Advantage of jQuery over JavaScript Tools

There are many ways in building an Ajax based application. Developers who are proficient in JavaScript can directly write the code and weave it with HTML and XML to build a good looking website. Those who are not familiar with JavaScript could go for frameworks to easily build an application with the programming language they are familiar with.

There are also JavaScript developers who have opted in using these frameworks to build lightweight yet highly interactive online applications.

One of the well known tools in building an efficient Ajax based application is jQuery. This programming language is often used in developing plug-ins for JavaScript and Ajax based applications. This language has been very successful in its role as a plug-in development tool that it can be used to build an entirely new JavaScript or Ajax based applications.

There are other tools that are similar to jQuery but it has stood out in its performance for varying reasons.

Prototype and mooTools are libraries that provide usable functions in JavaScript applications. However, these libraries often slow down the application if they are not properly tested. The global namespace of the application isn’t properly distributed most of the time.

This is due to the fact that these libraries aim to be as exact as possible. As a result, they would limit certain functions from extending their use. JQuery tackles this problem by extending the functions of JavaScript. Since the coding is local, it will never be shared to other languages.

jQuery is also recognized to be an improvement when developers transfer their functions from YUI to jQuery. Yahoo’s framework for developers has its advantages. Developers could easily build an Ajax and JavaScript plug-ins with the help of easy to use interface of YUI. However, the application is too simple for additional developments. Developers will be greatly limited on what they could do in a plug-in.

You’ll also be forced to use YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName() which is very limiting since the server will be focused on processing data and Yahoo will take care of the functions. Although Yahoo is reliable, it can’t be counted for faster and more interactive applications.

jQuery is also better when compared to Dojo. But that doesn’t mean that Dojo is bad in itself. This highly powerful framework could build highly interactive Ajax based applications in no time. The functions are very extensive and once the developer is familiar with Dojo, the options are almost unlimited.

However, mastering Dojo is like mastering a brand new programming language. It would usually take months before a decent application is built with the help of Dojo. jQuery on the other hand, is originally an easy to use plug-in tool. Developers could easily build an application with the help of jQuery in days only. jQuery also offers almost the same functionality and options as Dojo.

If you’re planning to build a highly interactive application, jQuery should be one of your choices. It’s easy to use and easy to figure out and will ultimately have the same effect compared to other tools for Ajax development.