Program Conflicts

My project is complex. I'm teasing through snippets from a large program that I have. It uses Javascript libraries/higher level programs (Prototype, script.aculo.us, and a couple other "plugins" from resources such as DynamicDrive.com.).

After intense learning and work with the program, many times debugging the wrong part, I realized that there are conflicts between jQuery and Prototype and maybe other plugins, although all are Javascript. I should have been debugging the libraries, not my programs. Where's standardization?

CURRENT PROBLEM
I'm trying to include a call to an external program to read a database and return the results back to the script with jQuery and Ajax. Something like "Autocomplete". This doesn't work when I simply install a working script into a page using the other higher-level Javascript programs.

I tried the jQuery $.noConflict(); command (instead of using the dollar sign, use jQuery.whatever); however, when I use that in this haystack of program libraries, functions on the page breaks.

I'm now attempting to use Ajax with script.aculo.us instead of the jQuery. Will this work?

THE DIRECTION of This Blog
I've decided to include in this blog not only syntax of these higher-level languages, but also the parameters that you can use (e.g., for the accordion, I saw "slide" and "bounce" but are there more? Can you control the speed, and if so, what exactly do you enter, a number or word?) as well as how to logically modify code snippets that you find on the Net.

I have a few books and they all boast that they are a "comprehensive guide" (those 2 words combined don't make sense) or appear to have the dictionary of syntax for the languages. But, they don't. They all teach by example and don't really provide the nuts and bolts of the syntax. Sure, I can print what's on the Net but I don't want to waste my toner and paper on something that I should have been able to purchase.

I want to document the syntax and parameters so that I can modify existing code. I want to be able to look at some code and quickly determine if it's jQuery, Prototype or something else. This will make modifying programs written by someone else much easier.

Meanwhile, stay looney tuned!