How much does it typically cost to implement external libraries into a project?

Here are some of the most commonly used front-end web development libraries:

  • jquery-min.js (95.9 kB)
  • angular.min.js (108.0 kB)
  • bootstrap.min.css (113.5 kB)
  • bootstrap-theme.min.css (19.8 kB)
  • bootstrap-fonts (185.7 kB)
  • bootstrap.min.js (35.6 kB)

All in all, this adds up to + 558.5 kB to every page of our website, along with a few more server requests. But is that all? Are there any other performance or other costs associated with using external libraries on our website?

Answer №1

Every library you incorporate into your project comes with its own set of pros and cons that affect the overall performance.

Downsides

  • Increased time/latency for loading and rendering
  • Higher bandwidth consumption for serving to clients, as well as during deployment if bundled
  • Added build time and larger file size when bundling libraries into deployment packages
  • Increased complexity in understanding, modifying, and debugging code
  • Difficulty in proving that a specific CSS rule is not affecting the layout
  • Additional memory usage to load libraries into your page

Benefits

  • More accurate and comprehensive implementations, such as accessibility features in Bootstrap
  • Ability to reuse existing solutions leading to faster development times
  • Guidance towards consistent structures and away from messy ad-hoc solutions
  • Better and more user-friendly APIs, like vanilla XHR vs $http.get

When working with Angular, it's advisable to avoid using jQuery unless absolutely necessary. It's also recommended to selectively include only the parts of Bootstrap or UI.bootstrap directives that are actually utilized in your site.

Answer №2

Luckily, that 558.5kB file only gets accessed once (unless there's a change in domain or SSL encryption). Once these files are initially downloaded, it's up to the client to retrieve them from the cache.

Following @Felix Kling's advice, fetching these files from a CDN can potentially eliminate the need for a second download since they may already be stored from another website. This is worth considering when deciding whether to bundle bootstrap css with your own custom css file. It could be more efficient to have bootstrap come from the CDN (or local cache) and load your custom content afterwards.

The time it takes to fetch these files shouldn't be a major issue, as modern browsers are capable of quickly retrieving multiple files. However, the challenge lies in loading all this data into memory, which is where performance can be impacted. For example, you need to load jquery before being able to call it, causing delays for any on-page scripts waiting for jquery to finish loading.

Answer №3

When it comes to using libraries in JavaScript development, it's important to weigh the pros and cons. While libraries can make development easier, they may also impact performance compared to native solutions. Testing for bottlenecks and considering falling back to vanilla JavaScript when necessary is a good practice.

It's worth noting that relying on JavaScript libraries could mean the website won't function without JavaScript enabled. This should be taken into account during development.

One optimization tip is bundling all JavaScript files and minimizing them for faster load times. Additionally, utilizing CDNs can help improve performance.

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