Ditch the jQuery Crutch and Embrace Vanilla JS

jQuery used to be the go-to library for front-end development, simplifying tasks like DOM manipulation and AJAX requests. However, in today’s world, jQuery is often unnecessary, as modern JavaScript has evolved to handle these tasks more efficiently.
Let's take a closer look at why you should ditch jQuery and embrace Vanilla JS for better performance, cleaner code, and future-proof skills.

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Why jQuery Is No Longer Needed❓

1. Vanilla JS Has All the Tools You Need
When jQuery first gained popularity, it filled a gap where native JavaScript wasn’t as powerful or easy to use. However, modern JavaScript (ES6 and beyond) has introduced many features that accomplish what jQuery used to.

For instance, native JavaScript now includes:

• Query Selectors: document.querySelector() and document.querySelectorAll().
• Event Handling: addEventListener().
• AJAX Requests: fetch() API for network requests.
• Animations: CSS transitions/animations and JavaScript requestAnimationFrame().

Now, you don’t need to rely on jQuery to handle these common tasks.

2. Performance Matters
Every extra library you add to a project increases the file size and the number of HTTP requests, slowing down your website. jQuery adds about 90KB of extra code (compressed). While this may seem small, it can add up, especially on mobile networks.
Modern browsers support native JavaScript features, so there’s no need for jQuery’s overhead. By switching to Vanilla JS, you make your website lighter and faster.

3. Modern Browsers Support All You Need
In the past, jQuery helped ensure cross-browser compatibility. But in 2024, most modern browsers support JavaScript features natively, including querySelector(), fetch(), and addEventListener(). The constant updates to browsers have removed the need for jQuery’s “shim” functionality to fix incompatibilities. Now, you can use native JavaScript confidently, knowing it will work consistently across major browsers.

4. Better Long-Term Maintenance
One of the most overlooked reasons to ditch jQuery is the long-term maintenance of your codebase. While jQuery simplifies tasks in the short term, it adds another layer of abstraction. As your project grows, having jQuery as a dependency can lead to confusion and challenges in debugging, especially for new developers who may not be familiar with the library.

Working with Vanilla JS means you’re sticking to the fundamentals of the language, leading to cleaner, more maintainable code that doesn’t require learning a library on top of it.

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jQuery vs Vanilla JS: A Quick Comparison
Here’s a direct comparison of some of the most common tasks you might encounter in jQuery and Vanilla JS:

1. DOM Manipulation
jQuery:

$('#my-button').click(function() {
  $(this).hide();
});

Vanilla JS:

document.querySelector('#my-button').addEventListener('click', function() {
  this.style.display = 'none';
});

Theory: jQuery hides some of the complexity involved with adding event listeners and manipulating the DOM. However, with modern JavaScript, we have access to simple methods like querySelector() and addEventListener(), which offer more direct control over the DOM.

2. AJAX Requests
jQuery:

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

Vanilla JS:

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

Theory: jQuery’s AJAX methods abstract the complexity of making network requests, but the fetch() API is now built into browsers and is more modern and powerful. It also works better with Promises and asynchronous operations, which are core to modern JavaScript workflows.

3. Event Handling
jQuery:

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

Vanilla JS:

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

Theory: jQuery’s .on() method is useful but introduces unnecessary overhead. Native JavaScript’s addEventListener() is not only faster but allows you to do more advanced things like attaching multiple event handlers to the same element.

4. Animations
jQuery:

$('#my-box').fadeOut();

Vanilla JS:

document.querySelector('#my-box').style.transition = 'opacity 0.5s';
document.querySelector('#my-box').style.opacity = '0';

Theory: jQuery simplifies animations, but CSS transitions and animations provide much better performance. They are handled by the browser’s rendering engine, which leads to smoother effects. Vanilla JS can be used to control and trigger CSS animations, leading to better separation of concerns and faster rendering.

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The Key Takeaway🔑
In the end, jQuery was a game-changer in the past. But with the rapid advancement of JavaScript and the modern browser ecosystem, there’s no longer a need for it in new projects. By embracing Vanilla JS, you’ll:

• Keep your codebase lighter and faster.
• Make your site more maintainable in the long term.
• Become proficient with core JavaScript, which is applicable across all modern frameworks (like React, Vue, Angular, etc.).

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So, Do You Really Need jQuery❓
In short: No. Vanilla JS is a better, leaner, and more efficient choice for modern front-end development. It gives you all the tools you need without the overhead, and it keeps your website running smoothly and quickly. jQuery’s time has come and gone, and it's time to embrace the future—JavaScript without the crutch.
Hope this blog helps you make informed decisions for your projects.

"Thanks for reading, keep coding!"❤