jQuery vs. `document.createElement()`: When Should I Choose Which for DOM Manipulation?

jQuery: An Alternative to document.createElement()

Manipulating the DOM in JavaScript necessitates precise element creation. In older code, this was often done using document.createElement(). jQuery, however, provides a more convenient approach.

Consider the following example:

var d = document;
var odv = d.createElement("div");
odv.style.display = "none";
this.OuterDiv = odv;

var t = d.createElement("table");
t.cellSpacing = 0;
t.className = "text";
odv.appendChild(t);

Using jQuery, this code can be streamlined significantly:

this.$OuterDiv = $('<div></div>')
    .hide()
    .append($('<table></table>')
        .attr({ cellSpacing : 0 })
        .addClass("text")
    )
;

By leveraging the jQuery API, you gain the ability to create elements and manipulate their attributes and styles in a single line of code.

Performance Considerations

While jQuery simplifies DOM manipulation, it's important to consider its performance implications. Benchmarks show that document.createElement() is faster than jQuery methods for creating elements. However, the difference is negligible for small to mid-sized projects.

In jQuery 1.7.2, the updated benchmarks suggest the following:

Method	Chrome	Firefox	IE9
	9ms	11ms	11ms
	10ms	13ms	18ms
$(document.createElement('div'))	9ms	11ms	24ms

Conclusion

jQuery provides a convenient and efficient way to create and manipulate DOM elements. While it's slightly slower than using document.createElement(), the performance difference is insignificant for most practical use cases.

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