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Source Mapping in Node.js

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In this article, we will learn about the source mapping techniques that happen in the Node.js web framework that uses JavaScript.

The source maps basically represent the data transmission file from the source of origin of the message to the target destination of the function. The JSON files in the JavaScript programming language have the ability to store the information to perform the mapping operation from the original data in the function to the target destination where the execution of the program will be performed in the computer. It is a special type of file created by the user to link the newest version of the directory or repository created by his program to the original source code of the program due to which the template of the new program was created. 

The source maps work by reducing the combined size of all their files and programs stored on the computer and then compressing them to their maximum size by linking these files to the targeted files originated from the source. In this way, the size of the code is also reduced to its maximum efficiency leading to less time in opening and closing the web framework application, which will make the usage of the application to be more fluid and smooth.

Source Mapping in Node.js: The Node.js web backend framework also makes use of the JavaScript programming language on its server-side of the backend service. So, the above JSON file is also used in mapping the newly created program code with the original source code on the backend server-side of the application. 

The source maps allow the users to extend their application to display the source code of the repository that they created on the backend server-side using the Node.js application. This application allows the users to continue with their debugging of the JavaScript code on the server-side while also maintaining the proper record of the updating of the source code as well.

The source mapping extensions work the same in the Node.js web framework as they work in the JavaScript programming language. They allow the users to use the JavaScript programming extensions to help debug the code in their repository in the Node.js framework while executing the operations on their browser. It supports running JavaScript programming extensions on all types of web browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Apple Safari, and even Brave browser.

It helps to debug the minified code or the transpired code to their original interchangeable form of source code for the user’s computer to understand it in terms of machine language. Nowadays, almost all the modern-day compilers and interpreters support the functionality of the source maps in the JavaScript programming language and the Node.js web framework on the backend of the server-side.

Steps to generate a source map in Node.js: Now, we will discuss the various steps in which the source map functionality can be generated in the Node.js web framework using the JavaScript language:

Step 1: Apply the WebPack named JavaScript extension to your Node.js program code that will enable you to create a collection of all the functions in the program in a single stack of operations consisting of smaller chunks of data for relatively smaller file size. The WebPack extension can be installed on your computer by using the following command to webpack.config.js to start the installation. The given program function will be generated after the installation of the WebPack in your program files.

const path = require("pack");
module.export = {
    begin: "./src/app.js",
    output: {
        path: pack.resolve(__repository, "dist"),
        filename: "node.js"
    },
    target: "node",
    devtool: "source-map"
};

Step 2: Then have to can also use the Rollup extension which also supports the JavaScript programming language and the Node.js web framework for debugging purposes. You can install the given Rollup extension in your program by using the following command – rollup.config.js to start the installation process. It will bundle all the different types of functions in the program and then combine them into a single function in the program. The given program function will be generated after the installation of the Rollup in your program files.

export default {
    module.export = {
        entry: "./src/app.js",
        output: {
            file: "bundle.js",
            format: "rollup",
            sourceMap: true
        }
    };
}

Step 3: We have to use the CoffeeScript debugging in order to decode the machine-generated language so that the data transmission can occur easily between the computer nodes and the main server machine. It becomes relatively easier to now map the data from the transformed interchangeable source to the original source using the CoffeeScript debugging. 


Last Updated : 23 Mar, 2022
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