Cache Assets by Bokt

luceos

Cache Assets

This extension offers a command php flarum cache:assets that allows you to compile and save Javascript, Css and locale Javascript/Css ahead of any user request to either the forum or admin.

This is an extension that is extremely suitable for Continuous Deployment scenarios.

Installation

Use Bazaar or install manually with composer:

composer require bokt/flarum-cache-assets

Go to your admin area and enable the extension.

Use the command

Run the php flarum cache:assets --help command to see a list of all options, at least one flag is required for the command to do anything:

--js to compile the javascript
--css to compile the less/css
--locales to compile css and js of the language packs

Updating

composer require bokt/flarum-cache-assets

Disclaimer

This extension is developed as an employee of @BartVB at Bokt. Bokt is the largest equine community in the Netherlands. We're currently moving a phpBB forum with over 100 million posts to Flarum. By keeping both in sync until we're more feature complete, we offer our users a slow transition to this fantastic new platform.

Littlegolden

luceos Does this mean that we don't have to do this (https://discuss.flarum.org/d/22321-improving-search-for-chinese-characters/59) after change flarum/core/js/src/forum/components/Search.js#L156？

Pollux

luceos

Whenever I perform any of the actions mentioned above that require recompiling css or javascript resources, I immediately reload the forum, so it is me who has to wait a fraction of a second longer than usual.

What does this extension do in addition to the procedure I described?

tankerkiller125

Littlegolden you still have to do that

Littlegolden

tankerkiller125 okey

fakruzaruret

How does efect website speed?

luceos

fakruzaruret How does efect website speed?

Usually when you enable or disable an extension or update the css/less in the admin panel, the existing style and javascript will be removed. When a visitor hits the forum the new css and js will be compiled anew during the request. This impacts one user, but only if any of the actions mentioned above occur.

This extension compiles the js/css in advance of that user request. But if any of the actions occur again, the compiled css and js will be gone and the next user will be slowed down. Hence that this extension is helpful on forums that do not change their enabled extensions or design after being deployed to the server.

Hope this makes sense.

luceos

Pollux What does this extension do in addition to the procedure I described?

It caches assets ahead of human interaction. As mentioned before this is ideal in situations that you use Continuous Deployments. You can continue releasing new versions and this package will build the assets on demand, no need for a user to be delayed in their request.

matteocontrini

luceos hi, hoping it's not too off topic, could you clarify how continous deployment could be done with Flarum? I guess the "composer update" could be run in the CI/CD environment and then the files could be copied to servers. Regarding compiled assets, this extension would help in that the assets could be compiled in the CI/CD environment, and then copied, right? What about files that are written by Flarum at runtime, like the avatars?

Thanks!

clarkwinkelmann

matteocontrini you can deploy Flarum just like you deploy a Laravel app. Storage folders are not versioned, they are symlinked during deployment (or just not versioned depending on the setup).

During deployment, you can either: clone/download repo + composer install + php flarum cache:clear

Or with this extension, you can do: clone/download repo + composer install + php flarum cache:assets --js --css --locales

matteocontrini

clarkwinkelmann ok right, I was overthinking this by thinking about horizontal scaling as well. Thanks for the clarification