Gulp.js: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:53, 15 September 2016

Latest revision as of 22:29, 15 December 2024

(128 intermediate revisions by 60 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Server-side JavaScript build tool}}

{{Infobox Software

{{lowercase title}}

| logo = [[File:Gulp.js logo.png|thumb|gulp.js logo]]

{{multiple issues|

| developer = Fractal and contributors of the GitHub community

{{How-to|date=October 2016}}

| latest release version = 4.0.0

{{context|date=January 2017}}

| platform = [[Platform independence | across platforms]]

}}

| language = [[JavaScript]]

{{Infobox software

| category = [[Toolkit]]

| name = gulp

| platform = [[Cross-platform]], see [[#Legacy browser support|Legacy browser support]]

| logo = Gulp.js Logo.svg

| license = [[MIT License]]<ref>{{Internet source | url = https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/LICENSE|title=License to github.com | language=en | access = 2016-05-30}} </ref>

| logo caption =

| website = {{url|http://gulpjs.com/}}<br>{{url|www.gulpjs.com/}}

| logo alt =

| logo size = 100px

| collapsible =

| screenshot = <!-- Image name is enough -->

| screenshot size =

| screenshot alt =

| caption =

| other_names =

| author = Eric Schoffstall<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Developing a Gulp Edge|publisher=Bleeding Edge Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-939902-14-6|edition=1st|author1=Jed Mao |author2=Maximilian Schmitt |author3=Tomasz Stryjewski |author4=Cary Country Holt |author5=William Lubelski }}</ref>

| developer = Blaine Bublitz, Eric Schoffstall

| released = {{Start date and age|2013|09|26|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://libraries.io/npm/gulp/versions | access-date=2020-12-31 | title=Release Date of Version 1.0.0}}</ref><!-- As per template guideline, this is the release date of version 1.0.0 -->

| ver layout =

| discontinued =

| latest release version = 5.0.0

| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2024|03|29|df=yes}}<ref name="latest-releases">{{cite web | url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/releases | access-date=2020-12-31 | title=Releases · gulpjs/gulp| website=[[GitHub]] }}</ref>

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| repo = {{URL|https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp}}

| qid =

| programming language = [[JavaScript]] <!-- Node.js is NOT a language, it is a platform -->

| middleware =

| tools =

| engine =

| operating system = [[Linux]], [[macOS]], [[Windows]] <!-- As per template guideline, do not write "Cross-platform" here -->

| platform = [[Node.js]] <!-- As per template guideline, do not write "Cross-platform" here -->

| included with =

| replaces =

| replaced_by =

| service_name =

| size =

| standard =

| language =

| language count =

| language footnote =

| genre = [[Toolkit]]

| license = [[MIT License]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/LICENSE | title=LICENSE file on GitHub | website=[[GitHub]] | access-date=2020-12-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp | title=License field from gulp - npm | access-date=2020-12-31}}</ref>

| website =

| AsOf =

}}

'''gulp''' is an [[Open-source software|open-source]] [[JavaScript]] toolkit, used as a streaming [[build system]] (similar to a more package-focused [[Make (software)|Make]]) in [[front-end web development]].

It is a task runner built on [[Node.js]] and [[npm (software)|npm]], used for automation of time-consuming and repetitive tasks involved in web development like [[Minification (programming)|minification]], concatenation, cache busting, [[unit testing]], [[Linting software|linting]], optimization, etc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/06/building-with-gulp/ |title=Building With Gulp – Smashing Magazine |website=Smashingmagazine.com |date=11 June 2014 |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref>

'''gulp.js''' is an open source, extensible, powerful and efficient JavaScript toolkit by Fractal Innovations and the open source community at git, used as a streaming build system in front end web development.

gulp uses a code-over-configuration approach to define its tasks and relies on its small, single-purpose plugins to carry them out. The gulp ecosystem includes more than 3500 such plugins.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gulpjs.com/plugins/ |title=gulp.js plugin registry |website=Gulpjs.com |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref>

It is a task runner built on Node.js and npm, used for automation of time consuming and repetitive tasks involved in web development like minification, concatenation, cache busting, unit testing, linting, image optimization etc.

gulp uses a code-over-configuration approach to define its tasks and relies on its small, single purposed plugins to carry them out. gulp has 300+ such plugins made available to choose from.

== Overview ==

gulp<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.jscom/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/docs/FAQ.md|title=gulpjs/gulp|website=GitHub|access-date=2016-09-22}}</ref> is a build tool in JavaScript built on [[node streamsstream]]s. These streams facilitate the connection of file operations through [[Pipeline (software)|pipelines]].<ref name="github.com">{{cite web|url=https://github.com/substack/stream-handbook |title=substack/stream-handbook: how to write node programs with streams |publisher=GitHub |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> gulp reads the file system and pipes the data at hand from its one single -purposed plugin to otheranother through pipesthe <code>.pipe()</code> operator, doing one task at a time. The original files are not affected until all the plugins are processed. It can be configured either to modify the original files or to create new ones. This grants the ability to perform complex tasks through linking its myriad ofnumerous plugins. The users can also write their own plugins to define their own tasks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/docs/writing-a-plugin/README.md|title=gulpjs/gulp|website=GitHub|access-date=2016-09-22}}</ref> Unlike other task runners that run tasks by configuration, gulp requires knowledge onof JavaScript and coding to define its tasks. gulp is a build system which means asideapart from running tasks, it is also capable of copying files from one ___location to another, [[compiling]], [[Software deployment|deploying]], creating notifications, unit testing, linting, etc.<ref name=":0" />

== Why gulp over Grunt? ==

Both Grunt and gulp are task runners in JavaScript built on node. Grunt runs tasks by transforming files and saves as new ones in temporary folders. The output of one task is taken as input for another and so on until the output reaches the destination folder. This involves a lot of I/O calls and many temporary files. Whereas gulp streams through the file system and does not require any of these temporary locations decreasing the number of I/O calls thus, improving performance. Grunt uses configuration files to perform tasks whereas gulp requires its build file to be coded. In grunt, each plugin needs to be configured to match its input ___location to the previous plugin’s output. In gulp, the plugins are automatically pipe-lined.

== Installation ==

gulp needs [[Node.js]] and can be installed through the [[Node Package Manager]].

To remove a previously installed gulp the command used is <code>npm rm --global gulp</code>.

== Need for a task runner ==

gulp is to be installed globally and then, locally after initialising the project directory. While installing the project locally, package.json file must already exist in the selected directory.

Task-runners like gulp and [[Grunt (software)|Grunt]] are built on Node.js rather than [[Node Package Manager|npm]] because the basic npm scripts are inefficient when executing multiple tasks.

'''

Even though some developers prefer [[Node Package Manager|npm]] scripts because they can be simple and easy to implement, there are numerous ways where gulp and Grunt seem to have an advantage over each other, and the default provided scripts.<ref name="gulpjs/gulp">{{cite web|url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/docs/CLI.md|title=gulpjs/gulp|website=GitHub|access-date=2016-09-23}}</ref> Grunt runs tasks by transforming files and saves them as new ones in temporary folders, and the output of one task is taken as input for another and so on until the output reaches the destination folder. This involves a lot of [[I/O]] calls and the creation of many temporary files. Whereas gulp streams through the file system do not require any of these temporary locations, decreasing the number of I/O calls thus, improving performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://css-tricks.com/gulp-for-beginners/ |title=Gulp for Beginners |publisher=CSS-Tricks |date=2015-09-01 |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> Grunt uses configuration files to perform tasks, whereas gulp requires its build file to be coded. In Grunt, each plugin needs to be configured to match its input ___location to the previous plugin's output. In gulp, the plugins are automatically pipe-lined.<ref name="github.com"/>

$ npm install --global gulp-cli

$ npm init

$ npm install --save-dev gulp'''

This command installs gulp locally and saves at devDependencies in the package.json file.

== Operation ==

The gulp tasks are run from a [[command-line interface]] (CLI)<ref name="gulpjs/gulp"/> shell and require two files, <code>package.json</code>, which is used to list the various plugins for gulp, and <code>gulpfile.js</code> (or simply <code>gulpfile</code>), These, as per build tool convention, are often found in the root directory of the package's source code. The gulpfile contains most of the logic that gulp needs to run its build tasks. First, all the necessary modules are loaded and then tasks are defined in the gulpfile. All the necessary plugins specified in the gulpfile are listed in the devDependencies section of <code>package.json</code>.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|url=https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/install|title=install {{!}} npm Documentation|website=docs.npmjs.com|access-date=2016-09-22}}</ref> The default task runs by <code>$gulp</code>. Individual tasks can be defined by gulp.task and are run by <code>gulp <task> <othertask></code>.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/docs/getting-started.md|title=gulpjs/gulp|website=GitHub|access-date=2016-09-23}}</ref> Complex tasks are defined by chaining the plugins with the help of <code>.pipe()</code> operator.<ref name=":3" />

== Anatomy of gulpfile ==

This gulp tasks are run from the Command Line Interface (CLI) shell like Grunt and require package.json and gulpfile.js in the project root directory. gulpfile.js is where the plugins are loaded and the tasks are defined. First, all the necessary modules are loaded and then tasks are defined in the gulpfile. All the necessary plugins specified in the gulpfile are installed into the devDependencies. The default task runs by <code>$gulp</code>. Individual tasks can be defined by gulp.task and are run by <code>gulp <task> <othertask></code>. Complex tasks are defined by chaining the plugins with the help of <code>.pipe()</code> operator.

gulpfile is the place where all the operations are defined in gulp. The basic anatomy of the gulpfile consists of required plugins included at the top, definition of the tasks and a default task at the end.<ref name="sitepoint.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.sitepoint.com/introduction-gulp-js/|title=An Introduction to Gulp.js - SitePoint|date=2014-02-10|language=en-US|access-date=2016-09-23}}</ref>

=== gulpfilePlugins == =

ToAny startinstalled with,plugin thethat necessaryis modulesrequired mustto perform a task is to be definedadded inat the top of the gulpfile as a dependency in the following format.js<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> <syntaxhighlight lang="javascript">

//Adding dependencies

//Defining Modules

var gulp = require ( 'gulp');

var gutil = require ( 'util-gulp');

</syntaxhighlight>

The tasks can then be created. A gulp task is defined by ''gulp.task'' and takes the name for the task as the first parameter and the second parameter is a function.

=== Tasks ===

The following example shows the creation of a gulp tasks. The first parameter '' taskName '' is mandatory and specifies the name by which the task in the shell can be executed <ref> {{Internet source | url = https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/4.0/docs/API.md | title = gulp API docs | author = | ed = | = factory gulp.js | date = | language = en | access = 2016-05-28}} </ref> <syntaxhighlight lang = "javascript">

The tasks can then be created. A gulp task is defined by ''gulp.task'' and takes the name of the task as the first parameter and a function as the second parameter.

gulp.task ( 'taskName', function () {

//do something

The following example shows the creation of a gulp tasks. The first parameter ''taskName'' is mandatory and specifies the name by which the task in the shell can be executed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/blob/4.0/docs/API.md |title=gulp/API.md at 4.0 · gulpjs/gulp · GitHub |publisher=GitHub |date=2016-05-12 |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> <syntaxhighlight lang="javascript">

gulp.task('taskName', function () {

//do something

});

</syntaxhighlight>

Alternatively, a task that performs several predefined functions that can be created. Those functions are passed as the second parameter in the form of an array. <syntaxhighlight lang="javascript">

function fn1 () {

// do something

}

function fu2fn2 () {

// Dodo something else

}

// Task with array of function names

gulp.task ( 'taskName', ['gulp.parallel(fn1','fu2'] fn2));

</syntaxhighlight>

=== Default task ===

The default task is createdto bybe enteringdefined at the <code><nowiki>end {{longof gulp}the |gulpfile. |It can be run by the s}</nowikicode>gulp</code> command in the Shellshell. In the case below, the default task does nothing.<ref name=":3" /> <syntaxhighlight lang ="javascript">

// Gulp default task

gulp.task ( 'default', [ '']fn);

</syntaxhighlight>The default task is used in gulp to run any number of dependent sub tasks defined above in a sequential order automatically. gulp can also monitor source files and run an appropriate task when changes are made to the files. The sub tasks are to be mentioned as the elements of the array in the second parameter. The process can be triggered by simply running the default task by <code>gulp</code> command.<ref name="sitepoint.com"/>

</syntaxhighlight>

== Example tasks ==

=== Image Task ===

The module definition can be at the beginning of <code>Gulpfile.js</code> like so:<syntaxhighlight lang="javascript">

For the following example, the '' gulp-imagemin plugin '' <ref>{{url|https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp-imagemin/gulp-imagemin Plugin}}</ref> required. For this, by running the command <code> {{lang | npm install --save-dev-gulp imagemin} | s}} </code> installs the required plug-in shell.

var imagemin = require('gulp-imagemin');

Subsequently, the module must be at the beginning of '' gulpfile.js 'defined' as: ''<syntaxhighlight lang= "javascript">

var imagemin = require ( 'gulp-imagemin');

</syntaxhighlight>

The subsequent image task optimizes images. <Code>gulp.src()</code> retrieves all the images with the extension .png, .gif or .jpg in the directory '''images-orig/'.''

The subsequent image Task performs optimising images. <Code> gulp.src () </code> retrieves all the images with the extension .png, .gif or .jpg in the directory '' <nowiki/> 'images-orig/' <nowiki/> ''. <Code> .pipe (imagemin ()) </code> schedules the images found by the optimisation process through and with <code> .pipe (gulp.dest ()) </code> are the optimised images afterwards to the ''<nowiki/> 'images/' folder<nowiki/> to be'' saved. Without <code> gulp.dest () </code> the images would indeed optimise, but are not stored <ref> {{Cite | url = http://magazin.phlow.de/webdesign/gulp/| Title = by starting with Gulp.js - optimising sites automating sequences | author = | = ed | factory = | date = | language = | = access </ref> Since we store the optimized images to another folder and the original images remain with us. <syntaxhighlight lang = "javascript">

<Code>.pipe(imagemin())</Code> channels the images found, through the optimization process and with <code>.pipe(gulp.dest())</code> the optimized images are saved to the '''images/' folder''. Without <code>gulp.dest()</code> the images would indeed be optimized, but are not stored.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://magazin.phlow.de/webdesign/gulp/ |title=Durchstarten mit Gulp.js – Websites optimieren, Arbeitsabläufe automatisieren |website=Magazin.phlow.de |date=2014-05-25 |access-date=2016-12-14 |archive-date=2017-06-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616233539/http://magazin.phlow.de/webdesign/gulp/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since the optimized images are stored to another folder, the original images remain unaltered.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title=Getting Started with Gulp|last=Maynard|first=Travis|publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd|year=2015|isbn=9781784393472}}</ref><syntaxhighlight lang="javascript">

// Images task

gulp.task ( 'images', function () {

return gulp.src ( 'images-orig/*. {png, gif, jpg}')

.pipe (imagemin ())

.pipe (gulp.dest ( 'dist/images/'));

});

Line 95 ⟶ 123:

=== Scripts Task ===

In the following example, all JavaScript files from the directory '' <nowiki/> 'scripts/' <nowiki/> '' are optimized with <code> .pipe (uglify ()) </code> are optimized withand <code> gulp. least dest( 'scripts/') </code> overwrittenoverwrites the original files with the output.<ref> {{Internet sourcecite web| url = https://liechtenecker.at/front-end-workflow-mit-gulp/ | title = frontFront-end workflowWorkflow withmit Gulp |- author =Liechtenecker | website= edLiechtenecker.at | factory = | date =2015-05-29 | language = | access -date= 2016-0512-3014}} </ref> For this, one must first return to the required '' gulp-uglify plugin '' <ref>{{cite [web|url=https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp-uglify |title=gulp-uglify plugin]|website=Npmjs.com |access-date=2016-12-14}}</ref> on '' npm '' package installer and at the beginning of '' gulpfile.js '', the'' module should be defined. <syntaxhighlight lang = "javascript">

// Script task

gulp.task ( 'scripts', function () {

return gulp.src ( 'scripts/*. js')

.pipe (uglify ())

.pipe (gulp.dest ( 'scripts/'));

});

</syntaxhighlight>

=== Watch Task ===

The Watch-task serves to react to changes in files. In the following example, the tasks with the names ''scripts '' and '' images '' are called when any of JavaScript files or images should change in the specified directories.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npmjs.com/package/gulp-watch|title=gulp-watch|website=Npmjs.com|access-date=2016-09-23}}</ref> <syntaxhighlight lang = "javascript">

// Rerun the task When a file changes

gulp.task ( 'watch', function (cb) {

gulp.watch ( '. scripts/js /**', [ 'scripts']);

gulp.watch ( 'images-orig/**', [ 'images']);

cb();

});

</syntaxhighlight>

Furthermore, it is possible to accomplish an update of the browser content using the Watch-tasks .<ref> {{Internet sourcecite web| url = https://www.browsersync.io/docs/gulp/ | Title title= Browsersync + Gulp.js | author website=Browsersync.io | = ed | factory = | access-date = | language = | access = 2016-0512-3014}} </ref> For this, there are numerous options and plugins.

==See Literature also==

* [[Grunt (software)]]

* [[Browserify]]

==References==

*{{Cite book|title=Developing a Gulp Edge|last=|first=|publisher=Bleeding Edge Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-939902-14-6|edition=1st|___location=|pages=|via=|author = Jed Mao, Maximilian Schmitt, Tomasz Stryjewski, Cary Country Holt, William Lubelski}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

* {{Cite book| author=Den Odell | title=Pro JavaScript Development Coding, Capabilities, and Tooling | publisher=Apress |year=2014 |chapter=Build Tools and Automation | ISBN 978-1-4302-6268-8}}

== Links Literature==

*{{Cite book|title=Developing a Gulp Edge|publisher=Bleeding Edge Press|year=2014|isbn=978-1-939902-14-6|edition=1st|author1=Jed Mao |author2=Maximilian Schmitt |author3=Tomasz Stryjewski |author4=Cary Country Holt |author5=William Lubelski }}

* [Http://gulpjs.com/ Official Website]

*{{Cite book| author=Den Odell | title=Pro JavaScript Development Coding, Capabilities, and Tooling | publisher=Apress |year=2014 |chapter=Build Tools and Automation |isbn=978-1-4302-6268-8}}

* [Https://github.com/gulpjs/gulp/ gulp.js on GitHub]

*{{Cite book|title=Getting Started with Gulp|last=Maynard|first=Travis|publisher=Packt Publishing Ltd|year=2015|isbn=9781784393472}}

* [Https://css-tricks.com/gulp-for-beginners/ Gulp for Beginners - CSS-Tricks]

* [Https://www.browsersync.io/docs/gulp/ Browsersync + Gulp]

== ReferencesExternal links ==

* {{Official website}}

<References/>

* {{GitHub|gulpjs/gulp|gulp}}

[[Category:JavaScript programming tools]]

{{SORTING: Gulpjs}}

[[Category: Free Software]]

[[Category: ECMAScript]]