Beginner Series: jQuery Tutorial
If jQuery is nothing more than a library of JavaScript code, what makes it better than writing your own library, or working with another framework?
We already mentioned a couple reasons why jQuery is so popular. It makes it easy to work with the DOM, allows you to add a variety of stylish and slick effects, and can also execute AJAX requests.
But these are all things you’ll hear from anyone that uses jQuery. The real benefits come after you dig into the language and begin working with it. So, what are those? What kinds of things will you experience after you choose to develop with jQuery?
Cross-Browser Compatibility
One of the inherent benefits of jQuery is that it takes care of so many cross-browser bugs and issues you would experience if you were developing using JavaScript on its own.
If you’ve ever worked through a cross-browser web development problem before, then you already know how much of a hair-pulling experience it can be. Elements of a design might render perfectly in one version of a browser but break completely in another. You might find that another type of browser doesn’t want to display effects properly, or a number of similar problems. And if you’re trying to get something to work in Internet Explorer 6, forget about it.
However, the jQuery team – those who develop the jQuery library – spend their time fixing these cross-browser issues so you don’t have to.
Quite simply, if you can render or design an element using jQuery then you can rest assured that it will work properly on all browsers, and all versions.
Trust us when we say, that can save you a lot of headaches in and of itself.
Beautiful and Clean Syntax
When you’re developing web pages, one of the first things you learn is to separate your page presentation code from your scripts. It’s common practice for many reasons.
Because of the way jQuery works – allowing you to hook elements and attach code to web pages similar to CSS – it’s incredibly easy to keep to those practices when using it. Your final markup will always be separated from your scripting code, and that’s a good thing!
This leaves both your HTML and web page content, and your scripting content to their own vices. You get beautiful and clean syntax all around.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that jQuery syntax is relatively easy to read.
jQuery is Popular
Because jQuery is nothing more than a JavaScript library or framework, it’s easy to see just how popular it is. Seriously, Google “common JavaScript libraries” and you’ll get a seemingly endless list.
Needless to say, there are a lot of developers out there using jQuery and that’s extremely beneficial for you. It means there will be more resources to use including documentation, high-quality tutorials, blog posts with code snippets, and much more.
There’s no shortage of resources on jQuery, so you should be able to find whatever you need while you’re working with the language.
What Jobs Require the Use of jQuery?
At the risk of sounding repetitive, jQuery is nothing more than neatly bundled JavaScript so jobs that require the use of the library will be the same that require the use of JavaScript. Those are primarily in the web development market.
Common job titles are senior web and graphic designer, senior backbone service provider engineer, senior software engineer, websphere commerce solution architect, web designer and front-end developer, and much more.
If you’re looking for more specifics than that, some of the biggest brands in the web development world use jQuery and JavaScript regularly. Those players include IBM, Google, Netflix, and even Microsoft.
Since JavaScript is used for front-end development there will never be a shortage in need for devs of this kind. Companies and brands are always building new websites or redesigning old ones, and that’s not including all the startups and new businesses that need web development work completed.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to learn both JavaScript and jQuery more extensively if you plan to have a career in web development, in addition to several other languages like HTML and CSS.
The Best Place to Start
Believe it or not, the three best places to start your educational journey if you’re looking to begin learning jQuery all reside on the official developer’s website.
- To get a better understanding for what jQuery is, and how it’s used, take a look at the official site.
- To understand the jQuery API and it’s library, take a look at the API Documentation portal.
- To actually start learning and begin working with the language, pay a visit to the jQuery Learning Center.
Next, we’ll take a look at What Features jQuery Has to Offer.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
