The Internet is arguably one of the most used types of media nowadays, second only to the more common television. And as technology and science drives a swift bus known as evolution, the web is seen tagging along the ride.

There are tons of writers, programmers and designers out there contributing to the ever-growing world of internet media by creating websites and web pages, and developing more convenient and efficient ways of making them. One of the most popularly used nowadays is the JavaScript platform, which is pretty much a string-based programming environment used for writing codes that make a lot of things run, from a simple calculating program to a whole website or even mobile phones and other IT devices.

What’s jQuery?

JavaScript, like other programming languages, consists of smaller sub-applications with the same type of language, but aims to make coding much easier. These sub-applications, more commonly known as “libraries”, have different uses and can be found all over the internet.

One popular JavaScript library used today is jQuery. It has over 55% of the 10,000 most visited websites using it. Perhaps the main reason it got its fame is its emphasis on better graphic presentations (for those viewing it) and ease of use (for web designers and developers using it).

jQuery is an open sourced program, meaning that developers can add their own plugins or tweak the application to suit their needs. It is also free and dual licensed (MIT License or the GNU General Public License, Version 2), which means that anybody can use it freely and publish their works online. jQuery was released in January of 2006 by John Resig and up until now has been updated constantly to improve its performance.

A person who has no background might be thinking that it would be impossible to use jQuery without having knowledge in programming, but there are numerous articles out there about using it, ranging from introduction for newbies to more advanced tricks a seasoned user can benefit from.

Here are some of the tips and tricks anybody can use to start with. They are split into two parts: the general tips and the more application-specific tricks inside the jQuery environment itself.

General Tips in Using jQuery

These tips are for those who are just starting to get the gist of using jQuery. Most articles with the same topic provide similar (if not the same) tips of advice and thus making these points a part of the “need to know” list.

• Add plugins. Compared to JavaScript, jQuery provides easier code handling and designing. And with the use of additional plugins, creating a very appealing website will be just a breeze. The jQuery environment is written in a way that users can add other additional software to it. One of the easiest ways to do it is incorporating plugins into the program. These plugins have a wide variety of uses (from acting as a “shortcut” to longer strings of code or setting up an already complete system and then tweaking the theme based on the user’s needs. It can be easily found anywhere online, so one can just search for it in Google and receive many results.

 

• Use a cheat sheet. Memorizing all the codes requires a lot of time and, evidently it is very difficult to do. Instead, most people using jQuery create or look for cheat sheets. These can be in any form – be it just background wallpaper showing different terms and codes or a plugin for jQuery and created with jQuery itself. Adding this to the arsenal makes coding much easier and faster.

 

• Use the latest version. Since its launch in January 2006, jQuery has been updated regularly, improving its efficiency and usability. And since it is free, the updates that come along with it are free as well. Using the most recent version not only provides better performance but also lets the user know he/she is in line with the latest changes.

Read the rest of this entry »