How to install jQuery with Composer?

Actually there is an easier way to install jQuery, just type:

{    "require": {        "components/jquery": "1.9.*"    }}

It uses Component Installer for Composer and by default all assets from Component are installed under components, but it can be customize. (see docs).

This is simply a missing feature. There should probably be a new type of dist which is just a single plaintext file to be downloaded and left as-is. Please file a feature request on the github issue tracker: https://github.com/composer/composer/issues/

EDIT :

The feature actually exists but wasn't documented.

"type": "file"

As outlined already, part one of the solution is defining you own repositories and the "type: ": "file" repository definition option. But a subsequent issue is getting composer to put the JQuery where you want it. As it stands, composer seems to be limited to downloading dependency source under vendor-dir (which is annoying but probably related to autoloading requirements). The general fix to this limitation is to write a composer plugin that overcomes it. Seems to be a few plugins that can manage this. The simplest most lightweight solution I've found is PHP Composer Asset Manager, which is dedicated to managing non PHP/Composer "assets". Though, it has at least one limitation in that changes that the plugin makes are not managed/detected by composer. Still usable.

Here's a full composer.json to install JQuery using that plugin:

{  "name": "foo/bar",  "require":  {    "phpclasses/assets": "*",     "jquery/jquery": "*"  },  "repositories": [    {     "type": "composer",     "url": "http://www.phpclasses.org/"    },    {      "type": "package",      "package": {        "name": "jquery/jquery",        "version": "1.7.2",        "type": "jquery",        "dist": {          "url": "http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.7.2.js",          "type": "file"        }      }    }  ],  "extra": {    "assets": {      "actions": [        {          "type": "copy",          "target": "webroot/js",          "pattern": "\\.js$"        }      ],      "packages": {        "jquery/jquery": "*"      }    }  }}