What is jQuery?

jQuery is an addition to JavaScript, that adds a framework that enhances simple JavaScript to the point of providing massive new simplicity to many complex functions for web sites.

jQuery, in many cases, provides simple functionality in a single line of code that would otherwise require many lines of JavaScript code to accomplish.

jQuery does NOT replace JavaScript. It is an addition to JavaScript, and requires JavaScript to be present and enabled in the client’s browser to function. The code syntax is still JavaScript code.

If you are a JavaScript expert, that is great, but you don’t need to be a JavaScript expert to be able to code using jQuery. It will help to know some JavaScript, but you do need to know how the syntax of JavaScript fits together at least.

The biggest plus point to using jQuery, is the huge amount of jQuery plug-ins that allow you to accomplish many, until now, impossibly difficult tasks, in a very simple way.

I will show you some basic jQuery that will become invaluable to you as a coding tool. I will also include links to jQuery plug-ins that I find useful.

Happy reading…