What is "no-bundle development"?
"No-bundle development" is an approach where the application in dev mode is not bundled before startup. Instead of one large file, as in Webpack, the browser receives the source modules directly and loads dependencies itself via ES modules (import).
The main ideas of "no-bundle":
- No preliminary build of the whole project. The server starts instantly, because there is no need to build a bundle before startup.
- The browser itself plays the role of the "dependency graph".
It loads files via
import, while Vite only intercepts requests and prepares individual modules as needed. - HMR updates only the changed module. There is no rebuilding of chains, as in Webpack.
What it is used for
| Task | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Speeding up project startup | no initial bundling |
| Speeding up code updates | only the needed module changes |
| Making development more responsive | fewer delays with HMR |
Key takeaway
No-bundle development is a mode in which the build is not performed in advance. Code is served module by module, "as is", using the browser's native ES modules. As a result, development becomes significantly faster, especially on large projects.
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