Intro

Objectives

• Describe jQuery and its purpose as a JavaScript library

• Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using jQuery.

• Practice using jQuery selectors

What is jQuery?

jQuery is a free, open-source, 3rd-party library that is intended to make front-end development tasks --- particularly those involving DOM selection and manipulation --- easier, faster, and more fun.

But wait, what do we mean by 'library'?

A library is a collection of reusable functions that serve a particular purpose. The great thing about libraries is that we're using code that solves common problems, thus avoiding reinvention of the wheel.

Why use it?

• simplifies complex DOM manipulation

• concise, intuitive, readable syntax also

• solves many cross-browser compatibility issues for us

• fun and super helpful jQuery plugins

• well-maintained, issues resolved quickly

• designed for developers to implement complex functionality quickly and easily

• makes css changes and javascript animation very simple

Cons?

• jQuery is much slower than vanilla javascript in many cases (it solves so many issues so it runs a LOT of code behind the scenes)

• constantly evolving, so you need to keep up and understand a lot about how it works in order to be able to resolve any issues you encounter when implementing jQuery

• in conclusion: good for readability, bad for debugging