Front-End Build Tools

Chapter 12: Best Practices

12.1 Optimization Strategies

Follow best practices to ensure optimal build performance and output.

• Use production mode: Always build with production mode for deployment
• Enable caching: Use build cache to speed up subsequent builds
• Code splitting: Split code to reduce initial bundle size
• Tree shaking: Remove unused code
• Minification: Minify JavaScript and CSS
• Asset optimization: Optimize images and fonts
• Source maps: Use source maps for production debugging
• Bundle analysis: Analyze bundle size regularly

// Bundle analysis
const BundleAnalyzerPlugin = require('webpack-bundle-analyzer').BundleAnalyzerPlugin;

plugins: [
    new BundleAnalyzerPlugin({
        analyzerMode: 'static',
        openAnalyzer: false
    })
]

12.2 Performance Tips

• Use webpack-bundle-analyzer to identify large dependencies
• Consider lazy loading for routes and heavy components
• Use CDN for vendor libraries when possible
• Optimize images before bundling
• Use compression (gzip/brotli) on server

Conclusion

Master build tools to optimize and deploy front-end applications effectively.