How to Minimize JavaScript (and Why you Should)

A majority of people want an attractive surfing experience on the internet, and JavaScript has been for a long time a favorite for developers to deliver an enhanced user experience.

If you're trying to improve your website's performance over the least amount of time, then it is essential to become familiar to JavaScript minification. It will help you exclude every unnecessary character from the JavaScript source code without altering its functionality. Additionally, it will decrease the time it takes for loading your site as well as bandwidth consumption.

JavaScript minification can be tricky. In this article, we'll chart a course to assist you in minifying your JavaScript code to work with WordPress as well as non-WordPress sites.

What is JavaScript?

Web browsers are able to understand JavaScript. So, along with HTML and CSS this is an excellent option to choose if you're interested in web development. If you want to build a highly interactive website that works with all browsers without any obstruction or hiccups, JavaScript is the most reliable choice you have.

What Is Code Minification?

In order to minify JavaScript code, it is necessary to analyze it, compress it and finally, get the output. Once it's been minified you should find it virtually unreadable to the naked eye. The code is now free of white spaces, comments Newline characters, comments, as well as everything else that made the code legible.

You may have to make some further changes to the program, for example such as inlining functions, removing block delimiters, applying implicit conditionals, changing local variables.

Unminified vs Minified JavaScript Code Examples

We'll take a look at some of the code. This first block is regular and unmodified JavaScript:

/Program to determine whether the string is palindrome or notfunction checkPalindrome(str) ";
// input
 const string = prompt('Enter a string: ') //use the functionconst value = checkPalindrome(string) andconsole.log(value);

We'll now see what the code will look like once it's been minified:

function checkPalindrome(n)const t=string.length;for(let n=0;n

As you can see, the second block of code is much smaller and more compact. It will load and render more quickly which will reduce the time it takes to load pages and speeding up the loading of content.

We have cut down 529 bytes down to 324 bytes. This means we have gained 205 bytes of free space and reducing the page load by almost 40 percent.

This is like taking a 529-page book and reducing it to 324 pages. Of course, a human could struggle with it, but a machine would speed through it without a problem.

Why Should You Minify JavaScript Code?

In the beginning of writing program, developers usually concentrate on getting the job done. When they do that it is common for them to include lots of comments, spacing, as well as variables, to make their code easier for anyone else using the code in the near coming.

While it's a powerful programing language JavaScript affects web page loading in that it slows them down. To regain space and improve your page load speed by reducing the JavaScript code.

The reduced version of JavaScript code is able to reduce size of the file by as much as 30-90 percentage. This is why JavaScript minification has become an everyday routine for every developer.

Advantages of Minimizing JavaScript Code

This is a short overview of benefits you'll achieve after employing JavaScript minification:

• A lower bandwidth usage for your site
• Lower script execution times
• Theft-proofing (minified or uglified versions are difficult to comprehend and to copy to reuse)

Difference Between JavaScript Uglification and Minification and Compression

JavaScript miniification and uglification or compression are similar in their functionality. They serve distinct functions.

JavaScript Uglification alters the language so that it is less readable for human eyes. This process eliminates whitespace, semicolons, and comments. It also changes the names of variables as well as inline functions, which make the code hard to comprehend.

JavaScript comes with a library called UglifyJS which allows users to uglify codes automatically. It enhances the performance of code and reduces the readability to make the code less appealing to thieves.

While minification means reducing the whitespaces as well as comments, totally impregnating a code turns it into unreadable code by changing the function names, variable names and so on. And compression rewrites the program in binary format to decrease the size of the file.

Both compression and minification are reversible, which means that you are able to reverse the code back to its initial shape, however uglification is unchangeable.

How Do I Minimize JavaScript Code

You can minify the size of your JavaScript code in a variety of ways. Each of these methods has a different approach to the others.

It's virtually impossible to process every code inside huge JavaScript files manually. Manually minifying JavaScript files is not feasible with small files due to it being very time-intensive.

Another option is to install minification programs on your PC and then use them from the command line. It is necessary to choose the files you'd like to minify and add your command-line option together with the destination file. The minifying software will do the rest.

How To Minimize JavaScript Manually: Top 5 Tools

Developers use a variety of JavaScript minification tools to minify the code to improve performance. However, each developer has his own preference and goes to use a specific method. There are plenty of JavaScript minification programs available each with distinct qualities, so you should make your choice cautiously.

We aren't listing these tools according to any ranking or class. We've only included the most popular and effective JavaScript minification software.

These are the top JavaScript minification tools that can aid you in improving your website's performance.

1. JSMin

JSMin is a dedicated commands line JavaScript minification software and library to minify the JavaScript code and make the program as lightweight as possible. Just install JSMin as a global script that will eliminate any whitespaces or unnecessary comments from the code very efficient. As a result, it could instantly decrease your JavaScript file size by around 50%.

So, the reduced dimensions will allow quick downloads. Also, you'll notice an increase in the more common method of programming as well as the price for downloading literary, new self-documents.

But, JSMin has one drawback it does not provide optimal savings. Due to its simple algorithm, it keeps a number of line feed characters unaltered. In other words, it could introduce new bugs in the code.

2. Microsoft Ajax Minify

Microsoft Ajax Minifier allows you to increase the performance of your web applications by reducing the size of JavaScript and CSS documents. It removes spaces, comments, semicolons, functions, and parentheses.

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Besides shortening the local variables, function names, double quotation, combining adjacent variable declarations, the program removes all implemented code.

With AjaxMin, you can examine productivity, and also charge the JS minifier in the background. And, when it completes the minification process, it will start the productivity folder.

3. Google Closure Compiler

Google Closure Compiler is another excellent JavaScript minification tool. It creates JavaScript to ensure faster downloading speed and has a smoother experience. It also validates the syntax, and offers suggestions that can be changed and removes dead code and types, and notifies you regarding JavaScript disadvantages. This program collects the information in your JavaScript, evaluates it, deletes unnecessary code, and then changes it.

It also provides warnings regarding unlawful JavaScript as well as potentially hazardous operations. Furthermore, it's a legitimate converter from the standard JavaScript to an improved and more compact JavaScript.

4. YUI Compressor

YUI compressor is a command line JavaScript as well as CSS minification tool which guarantees that you will have a greater compression ratio that the majority. This is a minification program written in Java and relies on Rhino to denote the source JavaScript file.

First, YUI examines the source JavaScript file to find out its construction. After that, it prints out the stream of tokens. Then, it removes the white space characters as much as is possible, and then replaces any local symbols using the 1 (or 2, 3) character symbol.

As you can see, the YUI Compressor is open-source, you are able to examine the source code to learn how it operates. In addition, YUI is the most secure JavaScript minification software and has an impressive compression rate.

5. UglifyJS

UglifyJS is one of the most popular JavaScript minification tools. It allows you to minify, parse and compress JavaScript code. Additionally, the program produces a sourcemap file and compresses it to get back to your original JavaScript code.

Also, it can handle multiple input files at once, parsing the files in the first place, and then analysing the choices.

UglifyJS analyzes the input files according to order, and then apply compression features. Files are processed within the same global context, meaning that any reference from one file in the function or variable declared in a different file will be properly matched.

How to Reduce JavaScript Automatically The Top 5 Online Tools

There is an abundance of online JavaScript minifiers to compress the code on the internet. Almost all online JavaScript minification programs follow the same minification procedure.

In the beginning, duplicate and copy your JavaScript source code, or upload the source code file to the tool. Then, you'll optimize the minification tool's settings to produce a certain required output in the event that options are available.

Finally, you'll take that modified file and put it on your site instead of the original, expanded code (though it is recommended to save your original source code files in safekeeping, just in case).

Below are five of the most effective web-based JavaScript Minification tools that can assist you to improve your website's performance. Although we don't list these tools in any particular order or category, we've only included the most popular and effective JavaScript minification tools.

1. Toptal JavaScript Minifier

The Toptal JavaScript Minifier is a reliable and simple online JavaScript minifier, allowing you to reduce your JavaScript in a matter of seconds. You can also convert the code to a .js file for future use.

2. JSCompress

JSCompress will reduce and minify the dimensions of JavaScript by up to 80 to 80%. It offers a simple button-click interface that allows you to directly paste in your code and upload your .js file for minification. The minimized output in clear, editable code instead of a .js file. Interestingly, the program uses UglifyJS as well as Babel-minify in order to reduce and compress JavaScript.

3. Minifier.org

Minfier.org is one of the simplest JavaScript minifiers available to minify your codes. It uses multiple methods to minimize JavaScript code. The program weighs the length of your JavaScript code before and after the minification. The tool calculates the increase from the script post minification process and shows it on the screen.

4. TutorialsPoint Online JavaScript Minifier

It is possible to input the .js file, provide an URL or directly paste your raw code to TutorialsPoint. TutorialsPoint JavaScript minifier tool. It has an editable field to code directly should you want to. In addition, it has the option of a single-click minification as well as the option to download the modified code as the format of a .js file.

5. Packer: Dean Edwards JavaScript Compressor

If you're looking to reduce the size of your JavaScript programming, the Packer from Dean Edwards could provide you with one of the finest online JavaScript compression experiences. It works by using JavaScript tokens/atomsas well as bit and bytes.

Additionally, it lets you also implement Base62 shrink and encode variables option while minifying the code. For minifying the JS code, simply copy and insert it in JavaScript and press the pack button. The software will create an optimized code for you.

How to Minify JavaScript for WordPress the Five Tools and Plugins to Use

There are a variety of JavaScript minification WordPress plugins. They all utilize the same method for minifying and can be operated via the WordPress dashboard.

We'll look at some of the most effective tools to assist with JavaScript modification in WordPress:

1. Code Minification within My

2. W3 Total Cache

3. WP-Optimize

4. Autoptimize

If you are looking forward to using a WordPress JavaScript minification program that will primarily focus on the performance of your site Autoptimize is a great option.

5. Rapid Velocity Miniify

Fast Velocity Minify provides advanced JavaScript, CSS, and HTML minification options for WordPress users. It does the minification at the frontend, when the first request that is not cached occurs. Besides, the plugin has an easy user interface and simple usability.

Summary

To get the most performance from your site requires focus on the smallest of aspects. This is why minimizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are on your web page's performance to-do list.

We've looked at a number of applications and tools that assist you in JavaScript minimization. However, each mentioned software or plugin has the same purpose and operates effectively.

Have we missed some JavaScript minification software or WordPress minification plugins you love? Please let us know via the comments section!

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