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Build Tools - Basics

Hot Module Replacement, TypeScript compiling, Babel transpilation, npx utility, and node_modules.

Sample Questions

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What is the primary purpose of a Build Tool in web development?

1. What is the primary purpose of a Build Tool in web development?

  • A.To serve as a production database that stores user tables
  • B.To host and display the application's user interface to web browsers
  • C.To route public internet connections to regional load balancers
  • D.To automate tasks like code compilation, asset bundling, and code minification
What is the purpose of the 'package-lock.json' file in a Node.js project?

2. What is the purpose of the 'package-lock.json' file in a Node.js project?

  • A.To encrypt package source code before committing to Git repositories
  • B.To specify script commands that should be blocked from running
  • C.To store private environment variables and database passwords
  • D.To lock the exact versions of installed packages to ensure reproducible builds across machines
Which folder is automatically created by package managers to store the downloaded code of installed dependencies?

3. Which folder is automatically created by package managers to store the downloaded code of installed dependencies?

  • A.packages/
  • B.dist/
  • C.build/
  • D.node_modules
What is Vite?

4. What is Vite?

  • A.A package manager that replaces NPM and Yarn with faster download speeds
  • B.A code formatter that automatically indents JavaScript files
  • C.An automated container registry hosted on cloud servers
  • D.A fast, modern build tool and dev server utilizing native browser ES modules during development
Which file in a Node.js project holds metadata about the project, lists package dependencies, and defines execution scripts?

5. Which file in a Node.js project holds metadata about the project, lists package dependencies, and defines execution scripts?

  • A.package-lock.json
  • B.index.js
  • C.webpack.config.js
  • D.package.json
Which alternative package manager utilizes a global content-addressable storage cache, linking packages via hard links to save disk space and speed up installations?

6. Which alternative package manager utilizes a global content-addressable storage cache, linking packages via hard links to save disk space and speed up installations?

  • A.NPM
  • B.Yarn
  • C.Bower
  • D.PNPM
What is the difference between 'dependencies' and 'devDependencies' inside a package.json file?

7. What is the difference between 'dependencies' and 'devDependencies' inside a package.json file?

  • A.devDependencies are required to run the app; dependencies are needed only for development.
  • B.dependencies are stored on the server; devDependencies are stored in client browsers.
  • C.dependencies are open-source; devDependencies are commercial license packages only.
  • D.dependencies are required to run the app; devDependencies are needed only during development and builds.
What is the default package manager for the Node.js runtime environment?

8. What is the default package manager for the Node.js runtime environment?

  • A.Yarn
  • B.PNPM
  • C.Bower
  • D.NPM
Which command-line utility is shipped with NPM to execute Node.js packages directly without installing them globally first (e.g. running npx create-react-app)?

9. Which command-line utility is shipped with NPM to execute Node.js packages directly without installing them globally first (e.g. running npx create-react-app)?

  • A.npm-run
  • B.node-exec
  • C.pnpm
  • D.npx
What is Yarn in the context of Javascript build tools?

10. What is Yarn in the context of Javascript build tools?

  • A.A code compiler that translates ES6 JavaScript to ES5
  • B.A local dev server used to hot-reload application pages
  • C.A linting tool that checks source files for formatting bugs
  • D.An alternative package manager for Node.js projects focused on speed and reliability
Which of the following is a highly popular, mature module bundler configured using entry, output, loaders, and plugins?

11. Which of the following is a highly popular, mature module bundler configured using entry, output, loaders, and plugins?

  • A.Babel
  • B.Vite
  • C.Gulp
  • D.Webpack
What is a Module Bundler?

12. What is a Module Bundler?

  • A.A package manager that downloads external code libraries from registries
  • B.A database proxy that distributes SQL queries to replica nodes
  • C.A security tool that encrypts user login passwords during transport
  • D.A tool that takes multiple files and assets and bundles them into optimized files for browser consumption
What is a Task Runner?

13. What is a Task Runner?

  • A.A server node that routes client connections across clusters
  • B.A package runner used to execute NPM packages directly (like npx)
  • C.A monitoring dashboard that displays server performance logs
  • D.A tool that automates development workflows by executing defined task steps sequentially
Which of the following is a stream-based task runner that uses code over configuration to automate tasks?

14. Which of the following is a stream-based task runner that uses code over configuration to automate tasks?

  • A.Grunt
  • B.Webpack
  • C.Vite
  • D.Gulp
What is Babel in the JavaScript ecosystem?

15. What is Babel in the JavaScript ecosystem?

  • A.A module bundler that packages CSS and image assets
  • B.A package manager that installs dependencies in node_modules
  • C.A local web server used to host static HTML pages
  • D.A JavaScript compiler (transpiler) that converts modern ES6+ code to backwards-compatible ES5
What is the difference between Compiling and Transpiling?

16. What is the difference between Compiling and Transpiling?

  • A.Transpiling converts code to a lower-level language; Compiling translates between high-level languages.
  • B.Compiling requires internet access; Transpiling operates strictly offline.
  • C.Compiling is for SQL databases; Transpiling is for NoSQL key-value caches.
  • D.Compiling converts code to a lower-level language; Transpiling translates between high-level languages.
What is ESLint?

17. What is ESLint?

  • A.A code formatter that automatically indents files to match style guides
  • B.A module bundler that compiles CSS and image assets into JS files
  • C.A package manager that downloads dependencies from central registries
  • D.A static code analysis linter used to enforce code quality and spot bugs in JavaScript/TypeScript
What is Prettier?

18. What is Prettier?

  • A.A linter that statically checks code for security vulnerabilities
  • B.A compiler that translates TypeScript into vanilla JavaScript
  • C.A dev server that hot-reloads application pages during coding
  • D.An opinionated code formatter that automatically formats source files to maintain consistent style
Which of the following is a configuration-based task runner that uses JSON-like config files to define build tasks?

19. Which of the following is a configuration-based task runner that uses JSON-like config files to define build tasks?

  • A.Gulp
  • B.Rollup
  • C.Vite
  • D.Grunt
What does a tilde '~' prefix represent inside the dependency version constraints of a package.json file (e.g., "lodash": "~4.17.0")?

20. What does a tilde '~' prefix represent inside the dependency version constraints of a package.json file (e.g., "lodash": "~4.17.0")?

  • A.It allows automatic updates to minor releases only (e.g., 4.x.x).
  • B.It prevents any automatic updates, pinning the version exactly.
  • C.It allows updates up to the next major version release.
  • D.It allows automatic updates to patch releases only (e.g., 4.17.x).

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