ESM.sh: An Innovative Javascript and Typescript Bundler
A brief introduction to the project:
ESM.sh is an intriguing project hosted on GitHub, a platform that is home to countless innovative software projects. The ESM.sh project is a javascript and typescript runtime built specifically for the Deno runtime. With an increasing usage and popularity of the Deno runtime for Javascript and Typescript applications, the relevance of ESM.sh project cannot be over-emphasized.
Project Overview:
ESM.sh is fundamentally focused on addressing the need for a bundler that will provide ES modules for the Deno runtime. The Deno runtime, newer and more secure than Node.js comes with its own built-in tools to fetch and manage dependencies. However, the native tools might not always be efficient hence the need for the ESM.sh project. ESM.sh fill this missing gap by allowing users to import javascript and typescript directly, without having to go through other cumbersome procedures.
The project targets all developers who use Deno for Javascript and Typescript applications including web developers, software developers and beginners in programming who work with Deno runtime.
Project Features:
ESM.sh enables users to import packages from npm in the ES module without any installations or configurations. It provides an auto-updating CDN for packages and versions, cached permanently on Cloudflare's Global CDN until the client requests a new version or a different package. Furthermore, ESM.sh takes advantage of Cloudflare's serverless workers to bundle the javascript or typescript before delivery which makes this service fast and reliable. Other notable features include resolving dependencies, providing typescript definitions, and Deno compatibility.
Technology Stack:
The project uses established technologies like Cloudflare Workers, to bundle and deliver packages, offering advanced caching options and failover mechanisms to ensure high reliability and performance. ESM.sh team chose Cloudflare Workers because they run closer to the user on Cloudflare's global network of data centers, thereby resulting in faster performance.
Project Structure and Architecture:
Like most projects, ESM.sh has a well-defined structure with different components such as the "esm-api" that is responsible for fetching npm packages and versions. Another component is the "esm-build" that is used for bundling packages before delivery.
Contribution Guidelines:
The ESM.sh project highly encourages contributions from the open-source community. It provides a set of rules for contributors to follow. These guidelines specify that all contributors must adhere to, from submitting bug reports and feature requests to contributing code.