jQuery is one of the main JavaScript libraries. It was created by John Resig in 2006.
jQuery simplifies multi-browser JavaScript developments by providing an API that is independent of the underlying platform. The purpose of jQuery is to simplify the usual JavaScript manipulations: DOM manipulation, event management, and animation and management of Ajax calls. Implementation follows a strict object based logic and could benefit from call chaining to simplify the writing. jQuery also has a compatibility mode, which allows its use at the same time as another JavaScript library. One of jQuery’s strong points is its simplified plug-in writing, which enables the reuse and functional encapsulation of behaviours. As the community is extremely responsive, a multitude of plug-ins are available from the official website.
jQuery is distributed under the MIT License or the GPL, providing for virtually restriction-free integration. jQuery has been integrated into numerous open source projects, including Microsoft ASP.NET Ajax; and Google supplies a CDN for the library’s files.
jQuery is compatible with the vast majority of browsers, including Internet Explorer 6.