[aadarshkumaredu]

Removing jQuery isn’t a mechanical find-and-replace task.

jQuery is often deeply intertwined with: • Event delegation patterns • Implicit DOM readiness assumptions • Legacy plugin ecosystems • Cross-browser workarounds

An LLM can translate $(selector).addClass() to element.classList.add(). But it struggles when behavior depends on subtle timing, plugin side effects, or undocumented coupling.

The hard part isn’t syntax replacement. It’s preserving behavioral invariants across the app.

AI is decent at scaffolding migrations, but for legacy front-end codebases, you still need test coverage and incremental refactors. Otherwise it’s easy to “remove jQuery” and silently break UX flows.