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How Proficient Do I Need to be at Javascript Before Exploring Libraries Like JQuery?
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Hi,
The Subject pretty much says it all. From what I've read it sounds like JQuery takes some of the pain out of Javascript. And by that it probably means that JQuery abstracts away some of the more tedious parts of Javascript, which is to say that if you don't know what's going on "under the hood" then you could get into trouble.
That said, how proficient at Javascript should we be before making use of something like JQuery? Could diving into JQuery actually help us become more proficient at Javascript?
Thanks in advance.
I was wondering the same thing myself, so I downloaded the jquery library to play with (you can also call it directly at Google or jquery within your scripts).
If you can understand what's going on here:
"http://www.hackification.com/2008/11/27/a-developers-introduction-to-jquery/" then I think you can go right ahead and get your feet wet.
Also, Jquery is not the only framework out there.
Thanks for that link - really useful.
Have you used other frameworks that you like more than JQuery?
I'm sort of interested in prototype/scriptaculous which might be better for design thingys.
I don't really know enough to say, except that I plan to take all of them for a test drive and then decide.
I can confirm from my own experience that proficiency in Javascript (my proficiency is very poor) is not necessary in order to make use of JQuery, although obviously it would make it easier. I have been making use of JQuery for 3 years now and have found it very useful for achieving specific goals in web page functionality. It's especially useful in creating Javascript that is accessible in many different browsers and versions of those browsers. I wouldn't go so far as to say that JQuery actually help us become more proficient at Javascript, but for programming novices like myself, it certainly makes it possible to use Javascript effectively, even if we don't understand how it all works.
Very important question, since it is recommended to use a platform library (like JQuery or others) which abstract away browser incompatibility and generally make it easier to use Javascript.
I would say everyone's current knowledge of Javascript is sufficient to get started with JQuery. You may need to know advanced topics to be able to debug the working of JQuery (internals), but you can very well get started and use the library with what you know till now.
Thanks for all the replies - really helpful. I'm anxious to dive into JQuery myself so will get to it.
Cheers,
n