The SaaS platform Hotlist.biz fully abandons the external jQuery library and has already completed a full refactoring to pure JavaScript.
Hotlist.biz have completely abandoned Jquery
Hotlist.biz have officially completed a full removal of the Jquery library from the system core. All internal scripts, interface components, and platform widgets have been migrated to pure Vanilla JavaScript. This strategic decision is the result of a large-scale technical modernization aimed at improving website speed, stability, and security.
Why Jquery was a standard for many years
For decades, Jquery remained the foundation of frontend development for most websites. During the rapid evolution of the web, browsers differed in JavaScript support, and there were no convenient methods for working with AJAX, events, DOM manipulation, and animations. Jquery solved several problems at once:
- Code unification across different browsers
- Simplified selectors
- Convenient AJAX handling
- A large number of UI plugins
- Faster interface development
At that time, it was truly necessary. Without Jquery, building complex interfaces required significantly more time.
Why Jquery is no longer needed today
Modern browsers fully support native JavaScript. Now we have:
- Fetch API instead of $.ajax
- querySelector / querySelectorAll instead of $()
- classList for class management
- addEventListener with delegation
- CSS animations and transitions instead of JS animations
- Modern ES6+ standards
What previously required a third-party library is now built directly into the language and supported 100% in all modern browsers.
An additional library has become unnecessary overhead:
- Increases page size
- Slows down loading
- Creates risks of conflicts with other scripts
- Complicates maintenance
The scale of the work completed
The Hotlist.biz team carried out extensive refactoring. The following were completely rewritten:
- Administrative panel
- System widgets
- Catalog filters
- Modal windows
- AJAX mechanisms
- Interactive template elements
All code was migrated to pure Vanilla JavaScript without using third-party frameworks. This made it possible to:
- Reduce client-side load
- Speed up interface performance
- Improve compatibility
- Simplify maintenance and scaling
Important
Jquery has been completely removed from the system core.
Only connect the library in extreme cases — if you need to run an old third-party plugin that has no pure JS equivalent.
In all other cases, it is strongly recommended to use Vanilla JavaScript.
How to connect Jquery if necessary
If the library is still required for objective reasons:
- Create a Block or Menu
- Place it in “Service tags”
- Set it to display on all pages
- Add the following code:
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.7.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
Migration from Jquery to Native JavaScript
Selecting elements (Selectors):
// Jquery
$(".my-class");
// Native JS
document.querySelectorAll(".my-class");
Click events and delegation:
// Jquery
$(document).on("click", ".btn", function() { ... });
// Native JS
document.addEventListener("click", function(e) {
if (e.target.closest(".btn")) { ... }
});
AJAX requests:
// Jquery
$.ajax({
url: "/api",
method: "POST",
data: { id: 1 }
});
// Native JS
fetch("/api", {
method: "POST",
headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
body: JSON.stringify({ id: 1 })
}).then(response => response.json());
Working with attributes:
// Jquery
$(el).attr("data-src");
// Native JS
el.getAttribute("data-src");
Working with classes:
// Jquery
$(el).addClass("active");
// Native JS
el.classList.add("active");
Show and hide:
// Jquery
$(el).toggle();
// Native JS
el.style.display = (window.getComputedStyle(el).display === "none") ? "block" : "none";
Why abandoning Jquery is strategically important
The modern web is moving toward performance, minimalism, and native standards. Abandoning outdated dependencies means:
- Better Core Web Vitals metrics
- Faster loading speed
- Fewer conflicts and bugs
- Cleaner project architecture
- Readiness for further scaling
Today, Vanilla JavaScript fully covers all needs — from complex AJAX mechanisms to dynamic UI and interactive interfaces.
Hotlist.biz have taken a technological step forward by completely updating the platform’s frontend architecture. This is an investment in performance, stability, and the future of the system.
Conclusion
Jquery played an important role in the evolution of the web. But its time has passed.
Hotlist.biz have fully transitioned to pure JavaScript, ensuring a modern, fast, and technologically up-to-date standard for website operation.
Use Vanilla JS — it is faster, safer, and more professional.
