Asking for opinions about scathing jQuery critique [closed]

Question

I'm confused about jQuery.

On one hand it is shipped with the Microsoft MVC library, which I respect as a well thought-out library that I enjoy using.

On the other hand, I was recently pointed in the direction of this post in comp.lang.javascript in which the author has very few kind words to say of jQuery (and, apparently several other similar libraries), and is kind/brave enough to provide his own library.

What's your take on the current state of jQuery, and other such JS libraries?

Answer 1

I'm not a JS developer, but put it like this:

Someone is critical of a widely used library and at the same time promoting their own library?

Call me cynical, but given the inherent conflict of interest I'd look for another opinion or 2 before taking their word as the definitive answer.

Answer 2

My $.02:

jQuery has won the library wars. It just has: inclusion in MVC seals this.

And it's not the worst thing that could happen. Personally I find its feature set and implementation superior to any of its competitors, the animation suite of MooTools withstanding, but what is most important is that it's become the lingua franca. We needed a standard to emerge.

I haven't much time for anyone who complains about the quality of an open source library - don't like it? Get involved and fix it.

Where I do have a problem with jQuery is that waaaaay too many developers for my liking are not learning JavaScript as deeply they should. I suppose this is a similar argument to those who insist everyone should learn C++, and maybe I begin to see the point of that argument. JavaScript by itself is an enormously powerful language, which has for years been capable of solving problems without adding a multi-K library. In my experience there's a definite jQuery effect (hallmark: "Why not use jQuery?") of invoking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.