grunt-durandaljs

A grunt plugin for building Durandal projects.

Both scripts and views are compiled into a single output file.

No double maintainace of path mapping. Allows various code layouts (bower, app.net etc), using the pathes alredy configured in you main.js.

Minimalistic and simple. No need to be expert with r.js's 60+ options.

Getting Started

This plugin requires Grunt ~0.4.2

If you haven't used Grunt before, be sure to check out the Getting Started guide, as it explains how to create a Gruntfile as well as install and use Grunt plugins. Once you're familiar with that process, you may install this plugin with this command:

npm install grunt-durandaljs --save-dev

Once the plugin has been installed, it may be enabled inside your Gruntfile with this line of JavaScript:

grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-durandaljs');

The "durandaljs" task

This task compiles all the scripts and views of a Durandal project into a single js file.

The task expects that the Durandal files are under a single app dir (usually named app) and that there is a single main module (usually at app/main.js) that contains both the requirejs path configuration and the initial module that executes.

While simple and minimalistic, this task can handle all known Durandal 2.x samples and starter kits (html, bower, node, asp.net, etc.) with almost no configuration.

Overview

In your project's Gruntfile, add a section named durandaljs to the data object passed into grunt.initConfig().

grunt.initConfig({
  durandaljs: {
    options: {
      baseDir: 'app',  //same as default, so not realy required
      main: 'main.js', //same as default, so not realy required
    },
    dev: {
      options: {
        output: 'dist/dev/main.js'
      }
    },
    prod: {
      options: {
        output: 'dist/prod/main.js',
        almond: true,
        minify: true
      }
    },
  },
});

Options

options.verbose

Type: Boolean Default value: false

Should the task emit information about as it progresses.

options.baseDir

Type: String Default value: 'app'

The path, realtive to the grunt cwd, to the root directory of your durandal app (usually called app or App in the durandal starter kits and generators).

This directory is expected to contain all your views, viewmodels, sevice modules etc. All files under it are are automatically included in the output: *.js files as modules and text files (*.html, *.json) as 'text!' prefixed modules.

options.main

Type: String Default value: 'main.js'

The path to the main js file of the application, realtive to the baseDir.

This is where we expect to find the project's requirejs.config call which defines all the path mapping for the external modules and libraries.

This file also contains the main module of the application.

Note: The path and module configuration done in this file is extreemly important for the build too. Promoting the 'Single Point of Truth` principle, we do not allow any configuration or path mapping outside of this file. We believe that if it is good enough for development, it it good enought for the build.

options.output

Type: String Default value: 'output.' + path.basename(options.main)

The path to the output js file, realtive to the grunt cwd (not to the baseDir!).

options.minifiy

Type: Boolean Default value: false

Determines wether the output file is minified (using Uglify2).

options.almond

Type: Boolean|String Default value: false

True to wrap the generated code and include a Durandal specific version of AlmondJS, to replace the need for the much bigger requiresjs, and create a single and self sufficient output file. (Read more about AlmondJS and the Durandal version)

If the value is a string, it should be the path to an almond script, relative to the grunt cwd. The result is similar to setting the value to true, expect the almond script inserted is the one specified here and not the script that comes bundled with the task.

options.extraModules

Type: String[] Default value: []

A list of extra modules to include in the output file, e.g. ['plugins/widget', 'plugins/dialog']. This can be used for all dynamically loaded modules that reside outside of the baseDir (such as durandal's own plugins and transitons).

We will automatically include any module whose file is under the baseDir, as well as any of their explicit dependencies. Alas, non-explicit dependencies are not recodnized automatically by r.js. If their files are outside the baseDir, they will not be recognized by our scanning process. Examples are the Durandal transitions that are loaded dynamically by convention, and Durandal plugins are loaded via app.configurePlugins({ widget: true }).

In short, all required modules must either reside under the baseDir, be an explicit dependency of a module under that dir, or be explicityly included via the extraModules option.

Module names are resolved and mapped to files according to the pathes and mapping in the main config file, so use the same names as you would do in your code.

options.require

Type: Boolean|String|String[] Default value: optinos.almond? true : false

Determines if a 'require([...])' call is to be inserted, and which modules are included in the list of requried modules.

When optinos.almond is used, this value is true by default as almond requires usualy to explicily call require(['<main module name>']), which is not the convension for require js and Durandal.

The tasks avoids inserting the call if the valu is set to false. If it true, it will insert the options.main module. If you need to explicitly specify the module names, use the string or string array value.

options.moduleFilter

Type: Function Default value: function(moduleName){return true;}

After all top level modules are resolved, they are passed via a filter function, so that you have a chance to exclude any modules for any reason you might have.

For example, if you would not like to include the views, you could supply the foloowing function:

function(moduleName){
  return moduleName.indexOf('text!') == -1;
}

Usage Examples

The tests and exampels folders contains several expamples, for both simple and complex scenarios.

Contributing

In lieu of a formal styleguide, take care to maintain the existing coding style. Add unit tests for any new or changed functionality. Lint and test your code using Grunt.

Release History

(Nothing yet)