I started working with Javascript quite a few years ago and have always had a love/hate relationship with it. Sure, you can do a lot of cool things with it, but sometimes the amount of code you have to write to perform a simple function is a little bit tedious. There are quite a few Javascript libraries out there that really simplify the coding process and add tons more functionality. So far, my fave is jQuery.

I have really only scratched the surface with jQuery but I am quickly learning all the tricks and loving every minute of it. I have implemented a few simple jQuery scripts to bavotasan.com recently and the response has been pretty great so I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the plugins I have been using with the rest of you.

Here is a list of 10 jQuery plugins that all web developers should take a look at.

Uploadify

uploadify
Uploadify is a great looking and easy to use multiple or single file uploader developed by Ronnie Garcia and Travis Nickels. A lot of my clients have requested a simple uploader with a progress bar and Uploadify is always the first solution I present them with.
Website | Demo

ScrollTo

scrollto
I have implemented this one into Stationery, my latest WordPress theme, and you can also see it in action on bavotasan.com by clicking on the Back to Top link in the footer. Be sure to check out developer Ariel Flesler’s site for some cool examples of his plugin.
Website | Demo

Suckerfish

suckerfish
There is nothing more simple than a dropdown menu, but Patrick Griffiths and Dan Webb’s Suckerfish plugin makes it even easier, as well as cross-browser compatible.
Website | Demo

jqTransform

jqtransform
If you have downloaded any of my WordPress themes lately, you would have noticed a very elegant design for the admin option pages. That is all thanks to DFC Engineering’s jqTransform plugin. It takes plain forms and re-skins them to make them look a hundred times nicer and more professional.
Website | Demo

jCarousel

jcarousel
Carousels are great tools for adding interactivity and displaying items without taking up a lot of space. You have probably come across implementations of Jan Sorgalla’s jCarousel plugin on many online stores and portfolio sites.
Website | Demo

Galleria

galeria
There are more jQuery slideshow plugins than there are days in September and a lot of them are awesome. One of the nicest and more straightforward I have come across is Devkick’s Galleria plugin.
Website | Demo

Tabs

tabs
The Tabs plugin was created by Klaus Hartl and is now part of the jQuery User Interface API. Tons of sites use Tabs or similar interfaces to switch between content without reloading the page.
Website | Demo

jCrop

jcrop
If you are building a site where users can upload an image for whatever reason, it always makes sense to allow them to crop the image to their liking, or to the size you specify. Deep Liquid’s jCrop plugin is cross-browser compatible and offers tons of cool options to customize it to work however you need it to.
Website | Demo

qTip

qtip
Tooltips can be used in many different ways and they can really improve on user interaction. There are a few tooltip plugins out there but I like Craig Thompson’s qTip the best. It offers endless possibilities and is simple to use.
Website | Demo

jScrollPane

scrollpane
Why rely on different browsers to determine the type of scroll bar that appears on your site when you can select the type of scroll bar that best suits your site’s design. Kevin Luck’s jScrollPane plugin is a great way to customize a website’s scroll bar.
Website | Demo