JavaScript libraries are used by developers to easily compose the client side scripting. There are many JavaScript libraries available in the market, but when it comes to popularity, jQuery beats them all. This free, open source JavaScript library makes HTML coding a lot easier. If you are a web programmer, then you must have used jQuery for developing interactive websites. However, only veteran developers know the true potential of jQuery framework as it can help perform many actions. Here are some tips and techniques to do jQuery coding like a pro coder.
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Take help of Google to load jQuery
Google is hosting jQuery libraries for several years now and if you load jQuery from Google, you can enjoy two advantages. First of all, it saves your bandwidth because Google utilizes CDN. The second advantage is that there is a chance of the jQuery being cached in the user’s computer, if he has visited a site that transports jQuery from Google Code.
Merge your scripts
Some websites use numerous jQuery plug-ins, but the problem is that web browsers can’t load scripts simultaneously. Therefore, if you have several scripts and they are downloading one after another, you web page will get slower. The solution to this problem is to unite all the script files in one single file. Besides, you also should minimize the script file size. Use any good ZIP software to decrease the JavaScript file size.
Reduce usage of DOM
If you want jQuery to perform faster, then you must reduce the number of times the code needs to enter into DOM. DOM is used for insertion tasks like .append, .prepend etc. In order to prevent your site from slowing down, you need to use string concatenation. The advantage of string concatenation process is that it builds the list and then uses a single function to add them.
Avoid classes, use ID
Let’s first clarify something. One of the biggest USPs of jQuery is that you can use both classes and IDs to select DOM elements. Both processes are very easy. However, it is wise to select the DOM elements by ID because jQuery uses web browser’s default method, which is “getElementByID” to do this.
Unleash animate function
Ask any veteran web developer why he likes jQuery and he will tell you that he likes the jQuery animation facilities. jQuery offers easy to use pre-determined animation functions such as fadeIn, slideDown etc. So, if the client asks you to build a dynamic website, you can use this pre-defined animation functions to make the site beautiful within a few minutes. Do you know that jQuery animations are automatically queued? So, if you want to run an animation twice, then just call the animation code twice.
Stay accessible
Since jQuery is highly popular, many people are creating plug-ins and creating packages that can be used by web developers immediately. However, many developers forget that the plug-in must work even if the end user keeps JavaScript turned off in his PC. Suppose you use jQuery for “fade in” animation, but if a web user turns JavaScript off, browser will render the CSS and hide the jQuery elements. Hence, always separate “pure CSS” and “JavaScript CSS”. Finally, turn off JavaScript in your web browser, test it and then deploy it in the site.
Never overuse
Don’t just write jQuery codes because you can. You must have a clear idea of your purpose because a good web programmer does not take whimsical decisions. Think your code visually and discuss with your team members. Don’t try to reinvent something that has already been done by others.
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