liferay-npm-bundler-improved is a high-speed, unofficial drop-in replacement for the liferay-npm-bundler with added watch mode functionality.

liferay-npm-bundler-improved is a bundler for liferay portlets that consolidates all dependencies into a single file. Additionally, it copies assets into the build folder and provides access to them through the web context URL. The tool also offers a watch mode that rebuilds the portlet upon file changes.

To install, run the following command:

pnpm i --D liferay-npm-bundler-improved

To use liferay-npm-bundler-improved in an existing portlet, replace instances of liferay-npm-bundler with liferay-npm-bundler-improved in your build command.

If your build command includes lnbs-copy-sources, remove it and add --copy-sources to the liferay-npm-bundler-improved command.

For assets located in the assets folder that need to be available through the web context URL, remove the lnbs-copy-assets command from your existing build command and add --copy-assets to the liferay-npm-bundler-improved call.

Refer to the examples folder for guidance on using liferay-npm-bundler-improved in a react, vue, or plain js portlet.

The main advantages of using liferay-npm-bundler-improved are enhanced speed and a better **developer experience **.

The build time for an average portlet with liferay-npm-bundler-improved is approximately 0.1s, regardless of module size. This represents a significant improvement over the official liferay-npm-bundler.

liferay-npm-bundler-improved offers detailed error reporting, aiding developers in identifying and resolving issues. Examples include identifying missing keys in package.json and detecting missing entry files.

When the --deploy option or -d is set, the bundler deploys the portlet to the server after the build, using the path specified in the .env file under LIFERAY_DEPLOYMENT_PATH.

liferay-npm-bundler-improved supports a watch mode, allowing automatic portlet rebuilds upon file changes. This is invaluable for immediate feedback during portlet development. Include the --watch option or -w in the build command to enable watch mode. (It is possible to use the --deploy option in conjunction with the --watch option.)

While the current implementation is suitable for most use cases, there are a few features from the original implementation that are not yet supported:

• Package deduplication (not planned for implementation)
• System configuration - Gathering interest for implementation (link)

* The official bundler is available on GitHub

** Timings are based on an Apple M1 MacBook Pro. On Windows, the timing is approximately 0.3s.

*** The package deduplication feature is not planned due to its potential impact on bundler speed and the perceived low usage in practice.