Minification reduces frontend files before deployment by removing whitespace and comments and shortening variable names without changing application behavior. It is one step in building source code into files the browser can load. section 1.3.1
Minification fits into a broader build process:
- Bundle application code into fewer files so the browser makes fewer server requests. section 1.3.1
- Remove whitespace and comments from generated files. section 1.3.1
- Replace variables with shorter names to make files smaller. section 1.3.1
- Run the framework’s build command, commonly exposed through an npm script such as npm run build. section 1.3.1
Figure 1.4 A simplified diagram of a frontend application’s build process
A simplified build-process diagram places minification among the transformations that prepare frontend code for delivery. section 1.3.1
