How to use Bun

What is Bun?

Bun is a modern JavaScript runtime like Node.js or Deno, but designed to be faster and more efficient. It includes an all-in-one toolkit with a JavaScript/TypeScript runtime, bundler, transpiler, and package manager. Here's a quick guide on how to get started with Bun.

1. Install Bun

or

or (Mac)

This will download and install Bun. Once installed, you can verify it with:

The current version is 1.1.26

2. Creating a New Project

To create a new project using Bun, you can simply initialize it with the following command:

This will prompt you with options to create a basic project setup, similar to how npm or yarn works.

3. Running a Script

4. 4. Using Bun as a Package Manager

Bun acts as a package manager similar to npm or yarn, but faster. You can install packages using:

Bun also automatically generates a bun.lockb lockfile for dependency management.

5. Bundling Code

Bun has a built-in bundler, which can bundle your JavaScript or TypeScript files for deployment:

This will create an optimized bundle for your project.

6. Running a Development Server

You can use Bun to quickly spin up a development server for web apps:

This will serve your application and automatically reload changes as you update your code.

7. Using Bun with Frameworks

Bun supports frameworks like React, Vue, and others. For example, you can start a React project by running:

1 bun create react-app my-app
2 cd my-app
3 bun install
4 bun dev

Conclusion

Bun offers a streamlined and fast environment for building JavaScript and TypeScript projects. With its integrated package manager, bundler, and dev server, Bun provides an all-in-one solution that enhances developer productivity.