{"id":13965,"library":"rucksack","title":"Rucksack JavaScript and CSS Bundler","description":"Rucksack is a JavaScript and CSS bundler built atop Vite, designed to simplify the asset bundling process for modern web applications. Currently stable at version 7.1.1, the package receives relatively frequent minor and patch updates, often aligning with new Vite releases or internal dependency bumps. Major versions, such as the transition from 6.x to 7.x, introduce significant dependency upgrades and can include breaking changes like increased Node.js version requirements. Rucksack differentiates itself by providing a streamlined, opinionated API over raw Vite configurations, allowing developers to quickly set up bundling for local and remote JavaScript and CSS assets, and automatically generate corresponding HTML markup. It aims to abstract away much of Vite's complexity while still allowing access to the underlying Vite configuration for advanced customization.","status":"active","version":"7.1.1","language":"javascript","source_language":"en","source_url":"ssh://git@github.com/Bloggify/rucksack","tags":["javascript","rucksack","css","bundler"],"install":[{"cmd":"npm install rucksack","lang":"bash","label":"npm"},{"cmd":"yarn add rucksack","lang":"bash","label":"yarn"},{"cmd":"pnpm add rucksack","lang":"bash","label":"pnpm"}],"dependencies":[],"imports":[{"note":"Rucksack is an ESM-first package; CommonJS `require()` is not supported. It exports a default class.","wrong":"const Rucksack = require('rucksack')","symbol":"Rucksack","correct":"import Rucksack from 'rucksack'"},{"note":"The primary `Rucksack` class is exported as the default, not a named export. Attempting a named import will result in an undefined or an error.","wrong":"import { Rucksack } from 'rucksack'","symbol":"Rucksack (named import)","correct":"import Rucksack from 'rucksack'"}],"quickstart":{"code":"import Rucksack from \"rucksack\"\nimport { fileURLToPath } from 'url';\nimport path from 'path';\n\nconst __filename = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);\nconst __dirname = path.dirname(__filename);\n\nasync function runBundler() {\n  // Create a new bundler instance\n  let bundler = new Rucksack({\n      name: \"my-app\",\n      bundle_dir: `${__dirname}/output`,\n      bundle_url: \"/static\",\n      input: `${__dirname}/js-and-css-with-assets/main.js`, // Assuming this file exists for demo\n      production: true,\n      watch: false,\n      config: async (existingConfig) => {\n          // Example: Force ES module output for Rollup\n          existingConfig.build.rollupOptions = existingConfig.build.rollupOptions || {};\n          existingConfig.build.rollupOptions.output = existingConfig.build.rollupOptions.output || {};\n          existingConfig.build.rollupOptions.output.format = \"es\";\n          return existingConfig;\n      }\n  })\n\n  // Add a remote URL as a resource (e.g., jQuery CDN)\n  bundler.add(\"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.js\")\n\n  // Execute the bundling process\n  await bundler.bundle();\n\n  console.log(\"Bundling complete. Generated HTML markup:\");\n  console.log(bundler.html());\n\n  // Expected output (paths/sizes may vary):\n  // <script src=\"/static/my-app.js\"></script>\n  // <script src=\"https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.2.1/jquery.js\"></script>\n  // <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"/static/my-app.css\" />\n}\n\n// Create dummy input files for the example to run\nimport { promises as fs } from 'fs';\nimport { dirname } from 'path';\nimport { fileURLToPath } from 'url';\n\nconst exampleDir = path.join(__dirname, 'js-and-css-with-assets');\nconst outputFile = path.join(__dirname, 'output');\n\nasync function setupDummyFiles() {\n  await fs.mkdir(exampleDir, { recursive: true });\n  await fs.mkdir(outputFile, { recursive: true });\n  await fs.writeFile(path.join(exampleDir, 'main.js'), 'import \"./style.css\"; console.log(\"Hello from main.js\");');\n  await fs.writeFile(path.join(exampleDir, 'style.css'), 'body { background-color: #f0f0f0; }');\n}\n\nsetupDummyFiles().then(runBundler).catch(console.error);\n","lang":"javascript","description":"Demonstrates how to create a Rucksack bundler instance, configure input/output paths, add remote resources, and trigger the bundling process to generate HTML markup. Includes setup for dummy files to make the example runnable."},"warnings":[{"fix":"Upgrade your Node.js environment to version 14.x or newer. It is recommended to use the latest LTS version of Node.js.","message":"Version 5.0.0 and subsequent major versions of Rucksack require Node.js 14 or higher due to updated dependencies. Running with older Node.js versions will lead to errors.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":">=5.0.0"},{"fix":"Refer to the official Vite documentation for the specific version of Vite that Rucksack is using (check `rucksack/package.json` for `vite` dependency) when making custom configuration changes.","message":"Rucksack is built on Vite, and while it provides a simplified API, advanced customization often requires modifying the underlying Vite configuration through the `options.config` function. This necessitates familiarity with Vite's own configuration structure, which can change between Vite's major versions.","severity":"gotcha","affected_versions":">=5.0.0"},{"fix":"Review release notes for Rucksack and the underlying Vite version for any breaking changes related to configuration options or API behavior when upgrading major versions of Rucksack.","message":"As of major versions (e.g., 6.0.0 to 7.0.0), Rucksack updates its internal Vite dependency. Breaking changes in Vite itself can indirectly affect Rucksack users, especially those using the `config` option to modify Vite's internal configuration.","severity":"breaking","affected_versions":">=6.0.0"}],"env_vars":null,"search_vec":"'6':58 '7':61 '7.1.1':31 'abstract':114 'access':124 'advanc':131 'aim':112 'align':42 'allow':90,123 'api':85 'applic':26 'asset':20,104 'atop':14 'automat':106 'away':115 'break':70 'built':13 'bump':50 'bundl':21,96 'bundler':5,12,136 'chang':71 'complex':120 'configur':89,129 'correspond':108 'css':4,11,103,135 'current':27 'custom':132 'depend':49,65 'design':16 'develop':91 'differenti':78 'frequent':36 'generat':107 'html':109 'includ':69 'increas':73 'intern':48 'introduc':63 'javascript':2,9,101,133 'like':72 'local':98 'major':51 'markup':110 'minor':37 'modern':24 'much':116 'new':44 'node.js':74 'often':41 'opinion':84 'packag':33 'patch':39 'process':22 'provid':81 'quick':93 'raw':87 'receiv':34 'relat':35 'releas':46 'remot':100 'requir':76 'rucksack':1,6,77,134 'set':94 'signific':64 'simplifi':18 'stabl':28 'still':122 'streamlin':83 'transit':56 'under':127 'updat':40 'upgrad':66 'version':30,52,75 'vite':15,45,88,118,128 'web':25 'x':59,62","created_at":"2026-04-20T01:57:13.930108+00:00","updated_at":"2026-04-20T01:57:13.930108+00:00","problems":[{"fix":"Change `const Rucksack = require('rucksack')` to `import Rucksack from 'rucksack'` and ensure your environment supports ESM (e.g., run with `node --experimental-modules your-file.js` or ensure `type: module` in `package.json`).","cause":"Attempting to use `require()` to import `rucksack`, which is an ECMAScript Module (ESM) package.","error":"Error [ERR_REQUIRE_ESM]: require() of ES Module ... not supported."},{"fix":"Ensure you are using the correct default import syntax: `import Rucksack from 'rucksack';` and then instantiate it with `new Rucksack(...)`.","cause":"The `Rucksack` class is the default export, but it's being imported incorrectly (e.g., as a named import or the `new` keyword is missing).","error":"TypeError: Rucksack is not a constructor"},{"fix":"Verify that the `input` path in your Rucksack options is correct and absolute. If it's an internal module, ensure it's resolvable relative to your input file or configure `aliases` in the Rucksack options to map module paths.","cause":"The `input` path for the bundler is incorrect, or a module imported within your input files cannot be resolved by Vite.","error":"Vite error: Cannot find module '...' or path '...' is not found."}],"ecosystem":"npm","meta_description":null,"install_score":null,"quickstart_score":null,"quickstart_tag":null,"pypi_latest":"0.1.0","cli_name":"","cli_version":null,"type":"library","homepage":null,"github":"https://github.com/Bloggify/rucksack","docs":null,"changelog":null,"pypi":null,"npm":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/rucksack","openapi_spec":null,"status_page":null,"smithery":null,"categories":["devops","web-framework"],"base_url":null,"auth_type":null,"provenance":{"verified_status":null,"verified_at":null,"last_verified":"2026-06-17","next_check":"2026-07-18","install_tag":null}}