Packaging client files

The client side of web applications is usually executed by a browser, and the application is delivered as an HTML file that, in turn, tells the browser to request JavaScript files, CSS stylesheets, and any other resources that are required.

There can be many JavaScript and CSS files, which means the browser has to make HTTP requests for many files. Those files tend to be verbose because they are formatted to be read and maintained by the development team, with whitespace and comments that are not required to run the application.

Many projects use a bundler, which processes client-side assets to make them smaller and combine them into fewer files. The most popular bundler is webpack (https://webpack.js.org), which can be used on its own or as part of the standard developer tools for frameworks such as React and Angular. There are other bundlers available, just as with most areas of JavaScript functionality, but webpack is a good place to start because...