grunt-update-reference

grunt-update-reference

Grunt task for updating the newer changed resources's reference, to get cache bust.

Feature

It can also instantly update reference of one file which its content not changed by us, but changed by this task.

It can identify the newer file(first run will consider all match file is newer), it will configure other two task to achieve it (newer check is achieved by grunt-newer, it will load automatically if it haven't installed in your project).

Task will print colored change log in console, for checking what modify the task has done.

It will only hit the file name, need not match the entire path.

Getting Started

If you haven't used Grunt before, be sure to check out the Getting Started guide, as it explains how to create a gruntfile.js as well as install and use Grunt plugins. Once you're familiar with that process, you may install this plugin with this command:

npm install grunt-update-reference --save-dev

Once the plugin has been installed, it may be enabled inside your gruntfile.js with this line:

grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-update-reference');

Then, add and configure it to your Gruntfile.js:

grunt.initConfig({
    reference: {
        options:{
            //Define what files contain some reference.
            searchFileType: [ "*.html", "*.js", "*.css" ],
            //If has some file or path to ignore, path is base on "options.searchPathBase".
            searchIgnore:[ "ignore_me.html","ignore_me/**/*" ],
            //True to enble newer check. Default is true. Set false to prevent checking newer file.
            newer:true,
            //Task's log, "simple", "all" or "none"
            log:"simple"
        },
        dist: {
            options: {
                //The base path.
                searchPathBase: "./path_to",
                //Prevent watch instantly changes, which changed by this task.
                referenceIgnore:["*.html"]
            },
            //What kind of files that may needed to be update references.(path is not base on "options.searchPathBase")
            src: [ "path_to/**/*.{css,js,jpg,png,gif}" ]
        }
    }
  });

It is recommended to set newer task's cache folder to version controlled, to prevent conflict (repeatedly update reference) when project has muti contributors.

In this case, grunt-newer ^1.1.2 is required. If grunt-newer has been installed in project before, PLEASE consider it's version.

so it's best to add newer.option.cache to initConfig:

grunt.initConfig({
    ...
    newer: {
        options: {
            cache: './path_to_newer_cache_folder'
        }
    }
});

Run the grunt reference task:

If set log to "simple", the log will be like this:

$ grunt reference

Running "reference:dist" (reference) task
Running "newer:reference_core:dist__path_to" (newer) task
Running "reference_core:dist__path_to" (reference_core) task

File Changed: foo.jpg
refresh foo.jpg's reference in bar.css
refresh bar.css's reference in index.html

Done, without errors.

If set log to "all":

$ grunt reference

Running "reference:dist" (reference) task
Running "newer:reference_core:dist__path_to" (newer) task
Running "reference_core:dist__path_to" (reference_core) task

File Changed: foo.jpg
Scan changed files' reference in ./path_to
in file bar.css replace:
    background:url("./foo.jpg");
--->
    background:url("./foo.jpg?t=1456071676251");
File bar.css instantly changed, rescan path.
+       Scan changed files' reference in ./path_to
+       in file index.html replace:
+       <link href="./bar.css?v=2" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
+       --->
+       <link href="./bar.css?t=1456071676251&v=2" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />

Done, without errors.