browser-sync

What is browser-sync?

Browser-sync is a powerful tool for web developers that provides live reloading, synchronized browser testing, and other features to streamline the development process. It helps in creating a seamless development experience by automatically refreshing the browser whenever files are changed, and it can also synchronize interactions across multiple devices.

What are browser-sync's main functionalities?

Live Reloading

This feature allows the browser to automatically reload whenever files in the specified directory are changed. The code sample sets up a server to serve files from the 'app' directory and watches for changes in any files within that directory, triggering a reload when changes are detected.

const browserSync = require('browser-sync').create();
browserSync.init({
  server: './app'
});
browserSync.watch('app/**/*.*').on('change', browserSync.reload);

Synchronized Browsing

Synchronized browsing ensures that interactions like clicks and scrolls are mirrored across all connected devices. The code sample initializes Browser-sync with ghost mode enabled for clicks and scrolls, allowing these interactions to be synchronized.

const browserSync = require('browser-sync').create();
browserSync.init({
  server: './app',
  ghostMode: {
    clicks: true,
    scroll: true
  }
});

Proxying an Existing Server

This feature allows Browser-sync to act as a proxy for an existing server, enabling live reloading and synchronized browsing without changing the server configuration. The code sample sets up Browser-sync to proxy requests to 'yourlocal.dev'.

const browserSync = require('browser-sync').create();
browserSync.init({
  proxy: 'yourlocal.dev'
});

Other packages similar to browser-sync

live-server

Live-server is a simple development HTTP server with live reload capability. It is easier to set up compared to Browser-sync but offers fewer features. It is ideal for quick prototyping and small projects.

webpack-dev-server

Webpack-dev-server is a development server that provides live reloading and HMR (Hot Module Replacement) for projects using Webpack. It is more complex to set up but integrates deeply with the Webpack build process, making it suitable for larger projects with complex build requirements.

gulp-connect

Gulp-connect is a plugin for Gulp that provides a web server with live reload capability. It is useful for projects that already use Gulp for task automation, offering a seamless way to add live reloading to the development workflow.

README

browser-sync