I'm looking for a reliable way to implement jQuery plugins into my SPFx web part (targeting SharePoint 2016 on-prem). I have jQuery installed with npm install and imported with import * as jQuery from 'jquery';. I want to use a couple of plugins like Bootstrap Wizard, jQuery steps or Form Validator.
When I install a plugin with:
npm install --save <plugin> @types/<plugin>
require('<plugin>')
it doesn't throw any errors, but when I'm trying to use one of the jQuery functions from the plugin, it's not recognized as part of jQuery.
I also tried loading the plugin with SPComponentLoader, after serving the project with gulp, I can run jQuery functions in the browser console, but still not in IDE.
What is the recommended way to use jQuery plugins in SPFx web part?
How can I integrate plugins that are not by default supported on npm?
