Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Comments on Isaac's ES modules post

Isaac Schlueter posted some thoughts on the ES modules proposal. He works on Node and NPM, so it is great to see things from his perspective vs. my browser-based perspective.

I believe his post an my previous ES modules post fit together well. Here is some feedback on Isaac's post to point out where we align and what may still need more discussion. Section titles and numbered points below match the ones in Isaac's post.

Problems with the Current Spec

1. It seems to be based on the assumption that nesting module systems is a thing that people want.

As Isaac says, "no one wants to write a module system". Agreed. The default behavior of a built in loader should be enough for most, nearly all people. Others can build their own systems with existing tech, and if they catch on, consider them later.

I prefer to have support for loader plugins that have a constrained API. I'm not sure how that fits with Isaac's view. My previous post outlines uses cases where AMD folks have found them useful, and they help reduce the "pyramid of doom" of callbacks for resources that are important for a module to do its work, and therefore reduces the complexity of the module's external API. If Isaac has a different way to solve those issues, it would be good to know.

2. It puts too many things in JavaScript (as either API or syntax) which belong in the host (browser/node.js).

I think Isaac means that the browser implements a default Loader.resolve(), and Node does its own thing, but the language does not have a built default.

I think there is value in using the browser model as the default language one, with Node having the ability to override as it sees fit. The browser model of single file IO lookup based on a declarative config can work in "everything is available locally" model.

But for me this is a small distinction. I do not relish trying to convince a separate standards body that is even more unwieldy than es-discuss to code the default browser resolver, but if that is how it must go, so be it.

My main desire: the front end developer should not have to ship a library file to do imperative configuration of a loader.


3. It borrows syntax from Python that many Python users do not even recommend using.


Agreed. I would not include import * if it were just up to me. The "evaluate dependencies first before evaluating the current module" means that just normal let/var destructuring could be used, no more need for import at all. All that is needed is a way to call out a dependency either via a keyword like "from" or via an API like "from()" or "require()". Or reusing "import" to be simpler, as Isaac does later in the post.

4. It favors the “object bag of exported members” approach, rather than the “single user-defined export” approach.


I too prefer a way to set the exported value (return in AMD parlance, module.exports = in Node).  There needs to be a way to allow just the "exports" property assignment for circular dependencies, but for everything else (the vast majority of modules) assignment is nice.

I believe that exports approach in the ES design was chosen so that they can do the type checking of export values, supports circular dependencies, and with destructuring, it was argued that it was more palatable for getting the export value with this model:

import {jQuery} from 'jquery';

Not my favorite, but I could live with it.

The "middle way" evaluation approach would support module value assignment.


A Simpler Proposal


1. A Loader built-in object, with a few methods that must be specified before modules can be used.

See feedback above. If a front end developer needs to ship a JS library to bootstrap the Loader, that is a failure condition for me.

I can understand exposing a Loader API so that for example someone could make an AMD API shim, but the ideal, future case should be no need for imperative setup. Simple declarative setup only, and just for how to deal with module IDs-to-paths, and possibly a declarative shim config for legacy scripts. Note that this config is about specific modules, not implementing the general module/resolution API.

2. Within a module, the import pathstring syntax that can be easily detected statically in program text before evaluation, and returns a module’s exported object.

I was thinking in terms of "from", but "import" is fine if it is used like this. I do not care about the name.

I also prefer an API that could be used/detected by browser scripts that need to live in the on-ES modules world and the new one.

This is what AMD loaders do today for the sugared form, except it looks for require('string literal').

3. Loader.define(path, program text) defines a module at the specified path, with the program text contents.

I suggest using "module ID" instead of path here. Once modules are combined, it is best to refer to logical IDs, like 'jquery' instead of 'my/specific/path/to/jquery.js', because it makes it hard to combine sets of built modules together.

AMD loaders use module IDs, and it works out well for us.

This Loader.define call is similar to the capabilities in AMD. AMD uses a function (require, exports, module) {} wrapper for , but I can see where perhaps an ES loader could just get by with {}.

No comments on 4,5,6. Those are about the resolver API, which I do not care too much as long as what is used in the browser means an app developer does not have to ship another library to use it.

7. Within a module, the export expression statement marks the result of expression as the exported value from the module.


As Isaac alluded, I think circular dependencies will kill this one. Or at least, there needs to be a way to do what is possible in Node/AMD where an exports object can be created for a module before it executes, and that exports is available for other dependencies in a cycle.

8. The global object within a module context is equivalent to Object.create(global) from the main global context. and:
9. If a module does not contain an export statement, then its global object is its export. 

This is tricky since some libs may export more than one global. I would probably still favor allowing all scripts loaded within a container to share the same "global" space.

With a shim config, this would allow consuming scripts that use browser globals, and for using library plugins that use a browser global to attach functionality (jQuery or Backbone plugins for example).

I wouldn't mind a declarative loader config that allowed for #8, not sure if it should default to on or off. Maybe on, and if using legacy scripts, you have to do a bit of work by configuring it to off.

This area needs more thought, but my general goal is not needing a library.js to set up imperative loader APIs to do loading in the browser. As long as that works out, I will probably be fine with it.

In Web Browsers

As mentioned above, I believe it is better to use module ID instead of <path> for the name of a module via Loader.define(), but to use module IDs instead. That would probably mean transforming the script tag to be script suggestion to script module="moduleId" src="".

But really, I'm fine with just a JS API for this, so just doing System.load('id'); or Loader.load('id') in an inline script tag is fine by me.

What’s Missing from this Proposal

For me, Loader.define('id', {}) is just another way to say module 'id' {}. I like having an API instead of/in addition to a keyword, for shimming something that could work in today's browsers, although in this case shimming may not be important. So I'm neutral on that. module 'id' {} is slightly shorter.

As for sourcemaps: maybe what was meant there was sourceURL, and I agree, it would be good if the Loader.define() method or whatever it is automatically got the same script debugger treatment similar to what sourceURL gets today.

Monday, June 25, 2012

ES Modules: suggestions for improvement

There has been a recent bout of comments about ECMAScript (ES) harmony modules on twitter and elsewhere. Here is my attempt to explain parts of it, some of the design tradeoffs, and perhaps a middle ground that would open up some options that may bridge some gaps.

Modules are one of those things that seem very simple, but involve quite a lot of decisions and tradeoffs. This post is mostly just about module linking and module ID resolution, and even with that, it is quite long.

If ES Modules do not come up with different ways to work (or maybe explain where I have it wrong), they are not competing well with what can be done with a combination of CommonJS/Node and AMD.

My background: I work on RequireJS and AMD.

What is it

First, some links to the specs. The "harmony" moniker means it is in process for the next version of the ECMAScript (JavaScript) language:


The module examples page is suggested if you want to get a feel for it, but it is good to read the other docs too. It can be a bit daunting though, unless you speak the spec language.

Points of reference

One way to evaluate how ES Modules works is to compare it to something you may already know:

  • CommonJS / Node. Node implements a version of the CommonJS module API.
  • AMD / RequireJS. RequireJS implements the AMD module API.

Run time vs compile time

ES is a "compile time" approach where the formats mentioned above are "run time" approaches. Maybe not precise terms, but here is a definition of what is meant by those terms for the purposes of this post:

"Compile time" means:

  • JS text is parsed, and the "module" "import", and "export" syntax is found.
  • Any dependencies are fetched and parsed.
  • Once the dependency tree has been all fetched, the ES module loader will wire up the exports from a dependency to a module's "module" or "import" use, and do type checking on that export type and how it is referenced in the module
  • The module code is then evaluated/executed.


"Run time" means: there is usually no pre-parse stage. The JS text is evaluated, and any module API that is encountered is run as it is encountered.

AMD will actually do a small parse step if the module looks like:

define(function (require) {
    var a = require('a');
});

In that case, it will parse the function to look for require() dependencies, and then load and execute the dependencies first before running the function above.

"Compile time" was chosen for ES because:

  • it is familiar from other scripting languages
  • sets the way for other possible static features, like macros
  • ensures that "import *" are static, *not* dynamic bindings
  • allows some type checking on the values that are explicitly "export"ed.
  • generally seen as safer and easier to reason about that run time.

The CommonJS/Node style of pure runtime, no parse, was hard to get to work with some edge cases as I understand it, but I heard that second-hand, I did not see that discussion.

Impact of compile time

For compile time to work well, it should use new keywords in the language, to have clear markers on what is participating in the module system.

Although, it could work with a module API instead of new syntax, by only recognizing literal use of that API, and do not support variable assignment of the API or dependencies to other names. This is what AMD does for the "sugared CommonJS form" mentioned above.

For "import *", static binding is critical because anything that is a runtime scope lookup gets into "with" territory, and "with" has been seen as a mistake by the committee. ES5's 'use strict' bars its use.

Since new syntax is involved, ES Modules cannot be "shimmed" into existing JS libraries. There is a Module Loader "runtime" registration call that can used for a module to register its, but it means those libraries cannot participate in the compile time linking stage, so they need to be pre-loaded by a script loader before an ES Module can effectively reference it with module syntax.


Module ID resolution

One other consideration, one that is usually overlooked when talking about modules, is how a module ID like "jquery" is resolved to a file path and loaded.

Both CommonJS/Node and AMD/RequireJS support "short, logical names" for dependencies. So, you can say require('jquery') and that jquery gets converted to a path using some algorithm. Node uses multiple paths to find jquery.js, and AMD in the browser relies on a declarative configuration to do so.

ES modules do not really have support for this, unless you also implement an imperative resolver. They support full URLs, like:

module foo at 'http://example.com/scripts/foo.js'

but we have found in AMD that it is useful to be able to say require('jquery'), but then declaratively map that to zepto.js. 

So, an individual module specifies a dependency on an API provider, but how that provider is satisfied is resolved using the declarative configuration.

If there is only an imperative resolve API, no simple declarative API to resolve short names, it will mean shipping a userland "loader library" to effectively use modules. This opens the door to balkanization in module ID resolution since there is not built in support.


Special factors in JavaScript

There are a few special factors with JavaScript that are not usually in other programming languages, and they have an impact on the design:

  • The largest deployed use case of JavaScript, the browser, is async, network IO. File size and number of requests are very important to performance. So combining modules together into one file, and minifying/transforming the source for smaller delivery is common.
  • There is a large legacy codebase of browser-based JavaScript that just use browser globals, and no real module format. Some small uses of JavaScript do not need modules, and browsers will support those use cases indefinitely.

My goals

I want AMD and RequireJS to go away.

They solve a real problem, but ideally the language and runtime should have similar capabilities built in.

Native support should be able to cover the 80% case of RequireJS usage, to the point that no userland "module loader" library should be needed for those use cases, at least in the browser.

If the ES module format requires a web developer to use a script loader to use existing, non-AMD/CommonJS, non-ES JS in a project for those 80% use cases, it is a failure.

Example: If I cannot use jquery and backbone in an ES 6 module without needing another library to preload or prep those libraries for ES 6 module use, then existing JS users will not see much advantage over using AMD.

If the web developer needs to code any imperative logic to wire up the ES Module Loader, that will result in a loader library. That is a failure condition.

As compared to AMD: if the ES approach cannot do the above without a helper loader library and the ES approach does not allow something like loader plugins, then there is no contest -- AMD will still be more useful to a developer than the built in system. Small savings in the amount to type and a thin layer of type checking is not enough.

This may very well not be the goal of ES modules, and it would be great if the specs or some background material acknowledge that, and list out the mitigation strategies developers are expected to use.

Shortcomings of ES modules

Right now, ES harmony modules do not improve an AMD user's workflow because of the following:

New syntax makes it very hard to optionally upgrade

If I am the author of something like jQuery or Backbone, I cannot optionally add in a way to register as an ES module because ES modules use new syntax. However, there are many uses of those libraries which will not be in ES module-capable browsers.

The Node and AMD communities have found optional opt-in via a runtime API very useful for adoption of code that works with their module systems, but still work in older "use plain script tags with browser globals" approach.

There is a runtime API in the ES module loader proposal that would allow a legacy script to register something as a module, but that requires the end developer to use another script loader library to load that library so it can do that runtime call, then start loading ES module code.

The developer may as well just stick with AMD. Complexity has not been reduced.

Register module and a global


Backbone originally had trouble adopting AMD because if it called define() to register a module, they found other libraries, like Backbone plugins, would break. The plugins were expecting to find a Backbone global variable but when Backbone called define() it was not also exporting a global.

This same problem will exist in ES-mixed code. Any dynamic registration also needs to allow an export of a global so that downstream libraries will work until they are also converted to optional module registration.

There should be a migration path, one that allows gradual rollout of modules without requiring a project to go whole hog on module syntax.


Declarative module ID resolution

While I have made tools to allow a developer to "convert" an existing library to AMD, there are many developers that did not want to touch existing libraries. It makes it difficult to compare against new versions and there is a concern that the conversion introduces breaking scope changes (rightly so).

So the "shim" configuration for requirejs was introduced to allow specifying dependencies and an export value for JS code that does not call a module API. This has been well received in the community. More background on shim here.

"shim" with "paths" and "map" make it possible to declaratively set up a configuration that allows for one file IO lookup per module ID, an easy way to "shim" old libraries, and to load more than one version of a module for use by different modules. That covers the 80% case for using old and new code with a module loader.

By using a declarative configuration that is supported by the "default" module ID resolution mechanism in the language, then it avoids having to ship a userland loader library for browser use. This is a big win because it will help kill AMD.

It is fine if the Module Loaders API still has an imperative API to set up different  module ID resolution logic. That would allow Node to maintain its current multiple IO, nested directory lookup logic. However, the default should favor the harsher browser environment in such a way that an extra loader library is not needed.

Loader plugins

I can appreciate that supporting Loader plugins may seem out of scope for the default module loader, but they have been incredibly useful for AMD. Node has seen a use for them, even though they are done in a different way via require.extensions. They effectively allow use of transpiled languages.

I find the AMD loader plugins better than Node's approach because:

  • load behavior vs. file format: since a prefix is used on the resource ID instead of just using a file extension suffix, it allows multiple plugins to deal with the same type of file extension. For example, "text!index.html" and "template!index.html" can be used in the same app, the first one just giving the raw text, the second one "compiling" some text for use as a template. The developer, not the plugin provider, chooses the right use. It still allows "single extension" plugins too, and for those, they can omit the file extension in the ID, so no increase in ID length.
  • one IO lookup: For a resource ID "foo", node may do a lookup for "foo.js", "foo.coffee" and "foo.node". By specifying the loading mechanism via the prefix, it avoids multiple IO lookups, which are important for browser use. It also makes it clear what handles the loading.

AMD loader plugins can participate in build steps, so the "text!" plugin can inline the text as module in a built file:

define('text!index.txt', function() {
   return 'hello world';
});

That is incredibly useful for getting good network performance in the browser.

Even for local file environments like Node, being able to combine all the assets for a program into one file is really great for distribution. It is conceptually simpler to reason about tracking one file vs. "nested directory of directory" installs. Think of it as a way to easily share shell scripts.

The middle way

For developer workflow, right now AMD is a better alternative than ES harmony modules, given the choices around compile time linking, new syntax, and the use of imperative ID resolution.

Here are some suggestions on how to allow some of the benefits of the compile time approach with the run time ones used by AMD. The goals are reuse non-module code in modular systems, allow for a way to get some static version of import *, and perhaps even macros.

Fetch dependencies, execute, modify, execute

The core of the middle way for compile time vs run time:

  • do not force compile time operations to be all up front, before any evaluation.
  • evaluate dependencies before executing the current module.
  • provide an API for modules, not just new syntax

These are effectively what AMD does today, except it does not have a way to alter the AST before final execution. Well, an AMD loader could do that, but AMD loaders have traditionally avoided it. However, the harmony loader plugin I made effectively does this to support "import *". More below:

The ES module loader would operate like so:

  • Load JS text. Parse out dependency references.
  • Load dependencies, parse out their dependencies, load them, etc...
  • Before executing a given module, execute its dependencies, and wait for the dependencies to finish exporting their module values.
  • Take that exported value and if there is an "import *" in the current module, modify the AST of the current module such that it gets a locally bound variable to any of the hasOwnProperties of the dependency that are known at that time. So, any properties added to the module after this point are not visible. This should avoid concerns about dynamic scope.
  • Once the module AST has been fixed up for any import *, then evaluate it.

When parsing out dependency references, look for any new keywords, but also any API that corresponds to that keyword. So, look for at('moduleID') for dependency references in addition to at 'moduleID'.

The runtime API for the module should be something like at('moduleID') for dependencies and exports.propertyName for specifying export properties. I am not arguing for that specific API, just mentioning that there would be an API alternative to the new syntax. The API alternative does not need an import alternative though.

Since a module is executed before giving the exports to a module that depends on it, and since there is a runtime API for modules, then that allows existing JS code to opt-in to ES modules without getting bitten by new syntax.

Since all dependencies are executed before executing the current module, an "import *" can be supported, and I believe that would allow for macros later.

There are some limitations around circular dependencies, but they are still possible, and the restrictions are minor in comparison to allowing existing code to opt in to ES modules and still work in non-ES module environments.

Declarative configuration

Support something like the "paths", "map" and "shim" config as used in RequireJS. This allows easier use of old code, and scales up to very large code without requiring a developer to ship a library that sets up an imperative resolution API.

Support loader plugins

Now that all dependencies are executed before executing the current module, then it is easier to support loader plugins, as the loader will have the exported value for that plugin resource before running the current module.

These environment-based loading, like an "env!" plugin that can load a module for Node and a different API-compatible one for the browser. See also a "has!" plugin for feature detection-based loading, and plugins to enable transpilers.

Yes, it is more to sort out, but they provide a lot of benefit. AMD has already primed this pump. It even works with a build/optimization step for inlining resources.

Use string IDs for module identifiers

This allows the module references in dependencies to be the same as the ID that is inlined when modules are combined and named in built files. Right now it is weird to use a JS identifier, like module Foo {} to name a module, but then see module Foo at "Foo". It is hard to match up at "Foo" with module Foo.

The extreme positions

The following is based on my limited experience. I am not a language designer. I am but a simple plumber that uses the pipes that available to build things. I may not have the right long term thinking involved, but I think the following make the ES module proposal simpler.

To be clear though, I think the middle way above is enough to bridge the gap. Please, do not read the following and then discount the middle way. The middle way is separate from these more extreme measures.

No new syntax

If there is a runtime API available to allow existing code to opt in, just shed the new syntax. Just have one way to do it via API that can also then be shimmed.

no import *

import * makes it difficult to determine where code comes from. If
this type of construct is allowed:


module foo {
   var sin = function () {};


   module bar {
       import * from "Math";
       sin();
   }
}

for a minifier, it now needs access to Math to do its work correctly. This has not been the case in the past. It would suck to need all of the code for all the modules used in a system just to complete a minifier pass.

For developers, if you have two modules that do import * it can be difficult to know where something comes from.

Destructuring provides enough benefit for these use cases, just do the
comma separated list for things you really use:

   import {sin, cos} from "Math";

import * is a bad pattern and it does not save much.

If you get rid of import * then with the "middle way" of evaluating modules, then regular var/let-based destructuring is enough, there is no need for an import keyword.

No macros

Similarly, rethink the need for macros long term. They suffer from the same "where did this come from" problem as import * does. The function capabilities in JavaScript are good enough to get the job done for the "don't repeat yourself" task.

A way forward for today's code

The nice thing is that we can prototype this new world by combining what CommonJS/Node does today with AMD. So we can just use the require() and define() as used today to get there. The ES committee does not have to ratify it, and we get the benefit of real world implementation and use before committing to default language support.

Cajon is my attempt from the AMD side to bridge the gap with plain Node code and a runtime browser loader. LinkedIn's Inject is another AMD loader that uses a similar approach. So, just use CommonJS/Node modules in the browser in dev, use the r.js optimizer to compile down to AMD for final deployment.

The cjsTranslate capability in the r.js optimizer allows a developer that always likes to do builds, even in dev, can code in Node syntax but output to AMD and load it in the browser either by the small Almond AMD shim, or the full dynamic loader via RequireJS. Or choose Dojo or curl.js.


browserify can be updated to use AMD as its transport format instead of its home-grown require.define() API, and then not have to ship a loader, but use one of the AMD loaders/API shims. browserify is nice in that, unlike the r.js optimizer+cjsTranslate, it provides browser module shims for the native node modules. It would be great to break those out as a separate project that could be consumed by a project just using the r.js optimizer.


If Node adds define() support, callback-require for use within a module for dynamically calculated dependencies, and supports at least a limited form of loader plugins, then we're done. The amdefine project is an implementation proof of that support. There are details to sort out, but it is doable. Any node committers are interested, give me holler. We can work out the details.

Summary

For developer workflow, the current ES module spec is not competing well with a combination of CommonJS/Node and AMD with loader plugins. Or even just AMD with loader plugins.

Using the middle way for module execution and getting a good declarative module ID to path configuration in the ES spec will level the playing field. Add loader plugins to get language transpiler support and environment/feature detection loading that is efficient for the browser.

I have given some of this feedback to the es-discuss list, but I think some of it, in particular the "middle way" module evaluation flow, got lost in my poor communication where it seemed like I was proposing a dynamically scoped import *. Hopefully this post clarifies what I was trying to achieve with that earlier feedback.

Finally, I appreciate working on the ES committee is very difficult work. I do not envy them. I do not mean for this feedback to come across harshly, but the committee is running out of time, and I do not feel like it has made the case very well for how what is being proposed is better than what we have cobbled together with existing technology. To be clear, I want an ES Modules proposal to succeed because I do not want to do AMD or RequireJS forever. Hopefully this feedback can be viewed as loyal opposition, and as a challenge to do better, or at least to do it in a way that is explained more clearly.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

volo 0.2.1 released, using volo as a library

volo 0.2.1 has been released. This is a bug fix release, if you are using 0.2.0, you are encouraged to upgrade. Here is the list of fixes. To install:

    npm install -g volo

Also new: the ghvolo project. It shows how to use volo as a library to just resolve dependency IDs to github-hosted resources. This is useful if you are building a command line interface for fetching front end dependencies and you want to use the same github resolution logic as volo, but without using volo to do the actual installation of dependencies.

ghvolo is a command line tool that supports "search" and "resolve". Nothing is installed by using ghvolo. It just uses volo as library to resolve IDs to some JSON data. See the README for more information and some sample commands.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Cajon: a browser module loader for CommonJS/node/AMD modules

I just released the first version of Cajon. From the README:

Cajon is a JavaScript module loader for the browser that can load CommonJS/node and AMD modules. It is built on top of RequireJS.

You can use it to code modules for your project in CommonJS/node style, then use the RequireJS Optimizer to build all the modules into an AMD-compliant bundle. This allows you to then use a small AMD API shim, like almond, to get nicely optimized code without needing a full runtime loader.

See the README for more information and restrictions.

Why do this?

It is an experiment, to see what people like to build with. The attributes of AMD are needed for any comprehensive JavaScript module solution, but some people really like sugar, and the sugared form of AMD may not be enough for them. They also may want to use existing CommonJS/node modules as-is but still want to get a good, optimized/built story, and something that works well cross-domain in the browser.

This experiment goes along with the latest requirejs 2.0.2 optimizer setting, cjsTranslate, which will automatically convert CommonJS/node modules to have a define() wrapper, so they can be consumed by the optimizer. This would allow you, for example, to build a node command that watched your js lib folder as you did changes to modules in the CommonJS/node format, and build them into an optimized AMD bundle.

End result, if you cannot bring yourself to use AMD:

If you do not want to do builds during your CommonJS/node-based module development, use Cajon. If you like doing builds, you can now use the RequireJS optimizer (with the almond AMD shim) to do that.

To be clear: CommonJS/node modules as-is are not enough for a comprehensive JS module solution. These tools allow you to use them though and fill in the gaps by "compiling down" the code to AMD.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

RequireJS 2.0.2 released


 RequireJS 2.0.2 is available.

More bug fixes, thanks to the community for really putting it through its paces.

Notable change for the optimizer: The "dir" output directory is now deleted before each build run, if it exists. This is done to avoid problems with transforms via onBuildRead/onBuildWrite that made it difficult to do incremental builds. If you want to keep the "dir" directory between optimizer runs, then set "keepBuildDir" to true.

Complete list of changes:


Thursday, June 07, 2012

volo 0.2.0 released

volo 0.2.0 has been released. volo is a front end JavaScript package manager, which uses github as the source repository. It can install whole project templates, and it understands volofiles for doing project-specific task automation.

The 0.2.0 release is significant in a few ways:

1) It is now only delivered via npm. So to install it:

    npm install -g volo

2) the format of volofiles have changed. The old format will still work in this release, but to get the new, shorter "shell string" support or for reusing volo commands that can be installed via npm, you will need to convert your volofile to the new format. Some details in the conversion ticket, but see the "Creating a volofile" and "Creating a volo command" pages for more information.

3) "volo add" now recursively adds dependencies. It does not do fancy conflict resolution -- if a dependency with the same name is already installed in that location, then that existing dependency is used.

Recursive dependency installation only works if your package.json has a volo.dependencies section (or there is a shim for the project you want to use in the shims repo). The backbone library has a shim entry, so you can try it out by doing:

    volo add backbone

It is a big release, but there is more to do, particularly on console feedback and formatting. At least now the code structure is set better for the future.

Friday, June 01, 2012

RequireJS 2.0.1 released

 RequireJS 2.0.1 is available.

A few fixes to clean up some edges from the 2.0 release. If you are using 2.0.0, you should upgrade to 2.0.1 right away. Changes: