brunch/brunch-guide

---

brunch/brunch-guide.json

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The Brunch.io Guide

This is an attempt at a comprehensive guide to Brunch, an excellent builder for browser apps that gives Grunt, Gulp, Broccoli et al. a run for their money. I adapted this from my (French language) article from early March 2015.

Is your English reading not so good? Check out our [translations]!(#translations).

For a short 8-minute version that allows to learn 90% of Brunch features take a look at Brunches official micro guide.

Table of Contents

1. [Brunch?! What’s Brunch?]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md)

• [Brunch vs. others]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#brunch-vs-others)
• [Task runners vs. builders]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#task-runners-vs-builders)
• [File-based processing vs. pipelines]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#file-based-processing-vs-pipelines)
• [Configuration and boilerplate vs. conventions]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#configuration-and-boilerplate-vs-conventions)
• [Full builds vs. incremental builds]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#full-builds-vs-incremental-builds)
• [The paramount importance of speed]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#the-paramount-importance-of-speed)
• [Then why do I only ever hear about the others?]!(content/en/chapter01-whats-brunch.md#then-why-do-i-only-ever-hear-about-the-others)

2. [Getting started with Brunch]!(content/en/chapter02-getting-started.md)

• [Should I use a skeleton?]!(content/en/chapter02-getting-started.md#should-i-use-a-skeleton)

3. [Conventions and defaults]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md)

• [Built-in processing]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#build-in-processing)
• [Configuration files]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#configuration-files)
• [Folders]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#folders)
• [CommonJS module wrapping]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#commonjs-module-wrapping)
• [Sourcemaps]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#sourcemaps)
• [Watcher]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#watcher)
• [Built-in web server]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#built-in-web-server)
• [Plugin loading]!(content/en/chapter03-conventions-and-defaults.md#plugin-loading)

4. [Starting from scratch]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md)

• [How about a shortcut?]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#how-about-a-shortcut)
• [Just a couple files]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#just-a-couple-files)
• [Installing a starting set of Brunch modules]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#installing-a-starting-set-of-brunch-modules)
• [Our first build]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#our-first-build)
• [Globals; because, reasons.]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#globals-because-reasons)
• [Getting modular again]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#getting-modular-again)
• [Split targets]!(content/en/chapter04-starting-from-scratch.md#split-targets)

5. [Using third-party module registries]!(content/en/chapter05-using-third-party-registries.md)
6. [A shot at templating]!(content/en/chapter06-a-shot-at-templating.md)
7. [Using Brunch on a legacy codebase]!(content/en/chapter07-using-brunch-on-legacy-code.md)
8. [Production builds]!(content/en/chapter08-production-builds.md)
9. [Watcher]!(content/en/chapter09-watcher.md)
10. [Web server: built-in or custom]!(content/en/chapter10-web-server.md)

• [Writing your own server]!(content/en/chapter10-web-server.md#writing-your-own-server)
• [And not just Node, either…]!(content/en/chapter10-web-server.md#and-not-just-node-either)

11. [Plugins for all your build needs]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md)

• [Enabling a plugin]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#enabling-a-plugin)
• [Fine-tuning through optional configuration]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#fine-tuning-through-optional-configuration)
• [Brunch and CSS]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#brunch-and-css)
• [Brunch and JavaScript]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#brunch-and-javascript)
• [Brunch and templates]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#brunch-and-templates)
• [Brunch and development workflows]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#brunch-and-development-workflows)
• [Brunch and web performance]!(content/en/chapter11-plugins.md#brunch-and-web-performance)

12. [Writing a Brunch plugin]!(content/en/chapter12-writing-a-plugin.md)
13. [Conclusion]!(content/en/chapter13-conclusion.md)

Translations

This guide is also available in the following languages:

• [French]!(content/fr/README.md)

To contribute translations, check out our [guidelines]!(CONTRIBUTING.md).

Brunch version

This guide was written against Brunch 2.5. Most of it works in earlier versions, though; still, you should upgrade!

License

This work is © 2015 Christophe Porteneuve, licensed under [the MIT license]!(LICENSE).

Contributing

I welcome all useful contributions: typos, bug fixes, rephrasings, better explanations or examples, extra information and demos, translations, etc.

Be sure to check our [contribution guidelines]!(CONTRIBUTING.md)!

Acknowledgments

The Brunch team deserves enormous applause and thanks for their amazing work on this tool. I write this as Brunch turns 4 already, and it’s made my life easier (and that of hundreds of my JS trainees) for all that time! You guys rule!