jQuery vs Vanilla JavaScript: Which is Best for Your Web Development Projects?

jQuery was once the go-to library for simplifying complex JavaScript tasks, but with modern JavaScript features and browser compatibility improvements, many developers are now asking whether it’s still necessary. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the tasks that can be accomplished with both jQuery and vanilla JavaScript.

DOM Manipulation

One of the most common tasks performed by jQuery is DOM manipulation. With jQuery, you can easily select and manipulate DOM elements. For example, let’s say we want to change the background color of a button element with an id of “myButton”. Here’s how we can accomplish this with jQuery:

$('#myButton').css('background-color', 'red');

Now let’s see how we can accomplish the same task with vanilla JavaScript:

document.querySelector('#myButton').style.backgroundColor = 'red';

As you can see, both approaches accomplish the same task. However, with vanilla JavaScript, we’re able to use the built-in querySelector method to select the element, and we can then directly modify its style property.

Event Handling

Another common task performed with jQuery is event handling. With jQuery, we can easily attach event handlers to DOM elements. For example, let’s say we want to attach a click event handler to a button element with an id of “myButton”. Here’s how we can accomplish this with jQuery:

$('#myButton').on('click', function() {
  alert('Button clicked!');
});

Now let’s see how we can accomplish the same task with vanilla JavaScript:

document.querySelector('#myButton').addEventListener('click', function() {
  alert('Button clicked!');
});

Again, both approaches accomplish the same task. With vanilla JavaScript, we’re able to use the built-in addEventListener method to attach the event handler.

AJAX Requests

jQuery also simplifies AJAX requests, which is a common task in web development. With jQuery, we can use the $.ajax method to make AJAX requests. For example, let’s say we want to make a GET request to a JSON API. Here’s how we can accomplish this with jQuery:

$.ajax({
  url: 'https://example.com/api',
  method: 'GET',
  success: function(data) {
    console.log(data);
  },
  error: function(error) {
    console.log(error);
  }
});

Now let’s see how we can accomplish the same task with vanilla JavaScript:

fetch('https://example.com/api')
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(error => console.log(error));

With vanilla JavaScript, we’re able to use the built-in fetch method to make the AJAX request. We can then use the .then method to handle the response and the .catch method to handle any errors.

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, many of the tasks that were once accomplished with jQuery can now be accomplished with vanilla JavaScript. While jQuery still has its advantages, such as simplifying cross-browser compatibility and providing a shorthand syntax for complex tasks, it’s important to consider the specific needs of your project before deciding whether or not to use jQuery.

If you’re working on a small project or a simple website, using vanilla JavaScript may be the better choice as it will result in faster load times and fewer dependencies. On the other hand, if you’re working on a larger project or need to support older browsers, jQuery may still be a better choice.

Ultimately, the decision to use jQuery or vanilla JavaScript depends on the specific needs of your project. By understanding the differences between the two, you can make an informed decision and choose the best tool for the job.