Overview
Released in 2006, jQuery was the dominant JavaScript library for over a decade. It solved many cross-browser compatibility issues and provided a simple, chainable API for DOM manipulation.
Key Features
- DOM Selection: Powerful CSS-like selectors for finding elements.
- AJAX Support: Simplified the process of making asynchronous requests.
- Animations: Easy-to-use methods for fading, sliding, and custom animations.
- Plugin Ecosystem: Thousands of community-contributed plugins for every imaginable task.
Current Status
While modern browsers and frameworks have made jQuery less necessary for new projects, it still powers a significant portion of the web and is essential for maintaining legacy sites.