If I get it right, there is a difference between jQuery autocomplete plugin and jQuery UI autocomplete widget. Which one is better and you suggest to use? I'm rooting for the second one, but I'm not sure.
Can you also point me to a few sample code snippets. Basically I need to get the values from an action method.
As stated on the jQuery autocomplete plugin home page (I believe you mean this one), the plugin has been deprecated in favor for the jQueryUI autocomplete plugin:
Note (2010-06-23): This plugin is deprecated and not developed anymore. Its successor is part of jQuery UI, and this migration guide explains how to get from this plugin to the new one.
(Emphasis mine)
With that in mind, I would recommend proceeding forward with the jQueryUI offering.
I would also add that the autocomplete widget is very extensible and robust (some of the examples provided on the plugin's page are pretty in-depth). Plus you get the added benefit of frequent updates and good support on StackOverflow
As for getting values from an action method, that would definitely be possible. With the jQueryUI widget you would write something like:
$( "#selector" ).autocomplete({
source: "/path_to_your_action",
});
Check out the remote datasource example for more information.
There are MANY autocomplete plugins for jquery, most of them junky and unusable. I use this one and I'm quite satisfied:
http://www.devbridge.com/projects/autocomplete/jquery/
I also used the autocompleter in scriptaculous, havily modified, which is great for local autocompletion. I don't know about JQuery UI autocomplete widget.
