for just a autocomplete box.

Is there a smaller solution for this ?

Answer 1

This is the autocomplete script I use: http://www.devbridge.com/projects/autocomplete/jquery/

It weighs in at 7kb when minified, however it obviously relies on jQuery too which adds to the footprint.

It's worth noting though that if you are using jQuery UI from a CDN, the chances are it's already cached in a visitors browser, therefore the successive load times will be vastly reduced.