jQuery in Action, Second Edition

Chapter 5. Energizing pages with animations and effects

This chapter covers

• Showing and hiding elements without animation
• Showing and hiding elements using core animation effects
• Writing custom animations
• Controlling animation and function queuing

Browsers have come a long way since LiveScript—subsequently renamed JavaScript—was introduced to Netscape Navigator in 1995 to allow scripting of web pages.

In those early days, the capabilities afforded to page authors were severely limited, not only by the minimal APIs, but by the sluggishness of scripting engines and low-powered systems. The idea of using these limited abilities for animation and effects was laughable, and for years the only animation was through the use of animated GIF images ...