When we least expect it, an open source component like jQuery revolutionizes client-side software development, which is exactly what has happened since the initial jQuery release in Jan-2006.  I have worked with jQuery since 2008 and over the past two years I have also converted my Socrates content management framework from a ASP.NET web forms model to a ASP.NET MVC model; MVC being an excellent complement to jQuery.  The use of jQuery and jQuery UI have now become all too important.

jQuery includes a robust jQuery plug-in architecture.  3rd party jQuery plugins seem to be endless in numbers, equivalent to trying to select a suitable iPhone App from the iTunes App Store.   My favorite jQuery plug-ins include the following dozen (not necessarily in order of importance):

1. jQuery-AD-Gallery – Photo gallery management.
2. jQuery-Booklet – A wonderful magazine or document page flipper.
3. jQuery-ContextMenu – And you thought right click context menus were not available.  I use it on my TreeView.
4. jQuery-Download – Easily download files.
5. jQuery-FancyBox – A LightBox type of plugin, however much nicer than LightBox.
6. jQuery-TableDnD – Drag and drop rows from within a HTML table.
7. jQuery-tmpl – Of course this is everyone’s favorite for populating content in tabular form, or in any templated form for that matter.
8. jQuery-URL-Parser – Great when in need for a URL object.
9. jQuery-validate – no doubt the leader in form field validation.
10. jQuery-MeioMask – Useful form input field masking plugin.
11. jQuery-MaskMoney – Another useful form input field for masking of currency values.
12. jQuery-TinyMCE – The leader in client-side HTML editors.  Actually comes in non-jQuery and jQuery plugin versions.
13. jQuery-QTip – Great for jazzing up those tooltips.
14. jQuery-PLUPLOAD – Developed by the same people who bring us TinyMCE, PLUPLOAD is simply incredible for uploading files in a Silverlight, Flash or HTML5 environment.   Also comes in both jQuery and non-jQuery flavors.

Yes, I can count.  I promised my favorite dozen jQuery plug-ins, however I simply could not leave out two others, so I end up with a favorites list of fourteen.