Cash is a small JavaScript library for everyday browser DOM work, offering a chainable API that will feel familiar to jQuery users. It can be a practical option when a project needs common DOM operations without bringing in jQuery, but it is not a drop-in replacement: Cash explicitly does not aim for full jQuery feature parity. Before switching, check the methods your code uses and the browsers it must support.
What is Cash?
Cash is a browser-side JavaScript library for selecting and manipulating DOM elements with jQuery-style syntax. Its official README describes it as an alternative for modern browsers and names IE11 and later in its introductory compatibility claim. The project’s goal is to cover many day-to-day DOM tasks with a smaller library, not to reproduce every jQuery feature. Cash project README
The usual entry point is $(). The README documents passing a CSS selector, a DOM node, a node list, an HTML string, an existing Cash collection, or a callback to run when the DOM is ready. Selected elements are exposed through chainable collection methods.
What can you do with Cash?
The documented API covers common tasks including:
- Reading and changing attributes, classes, CSS, content, and data.
- Adding and removing event handlers, and working with form values and serialization.
- Inserting or removing DOM elements, and traversing between related elements.
- Reading dimensions and using effects.
Cash also allows extensions through $.fn. That breadth can make it useful for smaller projects or code that relies on a familiar jQuery-like workflow. It does not establish that an existing jQuery application will work unchanged: compatibility depends on the specific methods, behavior, plugins, and browser targets that application requires.
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How do you install cash-dom?
The project documents two distribution options. Choose the one that fits how your site loads JavaScript.
Install from npm
- Install the package:
npm install --save cash-dom. - Import Cash in your JavaScript module:
import $ from 'cash-dom';. - Use
$()and the collection methods your code needs.
Load from jsDelivr
The README also documents loading cash.min.js from the jsDelivr CDN with a script tag. Follow the current README for the exact script URL and any setup details; the project’s documented CDN route is not a substitute for checking how your application manages dependencies and script loading.
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Can Cash replace jQuery?
Sometimes, for a project that uses only methods Cash supports and whose browser requirements are covered. Cash is not a complete jQuery substitute: its maintainers state that “100% feature parity with jQuery isn’t a goal.” A migration therefore needs an inventory of the application’s actual jQuery calls, plugins, and expected behavior—not just a check that familiar method names exist.
Compare the exact methods the application uses, required browser support, migration effort, TypeScript needs, and bundle size measured using the same build and compression setup. Cash’s README comparison table includes partial builds and TypeScript types, but the published figures should not be treated as a current, independently reproduced comparison.
How small is Cash?
The Cash project README reports 36.5 KB unminified, 16 KB minified, and 6 KB minified and gzipped. It also characterizes the gzipped figure as a 76.6% reduction compared with jQuery Slim 3.4.1. The README’s publication or measurement date is not stated, and these are project-published figures rather than a fresh independent benchmark. Current builds, compression settings, and the version of the alternative being compared can change the result. Cash project README
Is Cash still maintained?
The project’s repository releases panel lists version 8.1.5, dated April 13, 2023. That release listing alone does not establish the project’s current maintenance cadence, and the available evidence does not confirm a current maintenance statement. Check the repository’s release history and recent project activity before choosing Cash for a new or long-lived application. Cash releases
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does Cash compare with current jQuery?
jQuery’s official support page identifies 4.x as the current version branch and says the project supports only the latest version; 3.x receives only critical security patches and bug fixes. That is useful context when weighing a migration, but it does not show that Cash is more secure, better maintained, or appropriate for a particular application. jQuery support policy
Cash identifies its license as MIT, with the notice “MIT © Fabio Spampinato.” Confirm the project’s license terms and notices when incorporating it into your software. Cash project README
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