esbuild case study

src/content/docs/esbuild/esbuild-case-study.md

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+# esbuild Case Study
+
+---
+
+- `title: esbuild Case Study`
+- `author: Tara Olivia Bjørheim (taraolivia)`
+- `tags: esbuild, build tool, frontend, bundler`
+
+---
+
+
+
+### Introduction
+
+This case study presents [esbuild](https://esbuild.github.io/), a modern frontend development tool designed to solve key performance challenges in web development workflows. It will explore esbuild's history, its main features, strengths and weaknesses, use cases and give a market comparison. 
+
+![esbuild logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Esbuild_logo.svg/1280px-Esbuild_logo.svg.png "esbuild logo")
+
+---
+
+### Brief History
+
+esbuild is a free, open-source module bundler and minifier for JavaScript and CSS. The writer, Evan Wallace, is also a co-founder of the design tool [Figma](https://www.figma.com/). Wallace explains on his [personal website](https://madebyevan.com/) that esbuild is his biggest open-source project, and that “It's main purpose is to bring about a new era of build tool performance”. [esbuild’s official website](https://esbuild.github.io/) describes its main goal as being an easy-to-use modern bundler. esbuild’s main selling point is claiming to be 10-100x faster than other build tools for the web. 
+The main selling point of esbuild is its **exceptional speed and minimal configuration requirements**, made possible by its implementation in the **Go programming language** and use of **parallel processing**. esbuild has become an important tool for many developers and is integrated into popular modern frameworks like [Vite](https://vitejs.dev/), [Deno](https://deno.com/), and [Astro](https://astro.build/). 
+
+The tool was officially released in early 2020 with the objective of solving performance bottlenecks in existing JavaScript build tools. The motivation behind esbuild’s creation was the growing complexity and sluggish build times of popular bundlers like [Webpack](https://webpack.js.org/) and [Rollup](https://rollupjs.org/), which were written in JavaScript and lacked multi-threaded processing. Wallace decided to build a new bundler from the ground up, written in [Go](https://go.dev/), to take advantage of the language’s performance capabilities and parallelism features.
+
+**Key milestones in esbuild’s development:**
+
+- **2020**: Initial release of esbuild as an open-source project.
+- **2021**: Rapid adoption by frontend tools such as [Vite](https://vitejs.dev/) and [Snowpack](https://www.snowpack.dev/) (now deprecated).
+- **2022–2024**: Continued development and adoption in modern build systems like [Deno](https://deno.com/), [Astro](https://astro.build/), and experimental integration in other toolchains.
+- **Present**: esbuild is now regarded as a foundational piece in the modern frontend build ecosystem, particularly in development environments.
+
+
+---
+
+### Main Features
+
+esbuild was designed with a clear purpose: to provide a **fast and efficient bundler** that simplifies the frontend build process. Its primary features include:
+
+- **Ultra-fast bundling**: esbuild processes large JavaScript and TypeScript projects significantly faster than its competitors.
+- **Written in Go**: It is implemented in the compiled, high-performance [Go language](https://go.dev/), unlike Webpack or Rollup, which are JavaScript-based.
+- **TypeScript and JSX Support**: Built-in transpilation of TypeScript and JSX without additional configuration.
+- **Tree Shaking and Dead Code Elimination**: Removes unused code to reduce bundle size.
+- **Zero-config Philosophy**: Requires minimal setup to get started.
+- **Parallel Processing**: Utilizes all CPU cores during builds.
+- **Support for Multiple Module Formats**: Outputs both **CommonJS** and **ESM** formats.
+
+
+---
+
+### Market Comparison
+
+The bundling and build tool market has traditionally been dominated by tools such as [Webpack](https://webpack.js.org/) and [Rollup](https://rollupjs.org/). However, these tools are often associated with slow build times and complex configuration requirements, especially in large-scale projects (You, 2020).
+
+**esbuild** introduced a new approach to bundling, focusing on performance and simplicity. According to the [official esbuild documentation](https://esbuild.github.io/faq/#benchmark-details), its primary differentiator is its exceptional speed, made possible by being written in [Go](https://go.dev/) and utilizing parallel processing.
+
+Several modern tools have embraced esbuild because of its performance advantage. For example:
+- **Vite** uses esbuild for transpilation and development builds, while relying on Rollup for production builds to take advantage of its advanced output optimization features ([Vite Documentation](https://vite.dev/guide/why.html)).
+- **Deno** has integrated esbuild in its ecosystem for bundling and transpilation ([Deno Docs](https://deno.com/manual)).
+
+Performance benchmarks published by the community and in technical blogs consistently show esbuild outperforming traditional bundlers. For instance, the performance comparison in the article *A Deep Dive into esbuild’s Architecture and Speed* (Kumar, 2023) demonstrates that esbuild can complete bundling tasks in a fraction of the time required by Webpack and Rollup.
+
+![Performance comparison between esbuild and other leading JavaScript bundlers](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/format:webp/0*xWW-OIn-CnQnt5jp "Performance comparison between esbuild and other leading JavaScript bundlers")
+
+However, it is important to note that while esbuild excels in speed, it lacks some of the advanced plugin ecosystems and customization options provided by Webpack and Rollup (Todorov, 2020).
+
+In summary, esbuild is ideal for developers who prioritize fast development builds and minimal configuration, whereas Webpack and Rollup may be preferred in projects requiring advanced build customizations and highly optimized production output.
+
+
+---
+
+### Getting Started
+
+Getting started with esbuild is straightforward due to its zero-configuration philosophy. Below is a basic guide:
+
+**Installation:**
+```bash
+npm install -g esbuild
+```
+
+**Basic Usage:**
+To bundle a TypeScript file:
+```bash
+esbuild app.ts --bundle --minify --outfile=out.js
+```
+
+**Key Options:**
+- `--bundle`: Enables bundling of dependencies.
+- `--minify`: Reduces output file size.
+- `--sourcemap`: Generates source maps for easier debugging.
+- `--outfile`: Specifies the output file path.
+
+
+**Advanced Usage:**
+esbuild can be used as part of a Node.js script or integrated into modern development environments like [Vite](https://vitejs.dev/) or [Astro](https://astro.build/), which use esbuild internally for fast development builds.
+
+**Official Guides:**
+- [esbuild Getting Started](https://esbuild.github.io/getting-started/)
+
+---
+
+### Conclusion
+
+esbuild has fundamentally changed how frontend developers approach build tooling. Its key strengths are:
+
+- **Exceptional speed**, thanks to Go and parallel processing.  
+- **Minimal configuration**, making it accessible to beginners and professionals alike.  
+- **Modern syntax support**, including TypeScript, JSX, and ECMAScript modules.
+
+However, esbuild also has limitations:
+
+- **Limited plugin ecosystem** compared to Webpack.  
+- **Basic code splitting capabilities**.  
+- **Lack of advanced custom workflows** required in large-scale enterprise projects.
+
+**Use Cases:**  
+esbuild is ideal for **small to medium-sized projects**, rapid development builds, or as a dependency in modern frameworks like [Vite](https://vitejs.dev/). For large-scale projects requiring complex customization, Webpack and Rollup may still be preferred.
+
+**Future Outlook:**  
+esbuild is expected to remain a foundational tool in modern development pipelines, particularly as part of larger frameworks and tooling ecosystems.
+
+---
+
+### References
+
+- Deno Team. (2021). *Deno and esbuild Integration*. Retrieved from [https://deno.com](https://deno.com)
+- Kumar, A. (2023). A Deep Dive into esbuild's Architecture and Speed. Retrieved from https://codedamn.com/news/javascript/a-deep-dive-into-esbuild-s-architecture-and-speed
+- Todorov, I. (2020). How JavaScript Works: A Deep Dive Into esbuild. Retrieved from https://medium.com/sessionstack-blog/how-javascript-works-a-deep-dive-into-esbuild-5d997f93a8b4
+- Wallace, E. (2020). *esbuild Documentation*. Retrieved from [https://esbuild.github.io](https://esbuild.github.io)
+- Wallace, E. (2020). *esbuild GitHub Repository*. Retrieved from [https://github.com/evanw/esbuild](https://github.com/evanw/esbuild)
+- You, E. (2020). *Vite Documentation*. Retrieved from [https://vitejs.dev](https://vitejs.dev)
+- You, E. (2020). Why Vite? Retrieved from https://vite.dev/guide/why.html
+
+
+### Suggestions for further reading
+
+- Ogundipe, A. (2021). Getting started with esbuild. Retrieved from https://blog.logrocket.com/getting-started-esbuild/
+- Williams, C. (2021). An Introduction to the esbuild Bundler. Retrieved from https://www.sitepoint.com/esbuild-introduction/
+- Fireship. (2021). Intro to esbuild: The FAST JavaScript BUNDLER [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRiC8YLGhGQ
+
+---