The Prototype JS library is probably the best javascript library out there. Though the competition is tought, with MooFx and the like, prototype has its own place in the javascript world.
But one of the biggest issues with using the file is the download size. The latest file is well over 97k, which is a lot of download data, even if it does get downloaded only once. Other than that I fail to believe that there is any developer in the world who uses all of the functions which need to be stripped.
This is why I decided to cut it out, and use the result for my site MBAKarma. How I went about it was, I started with the complete library, finished the site, and then finally got rid of all the stuff I didn’t need. Ofcourse, your requirements might be different, but it just might help if you’re starting out.
There is also a small version of prototype.js library available with moo.fx. But for all practical reasons, I found it way to small.
Then, there is also this issue about using javascript compressor, because even though it is quite well tested, who knows when it fails. Maybe I’m more paranoid than I should be, but I think it helps.
Anyways, without wasting any more of your time, here is the stripped version of the library for your download. The download size is 10869 bytes for the unzipped version and 3593 bytes for the gzipped version.
Please let me know if you find any issues. The same code is in use on MBA Karma, and I haven’t encountered any issues, so you can feel safe while using it. Also, if you can find another way to reduce it even further, do let me know.
Prototype.js 1.5.11 Unzipped (10869 bytes)
Prototype.js 1.5.11 Gzipped Version (3593 bytes)