What is jQuery?

With the technological boom happening and the use of websites being a prerequisite for any business, big or small, the demand for web development is on the rise. JQuery provides developers with the ability to create client-side web pages easily. In simpler terms, it is a feature-rich library provided by Javascript.   

So, let’s discuss in-depth the use of JQuery and how it can be useful to developers.

What is jQuery?

jQuery is a JavaScript framework. It facilitates the readability and the manipulation of HTML DOM elements, event handling, animations, and AJAX calls. It’s also free, open-source software that adheres to the MIT License. As a result, it is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries. 

The syntax of jQuery makes document navigation, DOM component selection, animation creation, event handling, and Ajax app development easier. 

It allows developers to create plug-ins that operate on top of the JavaScript library. Developers may use this to construct abstractions for low-level interaction and animation, complex effects, and themeable widgets at a high level. 

The modular nature of the jQuery framework allows developers to create complex dynamic web pages and apps. 

What is jQuery used for?

jQuery is an open-source JavaScript library. So when we need to write less and get more done, it’s light and convenient.

jQuery is a library that covers several common activities that require a lot of JavaScript code in different methods. Programmers may use a single line of code to invoke this function. As a consequence, including JavaScript in your website is straightforward. JavaScript is an independent programming language, whereas jQuery is a collection of JavaScript code (not its own language).

JQuery is a compact, quick JavaScript library packaged in a single.js file. It has several built-in functionalities that allow you to complete various activities fast and efficiently.

How to use jQuery?

jQuery’s main function is to use the DOM to link with HTML components in the browser.

The Document Object Model (DOM) is the interface between JavaScript (including jQuery) and the HTML in a browser. 

Example

Right-click on the current web page in your browser and select Inspect to see the DOM in detail. The browser will launch Developer Tools as a result of this action. The DOM is the HTML code you see here.

Each HTML element is a node in the DOM, which means it’s an object that JavaScript can interact with. These items are organised in a tree structure, with the root element being closest to it and each nested element being a branch farther down the tree. Developers can add, remove or change any of these items using JavaScript.

If you right-click the site again and select View Page Source, you’ll view the website’s raw HTML output. It’s easy to mix up the DOM with the HTML source at first, but they’re not the same thing: the page source is exactly what’s written in the HTML file. Furthermore, it is static and will not change, and JavaScript will have no effect on it. On the other hand, the Document Object Model (DOM) is dynamic and subject to change.

The document object is the DOM’s outermost layer, which wraps around the whole html> node. Therefore, before modifying the page using jQuery, we must first make sure the document is “ready.”

In your js/ directory, create the scripts.js file and type the following code:

$(document).ready(function() {
    // enter the jQuery here
});

Developers can wrap the preceding code around any jQuery code you write. jQuery will detect this state of readiness, and the code inside this function will only run once the DOM is ready for JavaScript code to execute. 

Even though JavaScript may not be loaded until items are displayed, in some circumstances, incorporating this block is considered excellent practice.

Why use it?

jQuery is a cross-browser library that is small, fast, and packed with features. As a result, it is the most popular and widely used JavaScript framework among programmers, despite the fact that there are numerous JavaScript libraries available. Moreover, it is more flexible and straightforward to use than other JavaScript libraries.

jQuery requires significantly less code, offers a wide variety of online plug-ins, and is easy to use for web developers. It increases web pages’ interactivity, simplicity, and usability in all browsers. It may also be optimised for SEO and is simple to set up and utilise.

What kind of Plug-ins can be used?

The design of jQuery allows developers to write plug-in code to enhance its capabilities. jQuery plug-ins cover a wide range of capabilities, including Ajax helpers, Web services, data grids, dynamic lists, XML and XSLT tools, drag and drop, events, cookie management, and modal windows, among others. 

Developers can integrate a variety of useful features using jQuery plug-ins. Some of these include:

• Chat-bot support
• Video player capabilities
• Popups
• Menu tabs
• And much more

jQuery has a “Learning Center” that may assist users in learning JavaScript and starting out with jQuery plug-in development. 

Developers may either write their own code from scratch or build on top of an existing framework to construct these plug-ins. 

Conclusion

We have covered most of the aspects of jQuery in this blog. After a page of HTML has been shown by the browser, the jQuery library makes it simple to change it. It also includes capabilities for listening for a user to interact with your website, creating animations, and communicating with a server without refreshing the page.

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