Why you don't need jQuery

jQuery.md

Why the jQuery Abstraction isn't needed.

(One needs some form of browser normalization so that modern features works, no-one is doubting that).

Related: jQuery library critique

Abstractions that aren't needed

Selectors

QSA works (shim=sizzle). Besides selectors are generally bad practice. Favour node traversal, gEBI, gEBTN and gEBCN. (shim=domShim)

Attributes

The DOM attribute API works. Besides one rarely touches attributes and one rarely touches innerHTML. Generally one manipulates properties

Data

properties work, weakmaps work (shim=weakmap-shim)

Deferred Object

Promises, deferreds, futures, etc aren't that useful. Favour managing callbacks and using flow control techniques.

Events

DOM2 events work (shim=domshim). You don't need anything else.

Forms

The HTML form element is more useful. Doesn't give any useful abstraction

Manipulation, Traversing

The DOM works (shim=domShim). If you want set like behaviour you can use NodeComposite

Utilities

ES5 works (shim=ES5shim)

Ajax

For simple use cases the XHR API is trivial to use. For more complex use cases you can use a library like xhr

It should be noted that there is no solid shim for XHR2 yet, including file uploads & CORS.

Todo: Write an XHR2 shim

Abstractions that are still needed

CSS, Dimensions, Offset

I havn't seen any good CSS normalization shims. One propably needs some form of abstraction to handle CSS nicely.

Todo: Write an CSSOMView shim and a CSSOM shim.

Effects

Animations, Don't know of a good CSS3 shim, so we still need a browser abstraction.

Todo: Find an elegant standards compliant polyfill / shim solution to programmatic animations.

.... jq.mobi is also a troll

if IE -> dom shim
else -> nothing

So true.