Integrating npm front-end with Kallithea

[Andrew Shadura]

On 8 November 2017 at 12:37, Mads Kiilerich <mads at kiilerich.com> wrote:
> On 11/08/2017 08:53 AM, Andrew Shadura wrote:
>>
>> Why can't use use any of the Python implementations of Less? Or use
>> either JS one or Python one depending on what's available?
>
>
> I guess we could. I don't have an opinion on that. Those that do the work
> get to decide. And I do see the value of sticking to the most commonly used
> tool chain.

Well, I did submit a proof of concept using lesscpy two years ago, and
that went nowhere.

> Less is one thing - then comes javascript and minifier ... and the need to
> be able to use custom variables when building Bootstrap.

Does any of this need npm?

> I don't think less is the problem. It comes "for free" with the solution to
> some of the bigger problems:
>
> * We "need" bits and pieces from npm packages. Primarily Bootstrap, but also
> all the other front end libraries that are so hard to vendor in a GPL
> compatible way.

Which bits?

> * We thus need npm to download the packages.
>
> * We need the right build tools for these packages ... and they also come
> from npm by default (and nothing else is supported).

I don't understand what's so difficult about Lessing a bunch of files
and amalgamating them afterwards so that we absolutely have to use the
upstream's build system.

-- 
Cheers,
  Andrew