WebStorm 6.0.1 Web Help

The term minification or compression in the context of JavaScript means removing all unnecessary characters, such as spaces, new lines, comments without affecting the functionality of the source code.

These characters facilitate working with the code at the development and debugging stage by improving the code readability. However at the production stage these characters become extraneous: being insignificant for code execution, they increase the size of code to be transferred. Therefore it is considered good practice to remove them before deployment.

WebStorm supports integration with the YUI Compressor CSS minification tool.

In WebStorm, minifier configurations are called File Watchers. For each supported minifier, WebStorm provides a predefined File Watcher template. Predefined File Watcher templates are available at the WebStorm level. To run a minifier against your project files, you need to create a project-specific File Watcher based on the relevant template, at least, specify the path to the minifier to use on your machine.

On this page:

Installing and configuring the YUI Compressor
  1. Download and install the Node.js framework. The CSS minifier is started through Node.js and the Node Package Manager (npm) is also the easiest way to download the minifier. For details on using Node.js in WebStorm, see the section Node.Js

    Tip

    Alternatively, you can define Node.js as an external tool, as described in the section Configuring third-party tools. This approach is helpful, when you need facilities that are missing in the plugin, for example, the possibility to pass certain parameters as wildcards.

  2. Make sure the Node.js plugin is enabled. The plugin is bundled with WebStorm and activated by default. If it is not, enable the plugin.
  3. Download and install the JavaScript minification tool. The easiest way is to use the Node Package Manager (npm), which is a part of Node.js.
    1. Switch to the directory where the Node Package Manager (npm) is stored or define a path variable for it so it is available from any folder.
    2. Type the following command at the command line prompt: 
      npm install yui

    If you use the Node Package Manager (npm), the minifier is installed under Node.js so Node.js, which is required for starting the tool, will be specified in the path to it.

Creating a FileWatcher

WebStorm provides a common procedure and user interface for creating File Watchers of all types. The only difference is in the predefined templates you choose in each case.

  1. To start creating a File Watcher, open the Project Settings and click File Watchers. The File Watchers page that opens, shows the list of File Watchers that are already configured in the project.
  2. Click the Add button new.png or press Alt+InsertCommand N; Command Enter and choose the YUI Compressor CSS predefined template from the pop-up list.
  3. In the Program text box, specify the path to the yuicompressor-<version>.jar file. If you installed the tool through the Node Package Manager, WebStorm locates the required file itself and fills in the field automatically. Otherwise, type the path manually or click the Browse button browseButton.png and choose the file location in the dialog box that opens.
  4. Proceed as described on page Using File Watchers.

Minifying the code

WebStorm creates a separate file with the generated output. The file has the name of the source CSS file and the extension min.css. The location of the generated file is defined in the Output Paths text box of the New Watcher dialog. However, in the Project Tree, it is shown under the source CSS file which is now displayed as a node.

See Also

Procedures:

Reference:

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