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wtf is jquery?

fat/jquery — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2012-06-19

5JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5DormantSetup · moderate

TL;DR

The source repository for jQuery, the classic JavaScript library that simplifies cross-browser web page manipulation, meant for contributors building or customizing the library itself.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Cross browser JS library
      Simplify DOM manipulation
      Build custom versions
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
      GNU Make
      Git
    Use cases
      Contribute to jQuery
      Build a trimmed version
      Run the test suite
    Audience
      Library contributors
      Developers
    Notes
      Not for end users
      Use prebuilt download instead

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Contribute bug fixes or new features to jQuery's own codebase.

REASON 2

Build a custom, smaller version of jQuery excluding features like animations or AJAX.

REASON 3

Run jQuery's test suite locally before submitting a change.

What's in the stack?

JavaScriptNode.jsGNU MakeGit

How it stacks up

fat/jquery00kaku/wp-rest-playgroundchalarangelo/mini-active-record
Stars555
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2012-06-19
MaintenanceDormant
Setup difficultymoderatehardeasy
Complexity3/53/51/5
Audiencedeveloperdevelopervibe coder

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Git, Node.js, and GNU Make installed, aimed at contributors, not end users of jQuery.

Wtf does this do

jQuery is a JavaScript library that makes it easier for developers to write code that works across different web browsers. Instead of writing long, complicated commands to manipulate web pages, jQuery lets you write shorter, simpler code that does the same thing. Think of it as a translation layer between what developers want to do and the messy details of how different browsers actually work. This particular repository is the source code for jQuery itself, it's where the library gets built and tested. If you're a developer who wants to contribute to jQuery or build a custom version that only includes the features you need, this is where you'd do that work. The repository includes all the original code, plus tools to compile it into a smaller, optimized version that you can use in your websites. You can also exclude certain features (like animation effects or AJAX functionality) to make the library smaller if you don't need everything. To use this repository, you'll need to have a few developer tools installed on your computer, specifically Git, Node.js, and GNU Make, then you can clone the code and run a command to build it. The README is mainly aimed at people who want to contribute fixes and improvements to jQuery itself, so it includes detailed instructions on how to set up your environment, run tests, and work with the code using Git. It's not for someone just wanting to use jQuery in a website, those people would typically just download the pre-built library from jQuery's website instead.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through setting up Git, Node.js, and GNU Make to build jQuery from this repository.
Prompt 2
Show me how to exclude the animation module when building a custom jQuery bundle.
Prompt 3
Explain the workflow for contributing a fix to the jQuery source and running its tests.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is jquery?

The source repository for jQuery, the classic JavaScript library that simplifies cross-browser web page manipulation, meant for contributors building or customizing the library itself.

What language is jquery written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Node.js, GNU Make.

Is jquery actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2012-06-19).

How hard is jquery to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is jquery for?

Mainly developer.

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