Build system and online download builder

[arschmitz]

We will want to make sure we have both an easy to use command line build system as well as an online download builder to allow people to pick just the modules they want. The online builder is important since we want to be accessible to designers who will shy away from a command prompt.

[cbracco]

I've really been enjoying using Gulp as a build tool/task runner for some recent projects, does anyone have a preference here? For the online builder, however, I'd be cool with whatever.

[jzaefferer]

For the download builder we might be able to reuse the existing download builder for jQuery UI: https://github.com/jquery/download.jqueryui.com/ @rxaviers may have some thoughts on that.

For CLI/build tools: Other jQuery Foundation projects use Grunt. We should stick with that, unless there are compelling reasons to use something else.

[arschmitz]

@jzaefferer +1 that would be what i was hoping on both accounts

[rxaviers]

jquery/download.jqueryui.com is very specific to jQuery UI. Although, we can reuse lots of it writing a new generic one. It's worth pointing out jQuery core is also interested in (jquery/jquery#1691).

Having said that, I question its importance. What problem are we really solving with an online download builder? @arschmitz said "(it) is important since we want to be accessible to designers who will shy away from a command prompt". I agree with @arschmitz on the goal. But, I don't think download builder is the answer.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understood a designer in this context is using CSS Framework as is (in a read only mode) to implement a design in his/her own application. Designer might use a custom build instead of the regular released files, because he/she might want to customize CSS Framework with different color, etc (any other reason?). Designer places the custom bundle in his/her application and use it. Everything goes just well, until he/she needs to update CSS Framework. When that's the case, he/she needs to manually re-download the newer version of his/her custom bundle. The manual aspect of this workflow breaks all possibilities of using a package manager to automate this process. Aside the manual aspect, there is the compatibility issue. Eventually a new release will change customization-parameters and the download builder interface will have to handle the previous parameters into the new ones (map if possible, alert otherwise). Usually, these are lost.

Can't CSS Framework be made in such a way that customizations are held to designers? For example, by allowing him/her to override parameters using a variables.less (or sass or whatever)? After all, that's a language designers are expert at. They are free to upgrade CSS Framework without patching anything. They are free to automate this process. If newer versions bring breaking changes, they simply update their variables.less file.

[rxaviers]

Automation is important.

The line of code that the developer can write the fastest,
the line of code that the developer can maintain the cheapest and
the line of code that never breaks for the user
is the line of code that developer never had to write

Steve Jobs

[arschmitz]

@rxaviers no that would not be the use case here the use case to to include or exclude different modules just like with the ui or mobile builders what your talking about is themeroller. We will be creating a new themeroller for this there is no issue for that yet though.

[sfrisk]

I would love to have the css-framework capable of letting the designers make customizations to colors/fonts/etc from the browser, and then download the css-framework with those variables already populated in the variables.scss file or whatever.

I think bootstrap does something similar to this: http://getbootstrap.com/customize/#less-variables

[sfrisk]

Aaand just noticed @arschmitz's reply. I'll go create a themeroller issue.

[arschmitz]

@sfrisk we will have something like that for sure but more like http://themeroller.jquerymobile.com/ or http://jqueryui.com/themeroller/

[arschmitz]

oh man timing... anyway to me the main difference here is theme rollers give actual visual feedback as you modify the values the less variables page gives no indication the difference these values make

[rxaviers]

@arschmitz

the use case is to include or exclude different modules

So, it's even easier: release the modules as consumable files and let users pick them.

Still think an online download builder is needed? Please, why? What problem do you want to solve with one?

[arschmitz]

@rxaviers yes i do to bundle them into a single file minified and account for dependencies. The audience here is like to have NO KNOWLEDGE of any time of local build process and we don't want them including multiple style sheets, and also don't want them including a monolith if parts are not needed.