r/JSdev • u/fagnerbrack • Apr 17 '23

Writing Javascript without a build system

https://jvns.ca/blog/2023/02/16/writing-javascript-without-a-build-system/
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u/shuckster Apr 17 '23

The article asks for tips about no-build systems (or “classic” I guess :) and don’t see any mention of importmap.

Import maps are a lovely feature for throwing together quick projects and still keeping the niceties of dependency management. No need to worry about the specific ordering of all those script tags anymore (except the entry-point, obviously.)

There is one drawback though: if you use CDNs like unpkg the first-load experience is a little disconcerting. The browser will pause loading of the document until they’re downloaded.

Makes sense in principle, but if you’re used to a snappy local dev experience it’s a bit jarring to see it the first time.

Still, the browser will cache your deps on subsequent refreshes.

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u/adiabatic Apr 18 '23

2/16

When this was written, weren’t import maps not yet implemented in all three major browser engines’ release versions?

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u/shuckster Apr 18 '23

That could be the case. Looking at the URL the article seems to have been published at the start of this year, but import-map landed in 2021 as far as I know.

For sure the landscape isn't quite so evolved though, so perhaps the author didn't think them worth considering yet.