When referencing JavaScript with other people and programmers, there are many words thrown around. Words like jQuery, Dojo and such. I bring up Vanilla JavaScript and I get blank stares.

Vanilla JavaScript seams to only resonate with the JavaScript developer crowd but should be better promoted for mainstream use as has terms like jQuery.

Vanilla.js weighs a whopping 0 bytes (or 25 gzipped), meaning you can choose not to implement it at all, as every browser has it pre-installed.

This is because with so many colorfully named libraries and instances like “CoffeeScript”, “Batman”, and “Knockout”. Referencing so many items and instances can be confusing.

How do you differentiate when speaking about jQuery and and JavaScript with no libraries of other references of JavaScript used. We hear things like “plain”, “regular”, “old JavaScript”. That can be confusing and could be construed as possible library names.

This is where the colorful name Vanilla JavaScript comes into play. Vanilla JavaScript references JavaScript that runs on a browser with no libraries. A lot better than something like “Plain Yogurt JavaScript”. An item that better describes in my mind what plain JavaScript is like. A lack of flavor. but with a small amount of fruit, can make a huge change taste like a library can do to JavaScript.