How different is jQuery from JavaScript?

There are many people, especially aspiring software developers who want to find out how jQuery is different from JavaScript. There are lots of similarities since their base is the same but as the different names suggest, they are quite different as well.

What is Javascript?

This computer language is used for scripting within web browsers. Interface interactions are what it is most frequently used for. Interactive components such as slideshows are generally done through its help. There are other uses for it as well. Those who have used Gmail, the email client of Google, have actually experienced firsthand the language’s power since its rich user experience through creation of great functionality and features are the results of the usage of JavaScript. It is also used for game development, creation of desktop applications as well as server-side programming. Earlier there were issues in it since every web browser had its individual method for implementation which resulted in creation of bugs. Thus, more time had to be spent by developers for fixing of the bugs. However, this is not much of an issue anymore since a certain standard has to be conformed to by the main web browsers which have made the roles of these bugs far less significant.

What is jQuery?

Before the development of jQuery, web developers working in JavaScript had to create their own custom individual frameworks. They could then work around particular bugs without the procedure of debugging some common features that wasted a lot of time. Thus developers created free to use open source JavaScript libraries. jQuery is actually a particular JavaScript library. There is several such other code libraries like MooTools but this one has become quite a popular one due to its ease of use as well as power. One thing to remember here is that jQuery and JavaScript are actually both JavaScript. The major difference here is that optimization has been conducted so that the framework can perform several common scripting functions by using lesser lines of code.

Difference between the two

In the language, the code has to be written by the developers themselves to handle everything. But the other one is a part of the language’s library which is multi-browser and designed for simplification of HTML’s client-side scripting.

The main difference is that one is a language while the other is a framework that is built with the language so that the programmers can be aided in their common web tasks. In fact, with the help of JavaScript you can build a lot of jQuery like frameworks easily.

When using the language, time is needed for the writing of the scripts. However, in case of the framework not much scripting is needed to be written since most of the scripting already exists in it. This results in a lot of time-saving.

The language consists of a combination of DOM or Document Object Model and ECMA Script while the framework is based on DOM or Document Object Model.

With the language there are many processes involved during the creation of applications which are web based. But when the very same application is created in jQuery the process becomes a whole lot easier.

Despite the basic differences, it is safe to say that since the basis is the same for both, they cannot be treated as entirely separate objects altogether. However, since the framework makes functioning easier, it is often wise to use it instead of the language. But there are circumstances where using JavaScript will give you better results, so it is best to consider the needs of the clients and the project before making the final selection. To get maximum benefits of Javascript, you may consider hiring services of a certified Javascript ajax development company.

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