I've been tasked with cleaning up a project that contains around 45-50 separate .js javascript files. I'm trying to figure out the most effective way to reduce their loading size. Should I combine all the files into one using npm or gulp? Or should I consider installing a module loader like webpack?
For those who are already combining, compressing, and obfuscating their code but do not want all files to be loaded on every page due to a large bundle, there is a solution like the Commons Chunk Plugin provided by Webpack.
This handy plugin analyzes the dependencies for each page specified in your Webpack.config file and identifies which modules are needed across all pages. It then splits the code into two bundles: a "common" bundle containing modules required by every page, which must be included with a script tag on all pages:
<script src="commons.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Additionally, it creates an individual endpoint bundle for each specific page that can be referenced in a script tag placed after the commons script tag:
<script src="specificpage.bundle.js" charset="utf-8"></script>As a result, a single page will not have to load modules that are only utilized on other pages.
It should be noted that this functionality is specific to Webpack and may not be available as a Gulp plugin, as the plugin needs to understand all endpoints to determine common dependencies.
For a comprehensive guide, I recommend checking out the fantastic resource at https://github.com/thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist
Some key recommendations include:
High priority should be given to JavaScript Inline: Ensure that you do not have any JavaScript code mixed with your HTML.
Concatenation is important: Make sure your JavaScript files are concatenated.
Minification is crucial: Ensure your JavaScript files are minified by adding the .min suffix.
To achieve these optimizations, consider using package managers like gulp, grunt, or webpack (among the popular choices). Choose the one that suits your preferences.
If webpack appeals to you, start with a simple starter kit for better understanding: https://github.com/dfa1234/snippets-starter
One option is to focus on concatenation and minification by utilizing tools like gulp-concat for combining files and gulp-minify for optimizing code.
Instead of manually creating scripts, consider using a generator like yeoman, such as Fountain, to save time on writing repetitive concatenation/minification tasks.
In addition, implementing lazy loading with tools like RequireJS or leveraging built-in support for lazy loading modules in frameworks like Angular can enhance application performance.
EDIT: For even greater performance improvements, consider installing a compression tool on your server, such as compression for NodeJS.
In my personal view, the most effective approach would involve thoroughly understanding the project's purpose before proceeding with a refactor. Simply concatenating code will not solve any underlying issues; it is merely a superficial deployment step.
Take the time to evaluate the technologies being used and consider implementing a more modern stack for long-term maintenance. Starting with a seed project that includes ES6, webpack, Babel, and establishing a well-maintained repository with proper modularity and dependency management could be beneficial.
Once this foundation is set, improving load times can be achieved by integrating suitable tools during the build process (such as babel and webpack).
Consider incorporating unit tests into your workflow to ensure continued progress and efficiency :)
I'm working with HTML code that displays multiple lines from a JSON file, but it only shows one line at a time. How can I modify the code to display all users' information? <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <script> function ...
I have a situation where I need to implement a functionality for a series of buttons with follow and unfollow statuses. When a user clicks on any button, I want the status to change after a brief delay and deactivation, followed by reactivation. For instan ...
I am looking to create a div that dynamically adjusts its height based on the user's scrolling behavior. The goal is for the div to expand to the very top as the user scrolls downward, and stop when it reaches 70% of the container/parent element. Is t ...
I have been working on a Node.JS server using Express to generate and download PDFs based on user input. Previously, I used the <form action=""> method to call my API, but switched to Axios due to Netlify not supporting NuxtAPI. The program ...
My attempt to configure Typescript to exclude specific files during compilation is not working as expected. Despite setting exclusions in my tsconfig.json file, the code from one of the excluded files (subClassA.ts) is still being included in the compiled ...
I'm currently working on a Node.js project that utilizes npm scripts. Here is a segment from the package.json: "scripts": { "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1", "build-all": "./node_modules/.bin/webpack --p ...
Could use a little help here. Thank you :) I'm having trouble figuring out how to get the outer div to wrap around the inner div and expand upwards with the content inside the inner editable div. The inner div should expand from bottom to top, and t ...
For those who prefer shorter explanations, there's a TLDR at the end. Otherwise, here's a detailed breakdown. I have a form that consists of multiple inputs organized into different "pages" using ng-show. What I aim to achieve is when ng-show r ...
I've encountered an issue with Multer in Node.js where I can't seem to select and upload multiple files. In a previous exercise, I had no trouble uploading a single file, but now I'm struggling with enabling multiple uploads. What am I mis ...
I have implemented a select box in the following manner: JS: Vue.component("v-select", VueSelect.VueSelect); new Vue({ el: "#app", data: { options: [ { countryCode: "AU", countryName: "Australia" }, { countryCode: "CA", countryName: " ...
I've been trying to incorporate a screen size parameter into the function below, but so far I haven't had any success. I seem to be stuck at this point. The code shown here is working correctly... $(document).ready(function(){ $( ...
I'm a beginner in Angular and I'm curious to understand the reasoning behind injecting all our dependencies twice. Here is an example: var analysisApp=angular.module('analysisApp',[]); analysisApp.controller('analysisController ...
The article I recently came across discussed how to effectively utilize environment variables in vuejs. Following the instructions, I set up my local .env.local file and also installed dotenv. VUE_APP_AUTH_AUTHORITY = 'http://localhost/auth' I ...
I'm currently conducting UI tests using WebdriverIO with npm. This is my .env file: VARIABLE=SOME-VALUE Here's my package.json: "scripts": { "test": "dotenv -e .env tsc && wdio wdio.conf.ts" }, This ...
I need help automating the calculation of the number of days a person worked based on their "in-time" and "out-time". I've tried to implement this in my JS code, but it's not working as expected. HTML <fieldset> In-Time: <input clas ...
I have a task runner script that combines and compresses my JavaScript files. Using the gulp-html-replace plugin, I can swap out all individual JS files with the concatenated one in my index.html. This results in a development version (/dev/index.html) w ...
Here is the pattern we use to validate input fields: The length of the input field should be between 6 and 15 characters. It should contain at least one lowercase letter (a-z). It should contain at least one uppercase letter (A-Z). It should contain at le ...
My component seems to be encountering some instability. The value assigned to "this.state.list" from this.props is being immediately set to "undefined". I'm struggling to comprehend why this is happening. Can anyone spot the issue in the code? this.s ...
I encountered a registry error while trying to run npm install. https://i.stack.imgur.com/zR73g.png npm ERR! code EPROTO npm ERR! errno EPROTO npm ERR! request to https://registry.npmjs.org/react failed, reason: write EPROTO 101057795:error:14077419:SSL ...
Using the $root binding context is resulting in a blank page for me. Removing it allows the page to load properly. Causing blank page: <td><input data-bind="value: name" /></td> <td><select data-bind="options: $root.availableMe ...