jQuery vs Vanilla JavaScript

Developers should learn jQuery when working on legacy web projects, maintaining older codebases, or needing a lightweight solution for DOM manipulation and Ajax without the overhead of a full framework meets developers should learn vanilla javascript to build a strong foundation in web development, as it is essential for debugging, optimizing performance, and creating lightweight applications where framework overhead is unnecessary. Here's our take.

jQuery

Nice Pick

Developers should learn jQuery when working on legacy web projects, maintaining older codebases, or needing a lightweight solution for DOM manipulation and Ajax without the overhead of a full framework

Pros

• It's particularly useful for tasks like adding interactivity to static pages, handling cross-browser compatibility issues, or quickly building simple web applications where modern frameworks like React or Vue might be overkill
• Related to: javascript, dom-manipulation

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Vanilla JavaScript

Developers should learn Vanilla JavaScript to build a strong foundation in web development, as it is essential for debugging, optimizing performance, and creating lightweight applications where framework overhead is unnecessary

Pros

• It is particularly useful for small projects, browser extensions, or when working in environments where external dependencies are restricted, ensuring compatibility and control over code behavior
• Related to: dom-manipulation, event-handling

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. jQuery is a library while Vanilla JavaScript is a language. We picked jQuery based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

jQuery wins

Based on overall popularity. jQuery is more widely used, but Vanilla JavaScript excels in its own space.