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javascript

small modules

and the node aesthetic

~

what distinguishes JS?

1. Ubiquity

2. Unique Module System

...

3. Small Modules

JS is everywhere

JS is the language of the web

JS is actually portable...

...and is becoming the language of everywhere

JS runs on browsers

in computers and servers

smart phones

Cars

Cars

embedded devices

its the one programming language your entire extended family has installed on their computer

JS = worse is better

(vs "the right thing")

JS isn't the best language

but its simple, flexible and available

JS is fit for survival...

JS is "better" because of where and how it works rather than languages that "get it right"

What is a module?

A module is a unit of code that is packaged for reuse by other modules

What is a module system?

A module system = conventions and programs that facilitate module use

JS didn't use to have a module system

when node.js came out...

JS got a package manager and a module loading system:

npm did two things

rapid module authorship

nested, local module dependencies

most programming languages have flat, global module dependencies

javascript + npm has nested, local dependencies

No more "DLL Hell"

Your app gets the modules it needs at the version it wants

updating your deps is no longer a threat to other project deps

dependencies are installed locally to the project folder...

...instead of a system wide location shared between different programs

using, writing and publishing modules

$ npm init ; $ npm publish

making changes is just as easy

$ git clone dep ; $ npm install ; $ npm test ; $ npm start

so lets use lots of modules...

3. Small Modules

JS doesn't have a standard library

pre-internet tradition was "do-everything" modules

this tradition carried over to JS

Libraries like jQuery...

...were the norm.

...appears to be an artifact for the difficulty of publishing and discovery in a pre-github, pre-npm era. - james halliday

This has a cascade of problems

· couples independent functionality to a single version number

...updating dependencies becomes a stressful ordeal

people didn't update their deps!

and it was all done by hand!!

· large modules requires more knowledge and time when making contributions

· useful and reusable code get burred and left undocumented and unexposed

our modules are designed in isolation, documented in isolation and can be used in isolation. -Jake Verbaten

· policing thematic collections takes time and emotion

µ

· small modules allow you solve a narrow problem domain

· small modules compose together

monolithic frameworks trade away long term flexibility...

for short term convenience

..brackish residue that can't be so easily abstracted away - james halliday

The good news:

Things are changing

Small modules are catching on

Large modules are breaking up...

...into smaller modules

JS is Ubiquitous

JS (and npm) automates module consumption

Small JS modules help us write better software and stay sane

Thanks for Listening!