Build
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
A build is the process of turning your development code into something a real computer or browser can run efficiently. It bundles files, compiles code, removes dead code, and squishes everything small. The output of a build is what actually ships.
Real Talk
A build is the process of transforming source code into a deployable artefact — bundling modules, compiling TypeScript, minifying assets, generating static files, and running optimisations. Build tools include webpack, Vite, Rollup, and esbuild.
Show Me The Code
# Run production build
npm run build
# Output directory
# dist/ or .output/ or out/
When You'll Hear This
"The build failed — check the error output." / "Run a production build locally before deploying."
Related Terms
Compile
Compiling is translating your human-friendly code into machine-friendly instructions.
Deploy
Deploying is taking your code from your computer and making it live on the internet for real users. Before: only you can see it.
Hot Reload
Hot reload updates your running app when you change code without restarting the whole server. Edit a file, save, and see the change instantly.
Ship
Shipping means getting your feature or fix out to users — it's the end goal of all the coding.
Transpile
Transpiling is like translating code from one programming language to another, both at a similar level.