Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RequireJS VS Distcc

Compare RequireJS VS Distcc and see what are their differences

RequireJS logo RequireJS

RequireJS is a JavaScript file and module loader.

Distcc logo Distcc

GitHub is where people build software. More than 27 million people use GitHub to discover, fork, and contribute to over 75 million projects.
  • RequireJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-19
  • Distcc Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02

RequireJS features and specs

  • Modularization
    RequireJS encourages a modular approach to development by allowing developers to define dependencies between JavaScript files. This modularization leads to cleaner code and easier maintenance.
  • Asynchronous Loading
    Scripts are loaded asynchronously, which can lead to improved performance. This non-blocking nature ensures that the web page remains responsive while scripts are still being loaded.
  • Dependency Management
    RequireJS automatically manages dependencies, ensuring that each module is loaded in the correct order. This reduces the risk of runtime errors caused by missing or incorrectly ordered scripts.
  • AMD Standard
    It implements the Asynchronous Module Definition (AMD) API, which promotes compatibility between different JavaScript libraries that conform to this standard.
  • Optimization Tools
    RequireJS includes optimization tools that can concatenate and minify JavaScript files, reducing the number of HTTP requests and file size for production environments.

Possible disadvantages of RequireJS

  • Learning Curve
    For developers not familiar with AMD or module loaders, RequireJS can introduce complexity and have a steep learning curve compared to simpler script-loading methods.
  • Not ES6 Module Compatible
    RequireJS is designed around the AMD pattern and does not natively support ES6 module syntax, which has become the standard in modern JavaScript development.
  • Overhead
    Although it offers powerful features, RequireJS introduces some initial setup and configuration overhead, which can be cumbersome for small projects or scripts.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some older libraries or scripts might not be compatible with RequireJS without modifications, leading to potential integration issues when using certain third-party libraries.
  • Declining Popularity
    With the adoption of native ES6 modules and modern build tools like Webpack and Parcel, RequireJS is less commonly used, potentially reducing community support and resources.

Distcc features and specs

  • Parallel Compilation
    Distcc allows distributed compilation of C, C++, and Objective-C code, enabling the use of multiple machines to speed up the build process significantly.
  • Scalability
    The system can easily be scaled by adding more machines, which allows for handling larger projects or reducing build times with minimal configuration effort.
  • Resource Utilization
    It optimizes the use of available computing resources by offloading tasks to less busy or more powerful machines, leading to more efficient compilation.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Distcc can be used on various operating systems, including Unix-like systems and Windows, offering flexibility in mixed-environment setups.
  • Ease of Integration
    As a compiler wrapper, Distcc can be integrated with existing build systems such as Make, CMake, and others with minimal changes needed.

Possible disadvantages of Distcc

  • Network Dependency
    Performance is heavily dependent on network reliability and speed, as source files and object files are transferred between client and server machines.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Setting up Distcc requires precise configuration, including managing different compiler versions across machines, which can be challenging in heterogeneous environments.
  • Security Concerns
    Without proper security measures, there is a risk of exposing sensitive data or code to untrusted machines, especially if Distcc is used over a public network.
  • Limited Error Handling
    Troubleshooting errors can be difficult because logs and errors might be scattered across different machines, making it hard to diagnose compilation issues.
  • Inefficiency for Small Builds
    For small codebases or projects with minimal compilation times, the overhead of distributing jobs may outweigh the benefits of parallel compilation.

Analysis of RequireJS

Overall verdict

  • RequireJS is considered a robust solution for legacy projects or for teams who started their development process before JavaScript standards evolved. However, with the introduction and adoption of native ES6 modules and tools like Webpack and Rollup, RequireJS has become less relevant for new projects. It's a good solution if you are maintaining an older codebase and need consistency, but for new projects, modern alternatives may be more appropriate.

Why this product is good

  • RequireJS is a JavaScript file and module loader designed to improve the speed and quality of your code. It has been particularly beneficial in managing dependencies and loading scripts asynchronously, which helps optimize performance by loading only the necessary modules when needed. RequireJS was a popular choice when JavaScript development environments needed a reliable way to modularize code before the widespread adoption of ES6 modules.

Recommended for

    RequireJS is recommended for projects that are already using it, especially if the project is large and refactoring to a different module system would be resource-intensive. It can also be suitable for legacy web applications that have complex dependency chains which have been built with AMD (Asynchronous Module Definition) patterns. However, newer projects are better served with modern bundlers and native ES6 module syntax.

RequireJS videos

Optimize Your CSS With RequireJS

More videos:

  • Review - RequireJS and Magento2
  • Review - Yeoman 1.0 Backbone RequireJS - Video 2

Distcc videos

Quick and dirty Distcc setup tutorial: Part 1

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RequireJS and Distcc)
JS Build Tools
64 64%
36% 36
Web Application Bundler
100 100%
0% 0
Front End Package Manager
JavaScript Package Manager

User comments

Share your experience with using RequireJS and Distcc. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, RequireJS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 12 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.

RequireJS mentions (12)

  • Why hasn't JavaScript implemented namespaces yet?
    There is a library called requirejs (https://requirejs.org/) that accomplishes what I am referring to. However, this is essentially similar to the situation in PHP prior to version 5.3 - a solution implemented at the level of a separate library rather than at the language level. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Getting Started With Parcel.js: A Web Application Bundler in 2022
    Webpack is the most popular bundler and it followed on the heels of Require.js, Rollup, and similar solutions. But the learning curve for a tool like webpack is steep. Getting started with webpack isn’t easy due to its complex configurations. As a result, in recent years another solution has emerged. This tool is not necessarily a front-runner, but an easier-to-digest alternative on the front-end module bundler... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • RequireJS: How to define modules that contain a single "class"?
    I have a number of JavaScript "classes" each implemented in its own JavaScript file. For development those files are loaded individually, and for production they are concatenated, but in both cases I have to manually define a loading order, making sure that B comes after A if B uses A. I am planning to use RequireJS as an implementation of CommonJS Modules/AsynchronousDefinition to solve this problem for me... Source: about 3 years ago
  • When to use Requirejs and when to use bundled javascript?
    This may be a dumb question for web guys. But I am a little confused over this. Now, I have an application where I am using a couple of Javascript files to perform different tasks. Now, I am using Javascript bundler to combine and minify all the files. So, at runtime there will be only one app.min.js file. Now, Requirejs is used to load modules or files at runtime. So, the question is if I already have all things... Source: about 3 years ago
  • JavaScript Module Formats and Tools
    AMD (Asynchronous Module Definition), is a pattern to define and consume module. It is implemented by RequireJS library. AMD provides a define function to define module, which accepts the module name, dependent modules’ names, and a factory function:. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
View more

Distcc mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Distcc yet. Tracking of Distcc recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing RequireJS and Distcc, you can also consider the following products

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.

GNU Make - GNU Make is a tool which controls the generation of executables and other non-source files of a program from the program's source files.

npm - npm is a package manager for Node.

CMake - CMake is an open-source, cross-platform family of tools designed to build, test and package software.

stealjs - Futuristic JavaScript dependency loader and builder. Speeds up application load times. Works with ES6, CommonJS, AMD, CSS, LESS and more. Simplifies modular workflows.

SBT - SBT is a build tool for Scala, like Ant or Maven but with hieroglyphics.