A full version history of the jquery package with size, number of distributed files and dependency evolution.
jQuery, a cornerstone of web development, has evolved significantly since its early npm package versions. Initial releases like 1.5.1, 1.6.2, and 1.6.3, dating back to 2011, focused on core functionality and compatibility with environments like Node.js, demonstrated by dependencies like jsdom. As jQuery matured, versions 1.7.2 and 1.8.3 introduced development dependencies like grunt and nodeunit, showing a push for testing and automation. The 1.9.x and 1.11.x series saw the standardization of the library for DOM operations, reflected in the shift away from Node.js-specific packaging and the introduction of more comprehensive testing suites, including testswarm.
The 2.x and 3.x lines mark a significant evolution, coinciding with modern JavaScript tooling practices. The 1.12.x, 2.2.x, and 3.x versions adopted a wider range of devDependencies like babel, eslint, and advanced testing frameworks, aligning with modern web development workflows. The 3.x range has a lot of versions. The latest jQuery versions, such as 3.6.x and 3.7.x, emphasize cross-browser compatibility and the integration of cutting-edge testing tools like karma and modern bundlers, showcasing jQuery's ongoing commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly changing web landscape. These versions are actively maintained with updated dependencies.