Since jQuery objects now store their current element-list on numeric indices, it seems logical to make the jQuery 'class' inherit directly from Array. This way, we get all the array methods for free (push, pop, shift, unshift etc) for use in internal logic.

We get a clean, fast way to clone/convert to a plain array (the slice method with no arguments), instead of using jQuery.merge(jqObj, []).

And we get this interesting result:

($('body>div') instanceof Array) === true

... which means that existing functions which perform type-checking will see a jQuery object as a legitimate Array instance, because essentially it ''is'' one.

None of this would really matter, of course, if the inheritance wasn't so ''super'' easy to implement:

1. define jQuery.extend before jQuery.prototype instead of afterwards, like so:

jQuery.extend = function(obj,prop) {
	if ( !prop ) { prop = obj; obj = this; }
	for ( var i in prop ) obj[i] = prop[i];
	return obj;
};

2. Then, when defining the prototype (and making sure it still gets jQuery.fn.extend as a method like it normally would), wrap the properties onto a fresh, blank array, instead of just an object literal:

jQuery.fn = jQuery.prototype = jQuery.extend([], {
	jquery: "1.0.2",
	extend: jQuery.extend,

		... other functions ...
});

3. ...and that's it.

Good idea? Terrible idea? just plain pointless?

I know I like it.