jQuery

jQuery was one of the first JavaScript libraries I worked with professionally and continues to be a tool I particularly appreciate for its elegant and concise syntax. I started using it intensively during my time at TUN2U, where it was a fundamental part of the technology stack for frontend development of WordPress, Magento, and PrestaShop projects.

Why still jQuery

Despite the evolution of modern JavaScript and the advent of frameworks like React and Vue, jQuery maintains a relevant role in many professional contexts. Many CMS and ecommerce platforms include jQuery as a dependency, and its reduced learning curve makes it ideal for quick interventions and maintenance of existing projects. I particularly appreciate jQuery's syntax for its readability: operations that would require multiple lines of code in vanilla JavaScript can be expressed concisely and understandably.

DOM manipulation and interactions

I have solid experience in DOM manipulation with jQuery: selecting complex elements through advanced CSS selectors, traversing the DOM tree, dynamic management of classes and attributes, and creating elements on the fly. I regularly use event handling methods, implementing patterns like delegation to optimize performance on dynamic lists.

I have developed numerous interactive interfaces: custom sliders, responsive menus with smooth animations, dynamic filter systems for product catalogs, and forms with real-time validation. I pay particular attention to accessibility, ensuring that JavaScript interactions do not compromise navigability for users using assistive technologies.

jQuery UI and plugin ecosystem

I extensively use jQuery UI libraries to implement advanced interface components. I have experience with widgets like Datepicker, Autocomplete, Dialog, Tabs, and Accordion, customizing them both aesthetically and functionally to adapt to specific project needs. I have implemented drag-and-drop functionality for sorting and organizing content interfaces, and resize systems for resizable elements.

I know the jQuery plugin ecosystem and can evaluate the quality and reliability of third-party solutions. I have integrated plugins for lightboxes, advanced sliders, interactive tables with sorting and filtering, and dynamic charts. When necessary, I have extended or modified existing plugins to adapt them to specific requirements.

Cheerio and server-side scraping

My familiarity with jQuery syntax also extends to the Node.js world through Cheerio, a library that implements a subset of jQuery APIs for server-side HTML manipulation. I use Cheerio for web scraping activities, HTML document parsing, and markup transformation.

I have developed scripts for automated data extraction from websites, HTML content transformation for platform migrations, and report generation based on information extracted from web pages. Cheerio's familiar syntax allows me to be immediately productive, applying the same skills acquired with jQuery in a completely different context.

Performance and best practices

In jQuery development I follow established best practices to ensure performant and maintainable code. I use selector caching to avoid repeated DOM queries, group modifications to minimize browser reflows, and implement debouncing and throttling patterns for high-frequency events like scroll and resize.

I organize jQuery code into reusable modules, separating business logic from DOM manipulation and using patterns like the Module Pattern or Revealing Module Pattern for encapsulation. This approach facilitates long-term code maintenance and testing.