How to Learn jQuery: A Guide to the JavaScript Library

Learning jQuery will be one of the simplest things you will have to do this year. Have you stalled out on improving your coding skills? Don’t postpone any longer. This guide will give you the essential jQuery training courses that will help you become a better web developer or software engineer.

There are plenty of ways that you can learn jQuery. Depending on your learning style, you can choose from reading jQuery books, attending classes, watching tutorials, or signing up for a coding bootcamp. These are all credible ways to gain a competitive edge and improve your career prospects.

Established companies such as IBM and Google are continually searching for developers with experience in coding. By completing a course, you can quickly learn the necessary skills to get your dream job at a top-rated tech company.

What Is jQuery?

JQuery is a fast JavaScript library that allows you to write less and do more. It makes JavaScript code easier to manage by using single-line commands. The easy-to-use API also allows for cross-browser support. 

The jQuery library has plenty of features that allow multiple functions. It contains AJAX, CSS manipulation, HTML DOM manipulation, event handling methods, utilities and effects, and animations. 

The DOM element is retrievable through jQuery based on CSS class name, value, attribute name, and tag name. You can easily manipulate these elements through jQuery. The special effects feature allows you to show and hide different elements on your web page. Knowledge of these incredible plugins is essential in improving your coding experience.

JQuery is very fast and extensive. Its features allow coders to write functional code in the fewest number of lines. Given its high compatibility with multiple browsers, developers use it to improve the performance of applications.

JQuery can be used interchangeably with JavaScript. However, Javascript is an independent programming language, whereas jQuery is a collection of code from JavaScript. 

What Is jQuery Used For?

JQuery has significantly improved JavaScript in terms of speed and efficiency. Top companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Google, and Netflix use jQuery. The open-source language has a vast community of developers who appreciate the features it brings to the table. 

Due to the outstanding nature of jQuery, it can be used to perform the following operations.

To Upload Files

The websites which allow you to drag and drop images or any file are fixed with the File Uploader plugin of jQuery. As a developer, you do not have to build a new uploader. This is because the jQuery tools have a prebuilt feature.

To Animate

The scripting language features different plugins that can add animation effects to your web page. You can make your page behave in different ways using functions such as slide, fade, bounce, and fold. It also has a ScrollMagic Plugin that affects the content touched by the cursor. 

To Tag

There are different categories of websites, and often developers or writers have to categorize their content. JQuery uses tags from the JavaScript library to add a tag system to the platform. This system significantly impacts a website’s ranking on any search engine and indexability.

To Autocomplete

Have you noticed that, when typing on a different website, you do not have to complete the statement? This is because of the autocomplete feature of jQuery. The plugin offers suggestions for different terms that you have selected. 

Learn jQuery: Step-by-Step

A beginner can easily master jQuery by using these simple steps. Learning a new scripting language is not as challenging as many people think. With the right mindset and resources, you can achieve anything you want. Below are the necessary steps to learn jQuery while ensuring you cover all of the essential topics of jQuery. 

1. Attend a class

According to many developers, jQuery is not as challenging to learn as you might expect. Enroll in an excellent online course, and you can understand the concept in a couple of hours. Keep in mind, however, that this assumes you have an existing knowledge of JavaScript.

There are paid, online, and free courses available. We have listed the best available courses to learn jQuery in 2021 below. You can opt for a self-paced or instructor-led course, depending on your learning style.

2. Buy a Book

There is plenty of information to be found in jQuery books. Many experts have taken the time to create value for beginners and other professionals in the field by writing incredible books. It is a traditional way of acquiring knowledge, but we shouldn’t underestimate its impact.

3. Watch a Tutorial

There are many YouTube tutorials available for you to learn the language well. The experts in the field are well informed on JavaScript and jQuery. They use multiple platforms to help beginners become more skillful.

4. Attend a Webinar or Training  

Attending a webinar can help you learn the missing components of your skills, while jQuery training specifically can significantly improve your existing skills. You will be able to get first-hand knowledge from industry professionals and become a web developer yourself.

5. Practice

The best way to master jQuery is through constant practice. Coding requires you to refresh your knowledge as frequently as you can. You can attend a coding bootcamp or a refresher course when you become rusty. Practicing regularly ensures your skills remain polished. That way, you will be ready for any available opportunities. 

The Best jQuery Courses

There are many jQuery courses available for you to enroll in. The following courses are provided by reputable platforms that help tech students garner the relevant skills for a successful career. Sign up for any of the top classes below and start your journey to becoming a better developer. 

Codecademy – Introduction to jQuery 

This is an excellent nine-hour course to learn how to build a visually attractive web page. In this course, you will learn how to make your web pages more dynamic, and also how to create effects to improve upon the duller aspects of the layout.

The topics covered include jQuery fundamentals, effects, HTML event handlers, and traversing the DOM. The course does not have any prerequisites, but you will need a basic understanding of JavaScript. 

Udemy – JQuery Whack-a-Mole Game Exercise

This course takes you through the essential steps to create a Whack-a-mole game, such as source code, styling, game board, and tweaking or upgrading your code. For this course, you must know how to code in HTML and CSS. It is essential that you have the prerequisite coding skills.

University of Michigan – JavaScript, jQuery, and JSON

This is an excellent course to learn how the JavaScript language supports object-oriented patterns. There will be a brief introduction to the jQuery library and its uses so that you can manipulate the Document Object Model. The instructor will also teach JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) for exchanging data. 

Coursera requires you to first take a course in building web applications before enrolling in this class. The class will take over 20 hours to complete, but you can alter the deadlines as it suits you.

Udemy – The Complete jQuery Course: From Beginner To Advanced

This six-hour course will cover an introduction to jQuery, animation effects, element selectors, manipulating DOM I and II, as well as event handling. The instructor will also touch on AJAX. In addition, you will learn how to create dynamic websites using beautiful effects and animations.

To qualify for this course, you must have a basic understanding of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. You will also need a reliable text editor to run your code and go through the installation process. Finally, you need a consistent Internet connection to download jQuery and access the API.

Udemy – jQuery for Absolute Beginners

This two-hour course will give you an introduction to jQuery at a beginner’s level. You will learn the basics of jQuery, as well as advanced topics. Since it is a beginner’s course, you do not need any experience with the language or any other top programming language.

By the end of the two-hour course, you will be an expert in jQuery and well on your way to a fruitful career in front-end web development.

Udemy – Learn to Use jQuery UI Widgets

This free course will teach you how to use the different features of jQuery. JavaScript has two different libraries: the jQuery library and the jQuery UI. The latter is responsible for providing UI widgets to use in web applications. 

The lessons will teach you how to use tags, tabs, tooltips, date pickers, and accordion effects. You will first learn how to install jQuery UI. This short course is quite effective, and its reputation precedes it in the online community. 

Udemy – HTML CSS Bootstrap jQuery Website from Scratch to Production

The lessons in this course will cover a variety of jQuery topics. You will learn how to use inline CSS styling, Google fonts, as well as how to add images, tags, links, and apply border styling. You will also learn how to apply a background color and create ordered and unordered lists, forms, and radio buttons.

The instructor will also touch on jQuery selector, CSS selector, Bootstrap, and web hosting. For this course, all you need is a computer and a passion for web development and coding. After 66 lectures, you will be able to build a fully functional responsive website, rich in incredible features.

Is Learning jQuery Right for You?

Learning jQuery is right for you, especially in 2021. The Internet is not going anywhere, and people with coding skills or a background in computer science are the most in-demand employees today. 

Developers around the world use a lot of plugins and front-end frameworks that rely on jQuery. The average jQuery developer earns about $96,500 per year. There are millions of postings for jobs that require skills in jQuery every day. 

By learning jQuery, you are not limited to one specific position. You will be able to work for the tech company of your choice, or even a company in any other industry. You could also choose to work as a freelancer if you wanted. This will ensure you have enough flexibility to have a healthy work-life balance.