Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

JSHint VS Closure Compiler

Compare JSHint VS Closure Compiler and see what are their differences

JSHint logo JSHint

New JSHint website. Anton Kovalyov Oct 1st, 2013. For the last couple of weeks I've been working on a new homepage for JSHint and today I'm proud to announce the new jshint. com! JSHint Website.

Closure Compiler logo Closure Compiler

The Closure Compiler is a tool for making JavaScript download and run faster.
  • JSHint Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27
  • Closure Compiler Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-23

JSHint features and specs

  • Customization
    JSHint allows developers to configure various options to tailor the linting process according to their specific project requirements.
  • Community Support
    JSHint is widely used and has a robust community, which means plenty of tutorials, plugins, and community-driven improvements are available.
  • Real-time Feedback
    JSHint provides real-time feedback on JavaScript code, helping developers catch errors and enforce coding standards as they write their code.
  • Integration
    It integrates well with many editors and build tools, making it easier to incorporate into existing development workflows.
  • Compliance
    JSHint helps enforce consistent coding styles and coding standards, which can be beneficial for team projects.

Possible disadvantages of JSHint

  • Performance
    Running JSHint can sometimes be slower compared to other modern linters, which might affect the workflow, especially in large projects.
  • Development Activity
    JSHint's development activity has been perceived as slower compared to newer tools like ESLint. This might mean slower implementation of new features and standards.
  • Feature Set
    JSHint has fewer rules and customization options compared to more modern linting tools like ESLint, which can limit its usefulness for complex projects.
  • False Positives
    Sometimes, JSHint might flag code that is actually correct based on personal or team coding standards, which can lead to the need for configuration overrides.
  • Deprecation Risk
    There is a perceived risk that JSHint might become deprecated as the development community shifts towards newer tools with more features.

Closure Compiler features and specs

  • Advanced Optimizations
    Closure Compiler can perform aggressive optimization techniques that result in highly efficient and smaller JavaScript code. This improves load times and performance for web applications.
  • Code Minification
    The compiler reduces the size of JavaScript files by removing unnecessary whitespace, comments, and shortening variable names, which helps in reducing bandwidth usage and enhancing page load speed.
  • Dead Code Elimination
    Closure Compiler can analyze JavaScript code to eliminate dead code, which is code that is never executed or used, resulting in a cleaner and more efficient codebase.
  • Code Warnings and Checks
    It provides developers with advanced code warnings and type checking to identify potential errors, helping improve code quality and reduce bugs.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    Closure Compiler can help ensure that JavaScript code behaves consistently across different browsers by transforming it into a format that's compatible with a wider range of environments.

Possible disadvantages of Closure Compiler

  • Complex Setup
    Getting started with Closure Compiler can be complex, especially for developers who are not familiar with its configuration and setup requirements.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a learning curve associated with understanding how to use the tool effectively, particularly when using advanced optimization features.
  • Debugging Challenges
    Minified and optimized code can be difficult to debug because variable names and function names are often changed to something less human-readable.
  • Integration Limitations
    Integrating Closure Compiler into existing build systems or workflows might require additional effort and adjustments, particularly if those systems are not designed to accommodate complex build tools.
  • Dependency Management
    Closure Compiler requires careful management of JavaScript dependencies, which can be cumbersome in large projects or projects lacking modular architecture.

Analysis of JSHint

Overall verdict

  • Yes, JSHint is considered a good tool for JavaScript developers who need to ensure code quality and consistency. It provides valuable insights and helps maintain a clean codebase, although it might not be as feature-rich or extensible as some more modern alternatives.

Why this product is good

  • JSHint is a widely used static code analysis tool for JavaScript, which helps developers identify potential errors and enforce coding conventions. It offers a flexible configuration and is highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor the tool to fit their coding style and project requirements. Additionally, it has strong community support and integrates well with various text editors and build systems.

Recommended for

    JSHint is recommended for developers and teams seeking a lightweight and easy-to-configure linter for JavaScript projects. It is particularly useful for small to medium-sized projects and developers who prefer a quick setup without extensive configuration. However, for projects that require more sophisticated analysis or support for newer JavaScript features, exploring other tools like ESLint might be beneficial.

JSHint videos

Improve code quality with JSHint

More videos:

  • Review - JSHint- JavaScript Code Quality Tool, detect errors and potential
  • Review - JavaScript Static Analysis - Linting with JSLint, JSHint, and ESLint

Closure Compiler videos

Kevin Macdonald - How Closure Compiler can help protect your IP

More videos:

  • Review - Ильяс Кабиров — Google Closure Compiler — принцип работы и использование в современном фронтенде

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to JSHint and Closure Compiler)
JS Build Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Web Application Bundler
49 49%
51% 51
Front End Package Manager
Tool
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, JSHint should be more popular than Closure Compiler. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

JSHint mentions (16)

  • ESLint adoption guide: Overview, examples, and alternatives
    Emerging as a fork of JSLint, JSHint was introduced to offer developers more configuration options. Despite this, it remains less flexible than ESLint, particularly in terms of rule customization and plugin support, limiting its adaptability to diverse project needs. The last release dates back to 2022. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Mastering Node.js
    JSHint is a code-checking tool that'll save you loads of time finding stupid errors. Find a plugin for your text editor that will automatically run it on your code. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Trouble with Syntax
    Also, if you are going to code for this sheet and do not know about the website jshint.com, you need to know about jshint.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • I’m trying to play Shinsetsu Mahou Shoujo + but it keeps giving me an error. I’ve tried changing the folder location, and renaming the folder… I also tried English, Japanese, and even Chinese locale. Can anybody help?
    There is an error in some file. Or maybe some wine shenanigans (never used it). You can try searching for the file item-possessionLimit.js and paste it into something like https://jshint.com/ to get an analysis and try to fix it. But it might give you further errors or file might be packed somewhere. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Trying not to be a jerk to myself. :(
    If you are coding for this sheet and you do not know about jshint.com ... Source: about 2 years ago
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Closure Compiler mentions (10)

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing JSHint and Closure Compiler, you can also consider the following products

npm - npm is a package manager for Node.

JavaScript Obfuscator - JavaScript Obfuscator is a free online tool that obfuscates your source code, preventing it from being stolen and used without permission.

RequireJS - RequireJS is a JavaScript file and module loader.

Terser - JavaScript parser, mangler, optimizer and beautifier toolkit for ES6+

Webpack - Webpack is a module bundler. Its main purpose is to bundle JavaScript files for usage in a browser, yet it is also capable of transforming, bundling, or packaging just about any resource or asset.

UglifyJS - JavaScript minifier, beautifier, mangler and parser toolkit.