jQuery 2.0 released

Ben Moss.
April 19, 2013
jQuery 2.0 released.

ThumbnailHot on the heels of jQuery Mobile 1.3 comes jQuery 2.0, a brand new, full release version of the popular JavaScript library.

The big news — that we've known for a while — is that jQuery 2.0 has dropped the library's support for Internet Explorer 6, 7 and 8. These so-called legacy browsers are slowly creeping towards extinction and it's certainly true that very few people still use IE6. However, there are still substantial numbers of clients requesting IE 7+ support.

The payoff for dropping IE6, 7 and 8 is a smaller core file (over 8kb for the minified file), with faster performance.

The developers state that jQuery 2.0 is intended "for the modern web" which is reflected in the lack of support for older IE versions. However, one of the key aspects of the modern web — albeit one we hate to acknowledge — is that people are still using legacy versions of IE, particularly in the developing world. In fact, there are so many people currently using IE8 as their browser of choice, it's a little difficult justifying the label 'legacy' at all. Of course it would be nice to only consider the most up to date browsers, but this move by the jQuery development team feels a little premature.

If you're one of the unlucky majority who still need to support IE6, 7 or 8 then you'll need to stick with jQuery 1.9 for now, and hope that jQuery 1.10 — which will support legacy versions of Internet Explorer and is scheduled for release in the near future — will serve your purposes.

The dual fork of jQuery 2.0 and the upcoming 1.10 is almost certainly going to lead to confusion. The difficult question is which version of jQuery should developers be using? jQuery 2.0 is new and shiny, but do the performance gains really justify the price paid? jQuery 1.9 is also relatively new and most of the library's key changes are included in 1.9.

It's actually arguable that the new '2.0' label is a red herring, and the real changes took place with 1.9, when a number of inefficient methods were killed off. So perhaps jQuery 2.0 and jQuery 1.10 are merely new in name only, released as preparation for further developments down the road.

For the time being, 1.9 seems to be the sensible choice for the vast majority of jQuery developers. Whether or not that will be true for much longer remains to be seen.

Will you be using jQuery 2.0 in upcoming projects? Which is the oldest version of IE you develop for? Let us know in the comments.

Featured image/thumbnail, legacy computing image via Shutterstock.

Ben Moss

Ben Moss has designed and coded work for award-winning startups, and global names including IBM, UBS, and the FBI. When he’s not in front of a screen he’s probably out trail-running.

Read Next

3 Essential Design Trends, December 2023

While we love the holidays, too much of a seasonal theme can get overwhelming. Thankfully, these design trends strike a…

10 Easy Ways to Make Money as a Web Designer

When you’re a web designer, the logical way to make money is designing websites; you can apply for a job at an agency,…

The 10 Most Hated Fonts of All Time

Remember when Comic Sans wasn’t the butt of the jokes? Long for the days when we actually enjoyed using the Impact…

15 Best New Fonts, November 2023

2023 is almost over, and the new fonts are still coming thick and fast. This month, we’ve found some awesome variable…

Old School Web Techniques Best Forgotten

When the web first entered the public consciousness back in the 90s, it was primarily text-based with minimal design…

20 Best New Websites, November 2023

As the nights draw in for the Northern hemisphere, what better way to brighten your day than by soaking up some design…

30 Amazing Chrome Extensions for Designers and Developers

Searching for a tool to make cross-platform design a breeze? Desperate for an extension that helps you figure out the…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, November 2023

We’ve got a mix of handy image helpers, useful design assets, and clever productivity tools, amongst other treats. Some…

The Dangers of Doomscrolling for Designers and How to Break Free

As a creative professional, navigating the digital realm is second nature to you. It’s normal to follow an endless…

From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years

Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design…

3 Essential Design Trends, November 2023

In the season of giving thanks, we often think of comfort and tradition. These are common themes with each of our three…

30 Obsolete Technologies that will Perplex Post-2000s Kids

Remember the screech of dial-up internet? Hold fond memories of arcade machines? In this list, we’re condensing down 30…