jquery_usage.js

// Use an AMD package here to gain access to nested internal modules.
require.config({
  packages: [{
    name: "jquery",
    location: "vendor/jquery/src",
    main: "index.js"
  }]
});

// If we are using AMD, we don't care about core.
define(function(require, exports, module) {
  "use strict"

  var ajax = require("jquery/ajax");
  var data = require("jquery/data");

  var req = ajax.get("/modular");

  req.then(function() {
    // Modules, sucka.
  });

  exports.ajax = ajax;
  exports.data = data;
});

// jquery/html would return a module representing the function.
require(["jquery/html"], function(html) {
  html.call(elems, "value");
});

// Want chaining instead, hold onto your seats!!!!
require(["jquery/core", "jquery/html"], function($, html) {
  // Attach to core.
  $.fn.html = html;

  // Now that's what I'm talking about.
  $(".some-elems").html("value");
});

I disagree, only in that I think it's possible for jQuery to have both. However, As I stated before:

Maybe that paradigm doesn't belong in AMD

It may be a little too aggressive for jQuery to migrate away from the current syntax, and I'm not 100% sure if it's in its best interest; chaining is a valuable thing. Regardless, that doesn't mean we can't have chaining and AMD.

My original example was exactly that:

define([

  // jquery core is always required
  'jquery/core',

  // jquery utilities
  'jquery/ajax',
  'jquery/data'

], function(jq, ajax, data) {

  // Using the core module, create a jQuery instance
  // with the required extensions
  var $ = jq.require(ajax, data);

  // The local instance of $ contains the necessary jQuery
  // extensions, but once this module is done executing,
  // "$" no longer exists to other modules.

});

https://gist.github.com/davearel/9254418

Of course, that doesn't describe the actual implementation, but rather the outcome. The point is simply that we extend the core jQuery namespace, with the necessary dependencies, to a LOCAL variable. That way it is only accessible to that particular module.

The require method would return a new instance of jQuery that only contains the core methods and the dependency methods.