jQuery is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to add dynamic behavior to HTML elements. Libraries in the JavaScript community are collaborative collections that extend and ease the use of the programming language. For example, jQuery can do the same function as twelve lines of JavaScript in just three. A good analogy to better understand jQuery comes from Codecademy. You can think of JavaScript like a bunch of individual Lego pieces, all the necessary tools to build grand things are there — it just might take a long time. Well, jQuery is like pre-made building tools. So instead of using individual Legos to build a car to put in your town, jQuery is just the car ready to be placed in the larger scheme of what you are building.

While I’m learning these new programming languages, it’s interesting to compare how these are similar to the language (or languages) we speak everyday. So this has me ponder: what in the English Language could be analogous to jQuery? What comes to mind first are contractions for words. Instead of cannot or do not or I have we instead use can’t and don’t and I’ve. These remind me of jQuery because in place of using the individual words to help portray our ideas, we insert pre-packaged words that still get across our point without using so many characters or in most cases combining two words. In both instances, conciseness is key. Lengthy, wordy, and down-right redundant speech is pushed aside for the brief yet comprehensive.

Approaching these programming languages from a linguistic point of view really helps in my understanding of these new concepts. Stepping back and looking at new concepts from a lens in which you are comfortable with is essential to learning. Many things in this universe are connected. There’s certain patterns that exist across species, languages, science, and math. I guess this all goes to say, you’ve always been aware.