Bringing together HTML5 and CSS, the jQuery JavaScript
library greatly eases the pains of Web application development
1. jQuery promotes simplicity
Developers find jQuery intuitive and easy to learn -- this
library is built on shorter, simpler code, after all. With simple syntax and
open coding standards, developers can shorten the time it takes to deploy an
application or site.
In addition, developers don't have to be experts in
programming or Web design to create great styles for their sites. Any developer
who has spent hours coding and testing CSS files will surely appreciate the
simple implementation that jQuery brings to the table. There's also a set of
robust jQuery UI components that developers can plug into their websites.
2. jQuery elements display even when JavaScript is disabled
If Adobe Flash isn't installed on any given browser, certain
parts of the page may render incorrectly, if they render at all. This is not
only unpleasant for the user; it forces developers to spend extra time coding
for the browsers that lack the Flash plug-in, which adds to development time.
Not so with jQuery. Manipulating the HTML DOM has become the
most widely accepted practice of manipulating a Web page so content will be
rendered even if JavaScript is disabled in the browser. Since the HTML DOM is
always present, there's no more worrying about browser settings either.
Furthermore, developing using jQuery can reduce instances of
help desk tickets. Your help desk will appreciate that your developers are
coding proactively to avoid dreaded browser crashes.
3. jQuery easily integrates with the Visual Studio IDE
NuGet is a Visual Studio extension that makes it easy to
add, remove, and update libraries and tools in Visual Studio projects that use
the .Net Framework. NuGet has been around for years, and it's a trusted source
for developers to exchange and develop packages for Microsoft Visual Studio.
Visual Studio 2010 supports the integration of the jQuery
library via the Manage NuGet Packages dialog box. This activates the
Intellisense feature of Visual Studio, which gives the developer immediate
access to jQuery methods and syntax without having to leave code view to do
research. There isn't a better tool to work in a Microsoft-based .Net
environment.
In general, most .Net developers use Visual Studio and are
familiar with NuGet. This is part of the reason why jQuery's popularity
continues to grow with .Net developers. With the addition of the jQuery mobile
theme for Windows, you now have all the development benefits of the jQuery
library available for the Windows Phone platform.
Microsoft is showing that it's serious about HTML5, which
includes a lot of jQuery elements, by promoting the use of jQuery libraries
that the HTML5 crowd has adopted. Microsoft is encouraging the use of jQuery,
not only in mobile development but also in new Metro-style UI apps.
4. jQuery makes animated applications just like Flash
Flash developers are not cheap. Developing in Flash requires
a huge learning curve; for the average developer, it can take years of practice
to be able to create the movie-like creations that made Flash famous. On the
other hand, jQuery is free and requires only the knowledge of JavaScript and
HTML.
Let's say you can afford your software and your Flash
developer. He or she still has to code for browsers and platforms that don't
support Flash and for audiences that will not be able to view your Flash content.
This is one of the biggest drawbacks of building a Flash-only website -- and
one of the biggest advantages of building in HTML5.
Meanwhile, jQuery uses a combination of CSS, HTML,
JavaScript, and AJAX. These are all markup-based technologies that are meant to
work well together. This means you can apply an optimization strategy to your
site without having to make special adjustments for technologies like Flash.
Bottom line: You can achieve great-looking effects that will keep your audience
engaged.
For interesting examples of the kind of animation that can
be achieved using HTML5 and jQuery, check out the boostinspiration.com feature
HTML5 Websites: 10 Flash-killing examples.
5. jQuery pages load faster
Google and other search engines using page load time as one
of the many factors affecting SEO. (More on that later.) For this, and many
other, reasons, every developer should strive to make code as light and concise
as possible.
The best way to do this is to reduce the size of your code.
If your site is coded with an HTML and CSS base, you can easily make uniform
adjustments to your code that will reduce the size. Like CSS, jQuery files are
generally stored separately from the Web page itself. This lets developers make
modifications across the entire site through one central repository instead of
search through folder structures. This is a core benefit of CSS coding, and it
is a proven success.
In addition, jQuery gives you the option of loading div tags
only when you need them. If you are taking measures to improve the speed of
your website, then you may consider loading only the necessary div tags needed
for your page load event. This way, you can display only what a user needs to
see right away and have the rest of your division elements load as they are
needed.
6. jQuery can be SEO friendly
You may have the most appealing site, but is it worth it if
you sacrifice style for SEO? The way you code your site greatly affects the way
it can be found in Google, Bing, and other search engines.
As noted, jQuery can be optimized for search engines, and
there are a lot of plug-ins available to aid developers in this task. Embedding
your jQuery elements using unordered lists is an SEO-friendly practice that
works well.
For example: < UL >Render your jQuery output here<
/UL >
The unordered list is a classic HTML tag that has been
around for years -- search engines will pick up or recognize < UL > tags
much faster than a custom element or tag -- and will still be utilized in
HTML5.
Another SEO advantage of the HTML5-jQuery combo that's worth
mentioning is that animations can be loaded with keywords that can be read by
search engines.
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