I understand that when we talk about the frontend we're talking about files being served to the browser of the person accessing my page. So, frontend javascript libraries are only javascript code that is being sent from my server to the browser.
So far everything is fine, what I don't understand is why npm has repositories for frontend libraries. Let's take this Leaflet example, I can install this library with npm using npm install leaflet -s. But what would be the purpose of doing that? I see that if I open Visual Studio Code and I declare this library with const leaflet = require('leaflet') then I can see its functions and documentation in a more clear way on the suggestions after typing leaflet.... I don't think that's the purpose of installing a library like Leaflet on Node.js though (since it works only on the frontend). What am I missing? Why would anyone install frontend only libraries on Node.js?
There are likely other reasons, but this is they reason I've done it and the reason I've seen other people do it: Many people use Node.js tooling to bundle/build webapps, so you might install your frontend dependencies, and then use rollup or webpack or browserify or TypeScript tooling or whatever to bundle it into a single .js file. Since you're likely already installing the tooling with npm, installing the libraries also with npm means you don't need some other tool to do it.
Additionally, people also use npm to install libraries for electron apps, cordova apps, React Native apps, etc. And these things can all use frontend libraries because they basically have a web view embedded. (To be honest, I'm not sure that's the case with React Native because I've never used it, but I assume it is.)
Since you mention Leaflet specifically, here is an example of someone using npm to install leaflet, and then using browserify to make it so that they can basically write Node.js code (including require('leaflet') and run it in the browser.
Related
For my understanding, node.js is a javascript-engine which is running javascript-code without using a browser(window-global). You can use javascript on a server. But I saw now a lot of tutorials(react, angular, vue etc.). In every tutorial, I have to install something with npm. I can follow there are several dev-tools which I can use on my local machine to minimize my javscript-files or compile sass to css. But in the end, when I put my files on a webserver, I just have normal javascript-files, css-files etc. No node.js code in it, right?
My question is: React, angular, vue.js etc. are written in just normal javascript without node.js right? The reason why I use npm ist just to install every dependencies with one command, right?
A question more: Is there an any recommended order to learn all these frontend-development stuff? There are so much words I have to google it: angular.js, react, vue.js, vanilla.js, typescript, backbone.js, bower, grunt, webpack, yarn etc... I dont know where I start, so I look into few tutorials, but everytime I go through these tutorials, there is a new word(technology) I have to research.
I think you're getting your terminology a little muddled.
Node.js is a JavaScript runtime, built on Google Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine. However, that is not to say that Node programs are executed in a browser. They aren’t. Rather, the creator of Node (Ryan Dahl) took the V8 engine and enhanced it with various features (such as a file system API and an HTTP library) to create a program we can use to execute JavaScript on our computers.
Node comes bundled with a package manager called npm which you can use to install packages (such as React and Angular) from the npm registry. These packages are indeed written in normal JavaScript (or a language that compiles to JavaScript, such as TypeScript).
The reason why I use npm is just to install every dependencies with one command, right?
Kinda. You can certainly use npm to install dependencies. However, it does a lot more that that. For example you can use npm scripts to carry out various build tasks, or you can create a package yourself and use npm to publish it to the registry.
A question more: Is there an any recommended order to learn all these frontend-development stuff?
As with everything, it depends. What are you trying to build? It's relatively pointless to learn about Node, npm, React and Angular if you are attempting to build a simple static website. If I were you, I'd define a clear goal and set about learning the technologies you'll need to reach that goal. Saying that, if you are doing anything with front-end development, learning about npm will be a good use of your time.
Here's an article by way of further reading that explains things a little more: https://www.sitepoint.com/an-introduction-to-node-js/
I'm checking out tons of blogs like this one where it's explicitly stated that Bower is the preferred and recommended way install Bootstrap to my Core web app.
The recommended way to install client-side dependencies like Bootstrap in ASP.NET Core is via Bower (using bower.json, as shown above). The use of npm/NuGet are shown to demonstrate how easily Bootstrap can be added to other kinds of web applications, including earlier versions of ASP.NET.
Checking the date of the post seems to be settling as it's only a few weeks old but when I check e.g. the icon for dependencies and some other things, I'm getting the impression that the content might be actually a bit more aged than so.
I've been googlearching lately and I learned that there's a shift towards fewer-simpler-smaller approach. Especially I've discovered that NPM is often recommended for managing all the packages, including Bootstrap. (Now, just because someone says so, it doesn't automatically makes it true - we need to ask why would the one or the other approach be more advantageous.)
Question - what's the downside of using Bower to manage Bootstrap instead of installing it with NPM and omitting Bower all together?
I think that since bootstrap is a strictly front-end framework, the recommendation was to install it via bower. If you envision having server-side javascript in your project as well, then npm would be the recommended way to go now :)
My understanding is that AngularJS including Angular2 is a client-side framework, while Node.JS is a server side platform. They should not cross. But all Angular2 tutorials I found use Node/NPM. Why is that?
Because npm is a package manager for packages written in JavaScript, and JavaScript can run both on client and server side. In other words, frontend and backend applications can both benefit from packages. Many development tools also use node as an underlying process (e.g. Jest-cli).
I would suggest you to use angular2 only on client side. The performance of angular2 really shines when it comes to handling view containers over regular server side codes. On the NodeJS side, I would recommend using es6 features. Which has revolutionised how you can not only code, but also performance.
The reason you see most tutorials using npm is because they are either using TypeScript or a build tool that uses Node to convert to ES5 or build your project.
However you can still build Angular2 apps using the sfx version (self-executing bundle) of Angular2 and using ES5 syntaxes without having to use node or npm. Here is a blog post that shows how to do that
http://blog.thoughtram.io/angular/2015/05/09/writing-angular-2-code-in-es5.html
Angular2 is a front-end framework but a lot of tooling that assists in building Angular2 applications are available via NPM.
If you want a package manager that's geared specifically to front-end development I suggest JSPM. It supports front-end modules of various formats (ie AMD, CommonJS, UMD), handles transpiling out of the box, and can be used as a build tool to concatenate/minify your application code.
You'll still need NPM for many other utilities and you'll need a back-end server for testing (I recommend live-server).
As far as the back-end is concerned. One of the Angular2 dev teams is working on a Node/Express extension that supports isomorphic rendering of JS. In short, it pre-renders the view on the server so the user can interact with it in the browser while the app loads in the background. The start time of launching a fully-featured SPA will still be kind of slow (relatively) but perceived speed will be instantaneous.
I am using Express with Jade and I installed backbone.js and jQuery via npm. Do I copy the appropriate js files into my public/javascript folder or will Jade understand if I use require() inside the view template file?
Please steer me in the right direction.
Thanks
Anything installed with the package manager is available by require(). If you're trying to use the libraries to be rendered client-side, then you shouldn't be installing them server-side.
As hexacyanide says, Anything installed with the package manager is available by require().
If you want to use packages installed via npm in the browser, you may want to take a look at browserify. Although I'd recommend to at first simply using the files provided on the backbone and jQuery websites. It's less to learn.
NPM is only for server side JavaScript packages.
If you want to manage your client side libraries with a package manager take a look at bower, which shares some concepts of NPM, but for the client side.
I'm using node.js and backbone for a web app. Backbone is part of my package requirments. I've used Rails and Backbone before, and the helper gems are nice for piecing together all the assets (js files) that need to get to the client.
With that said, I had to manually download backbone.js and manually add it and all the other supported js libraries in the header of my app's layout file.
Should installing the backbone module get me away from that manual effort to create the required source for my client app? Is there some kind of jammit/asset pipeline?
you should simply npm install backbone in your main directory, this way all the submodules you use will find this exact backbone, and will use it
moreover, this way you can easily extend backbone with additional submodules
I use the stitch package to serve my scripts in node apps. With that, it's as simple as listing backbone.js as a dependency, and I install it with npm. That's convenient.