I am a .NET webdev using ASP.NET, C# etc... I "learned" javascript in college 5+ years ago and can do basic jobs with it. But I wonder if it is useful to become proficient in it.
Why should I learn Javascript?
Is it more advantageous then learning JQuery or a different library?
Yes, definitely learn Javascript before you learn one of the libraries about. It's the whole walk-before-you-can-run thing.
Make sure you add these sites to your bookmarks:
Mozilla's developer site: This contains the reference to the Javascript API in Mozilla. This will help you make sure you're writing code that Firefox understands.
IE's site in Microsoft Developer Network: The same, for IE.
W3's reference of DOM for HTML: In most web applications today, the Javascript code manipulates the DOM, which is an internal keeping track of the objects displayed on screen (but you already knew that, right ?) This is the reference to the DOM API. It is language neutral, which means it does not target Javascript, but these methods exist in Javascript too.
Douglas Crockford' site: Doug Crockford is THE MAN when it comes down to Javascript. The articles in his page are a must read. Because Javascript has closures and first-class functions, he believes it is closer to Lisp and Scheme than to other languages. And he teaches you how to greatly improve your code with these language features.
Yahoo Developer network: You may also want to check this. I'm not a regular visitor to this site, though, so I can't really say much about it.
Yes, absolutely you should learn JavaScript if you are doing web development. I highly recommend JavaScript: The Good Parts, by Doug Crockford. And, JQuery is a great framework to use (this site uses it) -- it kind of depends on what you are trying to do -- YUI and ExtJS are also very nice.
The answer is simple.
Hands down yes. There's a reason that Google have made such a big fuss about the V8 JS engine for Chrome, why Mozilla are working on TraceMonkey for Firefox and why Webkit have been working on Squirrelfish for a while (now Squirrelfish extreme). It's because JS is becoming more popular by the day.
Javascript is one of those languages that spending a few hours learning will probably teach you 99% of what you will ever really use. I would imagine you are at the point in your learning of javascript that you know more than enough now and just learn one or more of the frameworks now.
I would recommend brushing up on your non-frameworked javascript first. Refreshing/learning basic concepts of dom manipulation and what not. Like learning how to build a linked list, stack or queue in C++ before learning how to use the STL (standard template libraries).
In addition to brushing up on straight javascript, it might be good to get into a framework that doesn't abstract and change the way things work so much, for instance Prototype. You code with it very much the same way you code with straight javascript. Read through the Prototype code, learn how to make classes, and do some fancy stuff. From experience, I can say reading through the Prototype.js helped me learn alot.
After messing around a bit, then I'd say go for jQuery. If jQuery didn't, literally, change the way you write code I'd say go for it first, but learning how to build classes and js inheritance and what not can be a very important lesson for someone who wants to become fluent in JS.
Learning javascript is recommended for any web application developer. Why?
You will better understand the possibilities, limitations and dangers related to developing a web application
It is a boost for your career, if you are working on a web application that has a user interface.
However, learning javascript is usually a trade-off between a programming language and another. You should consider whether javascript is relevant for your career or project.
Unless you want to really get into javascript, I think you'd be better off learning enough JS to leverage one of the tried and tested javascript libraries out there.
One thing nice about JavaScript is that it is quite different from mainstream languages such as C#, VB.NET or Java. Learning it, especially if you have occasions to use it, will give you another insight on programming, and that's always good. I think it's worth learning it.
If you are doing web development then at some point you are going to get exposed to Javascript or ECMAScript at some point in your career for any one of a number of reasons. At a minimum you should know enough Javascript to be able to be able to validate user input; however, the web is moving in the direction of using more an more Ajax so you should also know enough Javascript to properly leverage one of the major libraries out there such as jQuery.
As some of the other users have noted, you can learn most of what you need of Javascript on a day to day basis in a single day or a couple of afternoons. If you want to get more advanced with Javascript then you are going to have to invest much more time in learning the language but odds are that unless you seek out this type of work that you are not going to encounter something that a preexisting library doesn't already exist for.
If all you want is to do some simple UI-effects and the like, I suggest you just pick a library and go for it!
Using libraries eliminates all the flawed implementations of JavaScript and provides you with an API which is the same across all browsers. And if you're working together with others it is also a great way of implementing code-standards and best practices.
Learning a second programming language is always good.
By the sound of it, JavaScript is a language that you use, to it will be of practical use too. As a web dev, it has been recommended to me in a review that i learn at least basic JavaScript.
A library such as jQuery is essential for web development thse days, so you could learn that too.
I don't think a lot of deliberate learning makes sense (but of course you need some basic knowledge), but I also think after some years of web development you'll become pretty proficient in the language anyway :)
If you are a webdev then yes, you should be proficient with Javascript. Javascript is a major part of making web apps as interactive as desktop apps.
With that being said, learn to use one of the cross-browser compatible libraries like JQuery, Prototype, etc. We do not need to have any more single browser crud created using Javascript, just because any real man/woman rolls their own.
A few things to learn in Javascript:
1. Basic syntax
2. The various flavours of function declaration.
3. Passing functions around and how to use passed in functions.
I recommend Jeremy Keith's books: DOM Scripting and Bulletproof Ajax. After you become more fluent in JS I would recommend a JS library(I use jQuery, but that is not important).
JS is important to learn. You cannot use a framework without the proper understanding of how it works. That is doing things backwards.
i thing you should have a good knoloedge base of language specification and DOM (Document Object Model). it means,you shoud know how find/create "page object" an edit properties. Also you should have an idea of "object oriented" javascript tecniques, which the starting point of a lot of framework. you don't need learn specific framework if you don't use it. simple keep in mind generic base concept!
I'll go with the opposite answer most are putting out there. Learning javascript as a developer these days is almost pointless. The language is similar enough to java/C# that it's syntax and semantics shouldn't be lost on you.
What you should learn is jQuery.
As you use jQuery you'll pick up the most common things you'll ever need from javascript anyway.
If you're involved with the Web in anyway then the answer is "Yes, always". Maybe an embedded or system's programmer could get by without JavaScript, but not a webdev.
Most of the libraries are designed to alleviate some of the pain of interacting with a multitude of browsers. They will not abstract away core JavaScript functionality.
Yes, you should learn JavaScript. Sooner or later you will need to use it!
Related
I know I'm coming at this the wrong way. You're supposed to learn Javascript first, then start looking at Coffeescript when you get tired of braces and variable declarations. Me however, I'm a somewhat experienced Ruby and Python programmer but with zero Javascript fluency who looks to get into web scripting (mainly through Rails).
I'm convinced that Coffeescript is the way to go for me, but I'm hard pressed to find a tutorial that does not assume significant Javascript familiarity. Most of the tutorials I have seen explain Coffeescript's peculiarities in detail only to gloss over such minor topics as how to actually write web applications.
So, do you know of any Coffeescript tutorials for people who don't know JS to begin with?
You probably don't want to hear this, but I'm going to say it anyway: you should still learn JavaScript first.
JavaScript is a little unique from other languages, in that it has a monopoly over browser scripting. There is currently no other language that can be used in a browser (unless it uses a plugin, or the interpreter is in JavaScript!). As such, for any project that needs to do any amount of client-side scripting, JavaScript knowledge is a must.
You're probably thinking "Hey, I know Python and Ruby, and I never had to learn C or assembly!", which is of course true. But, those language never had a monopoly over their domain. Python can be used for the same things as C, in many cases. The platform doesn't care what language you use, as long as it supports it.
And the browser platform only support JavaScript.
CoffeScript is an abstraction of JavaScript. Although CoffeeScript is compiled into JavaScript, when you're trying to figure out that obscure JavaScript error, or debug a generated function, or are wondering why there are two levels of unnamed function nesting, you're going to want to know what's really going on.
Now, I'm not saying that you have to become a JavaScript Ninja (although I'd recommend it), but what I am saying is that you should come to grips with the actual web language first.
Learn JavaScript, learn its concepts (it's a very fascinating language, in my opinion, once you get past some of the deficiencies), and then use CoffeeScript to abstract away the technicalities.
Since you did ask for a tutorial, though, here's some: First, the Mozilla guide to JavaScript is quite nice. If you want some more advanced topics, there's also an interactive tutorial made by John Resig. And finally, here's a bunch of CoffeeScript tutorials that you probably already know about.
I suggest the free online Smooth Coffeescript book (based on Eloquent Javascript).
No previous programming knowledge is required. CoffeeScript lets you
write web oriented applications simply and elegantly. It is closely
related to JavaScript but without its quirky corners.
Smooth CoffeeScript is a book about CoffeeScript and programming.
Start with programming fundamentals, learn about functional
programming with Underscore and problem solving, study object
orientation and modularity. It covers client/server web apps with
Canvas and WebSockets.
I had a background in Python, ActionScript and Java. I started directly learning CoffeeScript with no intention of learning JavaScript. I learned a bunch of JavaScript along the way but I think it's perfectly OK to set out to learn CoffeeScript directly.
I was first attracted to Smooth CoffeeScript because it claimed to be targeted at folks trying to learn CoffeeScript directly. However, the style of writing was not to my liking. YMMV.
Besides, with my Python background, I found that I didn't need much help with the syntax. I got all of the syntax help I needed directly from he CoffeeScript web page. I mostly needed help with the platform (cake, development environments, testing, etc.) which is covered quite well on the CoffeeScript web page, and what else I needed I got from a couple of other books. My favorite teaching book is The Little Book on CoffeeScript (read in an hour) and my favorite reference is Trevor Burnham's Pragmatic Bookshelf book on CoffeeScript which taught me jQuery from the CoffeeScript perspective.
Another thing that helped me ramp up quickly was to fork/upgrade a few of my own tools in CoffeeScript. I forked the CoffeeDoc repository on github to create my own version and I eventually re-wrote it to create CoffeeDocTest which is like Python's DocTest except for CoffeeScript. My upgrades to the Coda syntax mode for CoffeeScript were accepted back into the master branch via github's pull-request mechanism... after a code review and some cleanup. Looking at someone else's code really helps you learn the idioms. Getting a code review from someone in the know helps even more.
Your question doesn't make a lot of sense to me because CoffeeScript is JavaScript. To know one is to know the other. It may sound counter-intuitive for me to suggest that the best way to learn CoffeeScript is by cracking open a JavaScript book but the languages are one and the same.
I know they look different, but the differences end at the syntactical layer[1]. Add some semicolons, curly braces and parens to CoffeeScript and you're more or less there. So go and learn JavaScript, and you'll find you're learning CoffeeScript too.
You could also learn CoffeeScript and incidentally pick up JavaScript. This may be a little bit more difficult though, since until source mapping is implemented, debugging can only be done in JavaScript (and you'll be debugging a lot, I assure you ;-)).
[1]: Apart from maybe class definitions which are slightly more complicated.
It seems that many of the JavaScript questions are answered by the simple use of pushing a library, without taking into account the person asking the question. I think libraries are great myself, but sometimes I think that we're too quick to throw a library down someone's throat.
Imagine a person asks a question and it's apparent that they barely know JavaScript. They're just using code they found and piecing it together with other code, and really have no firm foundation to work on. To add a library on top of that flimsy foundation seems like a disaster waiting to happen.
With that in mind, what JavaScript / programming / web browser concepts do you think are necessary to understand before a library/framework is introduced to a person? Should a framework / library be part of the learning process?
I don't think someone has to grasp absolutely everything to use a library, I just think some people would be better served with a "Library X might help solve your problems, but before you do that, you might want to read up on the following concepts", rather than just a "use library x" answer.
What you should learn are some fundamental programming techniques:
closures
continuations
function objects / what a "first class" function is
JavaScript object oriented design
difference between "prototype" languages and traditional Object Oriented languages
Absolutely firm grounding in HTML and CSS: standards, tricks, and various browser compatibility issues
UI Design Principals
With that in mind, today its practically impossible to develop without a library. I recommend Dojo but others use jQuery, YUI, etc...
When choosing a library, you need to have a firm understanding of what problem you are trying to solve. Is it browser abstraction? dealing with communication? charting? animations? graphics? UI toolkits?
Each library has its "niche", so you need to really know what you're specific problem domain is and in turn choose a library accordingly.
I would suggest using the brick and mortar kind of library and find a good book on JavaScript.
I think that one reflex reaction to a "how do implement X" is "don't reinvent then wheel", and this is generally good advice. I think that if you have to ask how to do something reasonably complex, and it's already in a library then you're going to waste massive time trying to piece together something from a few answers on SO.
So barring the obvious: learn the syntax of the language, learn how to debug etc., by and large a library is the right answer. And that's not just to say "Use the library, disengage brain" it also means "Study the library, look at the issues it's solving - you didn't realise your problem was so complex? Well the folks who put hours and days into the library studied the problem in some detail and probably developed the library by using it extendsively. Study the implementation and learen how."
I think that studying good code is a very good way to learn.
Libraries bring similarities to browsers where so much is different from browser to browser. This is why, I'd suspect, people suggest their usage in various answers. Nothing is stoping anyone from reading a good js book if they want to actually understand what is going on, but we surely cannot shove books and tutorials down anyone's throat. You need to want to learn before that would be worth anything.
They should read this http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596517742/wrrrldwideweb
And check out some of the links here http://www.crockford.com/
It's often claimed that learning a lower-level language is a good foundation for any new developer. What about an experienced developer (say a C++ or Java guy) learning Javascript? in the same way should he learn using the raw language so he understands what's going on, and learn JQuery later, or use JQuery from the start as 'part of' Javascript?
I think it's worth spending a bit of time working on JavaScript without jQuery so you can appreciate just what jQuery brings you. But most of what you'll be learning in JavaScript (getElementById etc.) will be replaced by better jQuery functions, so don't spend too long in pure JavaScript.
I guess the important thing to realise is that a lot of what you do in JavaScript is actually just working with the DOM API. The JavaScript language is great, but the DOM API is RUBBISH. jQuery doesn't really abstract the language, just the API. So the distinction isn't between using JavaScript or using jQuery, it's more about using the DOM API vs using jQuery.
It's always good to understand the basics of 'raw' JavaScript. I would recommend learning basic JacvaScript first, then jQuery. It'll make jQuery easier once you know the basics of the language, and there are still quite a few scenarios where it's preferable to do parts of a code in regular JavaScript than the jQuery way.
You could still try to learn about both in parallel, but either way it is still important to understand JavaScript to really understand appreciate jQuery.
I am pretty new to JavaScript myself, and I had a few months to learn raw JavaScript before finding out about jQuery. I agree with GSto that learning raw is good, but don't spend to much time in it before looking at a framework.
Apart from that, I strongly recommend anyone building in Javascript to pick up a copy of Douglas Crockford's JavaScript: The Good Parts. Read it back to back and then keep it close to your computer!
JavaScript differs from C-like languages quite dramatically at some points...
EDIT: Crockford held a great talk at Øredev 2009. They have the whole talk in video on their site.
Learn Javascript first and about DOM, object literals, closures and currying. When you master these things you are ready to use a library.
If you want to be a good web-developer who knows javascript, then do not touch jquery for at least year. It will corrupt you. Seriously, I've seen too many people who claim that they know javascript but are unable to iterate through an array without using jquery.
I think you should learn raw language before jquery or another framework. If you do, cou can learn jQuery basis wery quickly.
I learned JavaScript before I did anything with jQuery and I would recommend the same to any one thinking to learn JavaScript, as this would allow you to move to another library or use raw JavaScript if you found that jQuery wasn't really suited to what you need or if you simply didn't like jQuery.
There may be some cases in which using raw JavaScript is better suited to what you want to do.
It's very important to learn the language itself, and somewhat important to become familiar with the issues faced by things like jQuery in making the programming environment more uniform across different browsers. However, except as exercises for people who have the time, attempting to re-implement the facilities that modern frameworks provide is a pretty bad idea.
A benefit of learning a modern framework is that they generally encourage the exploitation of the native power of Javascript, and avoid trying to make the language look and act like something it isn't. You have to develop a good feeling for what anonymous functions are and how they work, for example, in order to really use Prototype or jQuery or just about any other framework effectively.
Finally, reading the source code of a good modern framework is wonderfully enlightening.
Think of JQuery as being an abstraction that just happens to be built using Javascript.
Most things that you need to do can be done elegantly with JQuery.
To use JQuery effectively it is more important to understand the DOM, Events and CSS.
It helps me to think of JQuery and Javascript as being different paradigms even though we all know that JQuery is written in JS.
I came to Javascript from a C/C++ background and it took me a while to really get to grips with the object model first-class functions, inner functions and closures and prototypes.
JQuery is much clearer, easier to follow, and more powerful once you understand what it is that you are manipulation (i.e. DOM, Events, CSS).
So I'd learn JQuery first and fill in the Javascript gaps as they appear.
Don't forget that document.getElementById is still the fastest way of getting elements. So if you do simple stuff and that's sufficient so why use a library?
Read what Joel Spolsky says about abstractions. What happens when your abstraction layer leaks? Do you know why the problem happened, or what you can do to fix it?
I would start learning the javascript syntax and usage first, but don't focus too much on the different functions, as a lot of them will have better jQuery alternatives.
The answer - both.
If you are working on something professionally and have a deadline... JQuery. Then go home and learn the internals. JQuery is very powerful and there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes the best code you write... is no code at all.
Now that being said, its always a good idea to understand your code and the "black majic" that happens under the hood. This helps to decide which JQuery method or selector to use for the best job... measure the pros vs cons.
You should do both at the same time. Learn javascript loops, types, prototypes and just forget the DOM methods because jQuery is more elegant for that.
You should learn basic js first, variables, loops, functions, closures, inheritance, and js design patterns. If you're already a programmer, you can skip a lot of stuff. jQuery is not a language. Once you know that, then jquery is a tool, that mostly helps you abstract differences between browsers (and provides another dialect of js). I don't use jquery, I use ext-js (another tool, another dialect), so I would caution strongly against learning jquery as if it were a language.
If you're going to work with the DOM (as admittedly most do, since most Javascript is used for client-side web development), then JQuery will be helpful.
However, don't confuse it with the language Javascript - JQuery is just another library for DOM access, albeit a very ubiquitous and imho great one.
I'd say it's somewhat analogous to asking if it's wrong to use Win32 or some other platform API while learning C++.
jQuery is just one of several libraries out there. What are you going to do if you don't use jQuery or the company you work for doesn't? Using this library does carry some weight, too. Are you going to always use it even if you only needed one minor feature?
Aside from the framework, is jQuery worth using rather than creating your own javascript? I've always debated if the framework was better to use than to create your own calls. Are their disadvantages of using it?
Sorry for beginner question, I'm trying to feel out if it would be better to use this and create some of the ajaxish workings of my site rather than develop it from scratch.
Are there other frameworks out there that would be better to use to create an ajaxish website?
Yes, jQuery is worth it. I speak as someone who resisted using any library for a long time, then finally saw the light.
I do recommend that you build some hand-rolled Ajax interactions before you dive into using jQuery for Ajax, so that you understand exactly what is happening with Ajax. Once that's achieved, though, let the library do the dirty work.
jQuery (and most other framework) are for making difficult things simple. It keeps you from having to write cross-browser compatabile code. It keeps you from having to write recursive methods to update multiple dom-elements. It basically cuts your development time down substantially, and saves you a lot of frustration.
Stackoverflow Archive:
Which Javascript framework (jQuery vs Dojo vs … )?
Great discussion (with lots of involvement) over various javascript frameworks. It will benefit you to browse this in depth, or even at a cursory level.
When should I use a javascript framework library?
Which Javascript Framework is the simplest and most powerful?
What JavaScript library would you choose for a new project and why?
Which Javascript Ajax Framework is most powerful and very lightweight?
Which javascript framework can be used for all browsers?
If you like reinventing the wheel, write your own. For me, I prefer to spend my time focusing on solutions rather than lines and lines of javascript code. I'll use JQuery to save resources and frustration
One thing I want to add is for the past couple of months, I was trying to fill a web developer position for my team, and it proved to be a difficult task.
Lots of folks knew how to use a JS framework (JQuery, ExtJS, YUI...), but once outside of the framework, they found themselves in an unfamiliar ground. I had a self-claimed senior JS developer with over 10 years of experience couldn't tell me how to use function.call() or function.apply() or how to implement simple inheritance in JavaScript.
Framework is great and definitely useful, but you will also want to make sure to know how to implement the basic OO concept and DOM manipulation without the framework.
BTW, we use ExtJS and if you are starting to pick a JS framework, you may want to look around to see which one suits you the most.
jQuery is a big project with many users. By that nature, it will be better tested than anything you write by yourself.
It is a great framework for most uses I've come to need.
Is there anything in particular you are trying to do?
jQuery helps you avoid worrying too much about cross-browser JavaScript issues, and helps you get things done quickly. As far as I'm concerned, the key reason for using it vs your own hand-rolled JavaScript probably is the "don't re-invent the wheel" cliché.
Apart from added productivity, JQuery's main plus is that it takes all (most) of the pain out of cross-browser testing.
There is no reason you cannot write your own code and splash in JQuery where needed. JQuery is incredibly lightweight for what it provides and you will quickly find that you can do most takes easier in JQuery (especially once you start using the plugins for it) than by hand. I am a big believer in not reinventing the wheel. The JQuery code is tested by tons of people and there are so many plugins to chose from I could almost guarantee that what I want to do has already been done before.
If you are starting with a clean site, now is the perfect time to take JQuery for a spin though, because if you do get hooked on it your code will be more consistent if you solve similar tasks using the same technique. Go give it a try :)
I would highly recommend using jQuery (or any comparable framework) over straight JavaScript. It just makes common programming tasks easier, most notably cross-browser development.
jquery makes js related work easier and more important standardised/compliant.
If you need re-assurance as to its use:
MS & Nokia are bundling it in their dev platforms.
Its compatible with many of the newest web technologies.
It has a large developer community supporting it.
There are many plug-ins available to aid RAD.
and more...
Give it a go!!
Definutly! Jquery wil save you a lot of time struggling over code and makes your code easier to read to non-experts.
I got the Wrox.Beginning.JavaScript.3rd.Edition and wanted to start learning it from scratch, then my boss came along and said that why bother, learn jQuery.
Can I understand jQuery and work with it although I am a newbie and have limited knowledge in ASP.net, vb.net, some C#, and basic HTML?!
jQuery is javascript. I think you're on the right path. Learn javascript well and you'll be able to make better use of jQuery.
So what's your question? JQuery is a framework built on the top of a language JavaScript. To use JQuery confidently, you should get familiar with JavaScript. JQuery contains a bunch of useful patterns and utils that mask the incompatibilities of the browsers. Using a JavaScript framework make sense as it allows you to focus on your problem instead of the problem of the JavaScript implementations of the browsers.
For further details on JavaScript frameworks, see SO question »Which Javascript framework (jQuery vs Dojo vs … )?«. For learning JavaScript, learn the good parts.
if all your manager is asking from you is to show and hide some elements, or fade in and out a couple of images, or request some data via ajax and display it then learning jquery and its api is perhaps all that you need.
but if you (or your manager) are concerned about performance, maintainability, code reuse and generally understanding what the *ell is going on 'back there' then learning the language itself is a safe bet.
I would suggest grabbing a copy of JavaScript: The Definitive Guide, which will give you a general understanding of what it is and how to use it, and much more. While you are at it, I also suggest John Resig's Pro Javascript techniques. This guy really knows his javascript inside-out (works for mozilla, author of jQuery, amongst others).
As for jQuery, you don't really need to buy a book. Just browse through the API and have a look at its source code. Perhaps you won't understand much, but there are some cool stuff going on that will make you think.
It is entirely possible to learn jQuery without learning every bit of javascript first. However, to be productive and and extend the functionality of plugins etc you will need to know javascript.
I would suggest that you do a bit of both. Continue learning Javascript but when you want to implement functionality make use of the jQuery library.
I would say the statement is akin to you reading a C#/VB.Net book and having your boss say "Don't bother, just learn ASP.Net". You really don't get much from the latter without the former.
JQuery provides a good layer of abstraction for interacting with DOM elements. You can do a lot of interesting things with it quickly and easily. But there are probably many things that JQuery won't do for you. You'll need to use regular JavaScript for that.
jQuery removes the need for many bad Javascript habits.
However, you will frequently need to know more than just jQuery to get non-trivial work done.
You'll need to learn both, but try to pick up habits based on jQuery.
jQuery is made from javascript. :)
It would be a very good idea to read the source-code of jQuery to enhance your overall understanding of javascript...
Definitely learn both at the same time :)
Good luck and have fun.
Maybe your boss is trying to save you some time learning the basics of Javascript and start you off learning jQuery right away but I think this would be a bad idea.
Understanding the basics of javascript is key to using jQuery successfully. jQuery provides shortcuts and solutions to problems (cross browser problems etc) but it is not a language unto it's self.
My advice, learn javascript, learn about handling events in different browsers, inserting in to the DOM and then start using jQuery. You will appreciate it a lot more and be a better coder for it.
If you already have an understanding of C#, you'll have a head start learning Javascript and it shouldn't be too hard to pick up. I'd stick with that Javascript book though, since you need to know Javascript to use jQuery. Once you are comfortable with Javascript, move on to learning jQuery. The jQuery docs are VERY helpful and can answer almost any question you have.
Good luck with learning it, it'll be worth it.
jQuery Docs
what are U doing? - ofcourse pure JavaScript is better =)
Libraries will alwas contain nonessential complexity, but they can save some headaches if they're not too bloated or already present on the end users' systems. Best use would be to learn javascript while using jquery, and then slowly remove the crutch of using jquery. While it's powerful, it does add significant overhead, nonessential complexity, and potential opportunities for abuse, just like flash. There are no silver bullets.