Why jQuery Dominated DOM Manipulation and How MVVM Overtook It

jQuery Achievements

jQuery is a great library that solved DOM API compatibility issues, making DOM manipulation simpler. It supports CSS‑selector‑like component selection, batch operations on array elements (implicit iteration), chainable calls for complex logic, an easy‑to‑use plugin system, and its Deferred async model predates Promise.

jQuery virtually ruled the DOM manipulation era and even influenced the W3C, with querySelector reflecting jQuery’s ideas.

However, fewer companies use jQuery today, not because a better DOM library exists, but because MVVM frameworks have emerged.

Rise of MVVM

DOM manipulation is business‑agnostic logic and should not reside in business code. Although jQuery simplified many tasks, the code remained hard to maintain and reuse. MVVM introduced automatic data‑view binding, removing DOM operations from business code and making the code purer and more reusable.

Technology Development Trends

Technology trends aim for higher reusability and simpler business code, ultimately demanding cross‑platform solutions and complete separation of non‑business logic.

Languages on the JVM have thrived for over a decade; Java’s dominance stems from JVM’s cross‑platform nature. This mirrors trends in Node’s libuv layer, React’s virtual DOM, and game engines’ multi‑platform packaging, where cross‑platform capability is now a baseline requirement.

Business code should be pure and reusable. Since DOM manipulation is often business‑agnostic, MVVM’s automatic binding became mainstream, causing jQuery to decline as it did not align with this trend.

jQuery’s Decline

jQuery excelled in DOM manipulation but did not follow general technology evolution patterns, so it was destined to be replaced—much like a retail giant overtaken by e‑commerce. Its approach was not optimal for development efficiency and code reuse, leading to its obsolescence.

From jQuery’s empire to the current MVVM landscape, the demand for efficiency and reusable code drives technology choices; only those aligning with this trend endure.

jQuery conquered all rivals in DOM manipulation, but ultimately lost to the times.