Use different configuration options for different modules - requirejs

Question

In my require.js configuration, I'm using urlArgs: "bust=" + (new Date()).getTime(), to ensure that my module scripts are not being cached at all during development (this has the effect of adding a unique query parameter for each request, so it looks to a cache like a different resource).
However, there are several third party libraries I'm using that I'm not changing at all and would like for them to be cached to speed up loading and my overall development cycle. Is there a way to only apply the caching-busting config to certain modules, for instance based on the path?

Answer 1

The urlArgs option is used by the nameToUrl method of requirejs' context. This means that within a context all modules will share the option. Different contexts can have different options, but mixing contexts will be more hassle than it's worth: it won't be enough to define two sets of configuration options, but different modules would have to be required differently and modules from different context can't be listed in a single dependencies list.
Nevertheless, here is an example of how this can be accomplished (fiddle):
// default context
require.config({
urlArgs: "boost=" + (new Date()).getTime(),
paths: {
jquery: "//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.0.0/jquery.min",
}
});
// cached (non-boosted) context
var reqCached = require.config({
context: "cached",
paths: {
jquery: "//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.0.0/jquery.min",
}
});
// define a module "inline", normally it'll go into <base>/main.js
define("main", ["jquery"], function($) {
$("body").append("<div>boosted jquery</div>");
reqCached(["jquery"], function($) {
$("body").append("<div>cached jquery</div>");
});
});
// bootstrap the "application" - load and execute the main module
requirejs(["main"], function(main) {
});
In developer tools you can see that this contrived example loads two versions of jquery - one cache-boosted (the dependency of the "main" module) and one plain (manually required with the reqCached context). Alas, it is impossible - or I'm unaware of a way - to mix and match the two contexts so they provide different sets of modules transparently.