Bun- All in one JavaScript runtime
Tags: webdev, bunjs, javascript, code
Published: 2023-09-15 06:05:01

Bun is a JavaScript runtime that is designed to be a drop-in replacement for Node.js. It is written in Zig and powered by JavaScript Core, which is the JavaScript engine used by Apple's Safari web browser.

Bun claims to be faster than Node.js, and it also has a smaller memory footprint. It also has a built-in bundler, test runner, and package manager, which makes it a more complete development toolkit than Node.js.

**Here are some of the key features of Bun:**

**Fast:** Bun is designed to be fast and efficient. It uses a variety of techniques to improve performance, such as:

- Using a lightweight runtime
- Compiling JavaScript to native code
- Using a minimal set of APIs

**Lightweight:** Bun has a small memory footprint. This makes it ideal for running on devices with limited resources, such as IoT devices and mobile phones.

**Complete toolkit:** Bun includes a built-in bundler, test runner, and package manager. This makes it a complete development toolkit for JavaScript applications.

**Extensible:** Bun is extensible. You can write your own plugins and extensions to add new features or improve performance.

**Here are some of the use cases of Bun:**

- Building web applications
- Building serverless applications
- Running microservices
- Developing IoT applications
- Developing mobile applications

**Installing Bun :**

It is supported for `macOS, Linux, and WSL`
Bun provides a limited, experimental native build for Windows. At the moment, only the Bun runtime is supported.

**To install it on Windows You need some requirements:**

You need to install WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and ubuntu from windows store.(You can use any other method to install)

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ql70q06gmn40hhxp5rgw.png)

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xpin92gyqa2vqd00l6j0.png)

After that you need to go to the windows feature,

Simply enter Turn windows feature on or off in your search bar and check the box Windows Subsystem for Linux if not checked, And restart you computer


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/543f8ivbdrbp9dxlkfkp.png)

After that go to your visual studio code and install the WSL extension


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/8rnm66idjbp6i64sgbus.png)

So the last step is to use the launch the ubuntu terminal in VSC
(you can use any directory )


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ffbulhtsqve4grsj3c8w.png)

Enter the following commands to install:

```
sudo apt install unzip
```

```
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
```
Right now you should have installed the bun in your windows, To access the bun you need to set the source path ,

```
source /root/.bashrc
```

---

**To install it on Linux or macOS :**

Linux users - The `unzip` package is required to install Bun. Kernel version 5.6 or higher is strongly recommended, but the minimum is 5.1.

```
sudo apt install unzip // linux-users
```

```
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
```
**Some code examples:**

```
bun init
```

```
const server = Bun.serve({
  port: 3000,
  fetch(req) {
    return new Response("Bun!");
  },
});

console.log(`Listening on http://localhost:${server.port} ...`);
```

To run the code:

```
bun index.ts
```
You can write your script to start:

```
{
  "name": "example",
  "module": "index.ts",
  "type": "module",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "bun run index.ts"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "bun-types": "^0.7.0"
  }
}
```

```
bun run start
```

Bun is a new runtime, so it is not yet as widely used as Node.js. However, it is gaining popularity due to its performance and features. If you are looking for a fast and lightweight JavaScript runtime, Bun is a good option to consider.

**Here are some of the advantages of using Bun:**

- **Faster performance:** Bun is designed to be faster than Node.js. This is because it uses a lightweight runtime and compiles JavaScript to native code.
- **Smaller memory footprint:** Bun has a smaller memory footprint than Node.js. This makes it ideal for running on devices with limited resources, such as IoT devices and mobile phones.
-** Complete toolkit:** Bun includes a built-in bundler, test runner, and package manager. This makes it a complete development toolkit for JavaScript applications.
- **Extensible:** Bun is extensible. You can write your own plugins and extensions to add new features or improve performance.

**Here are some of the disadvantages of using Bun:**

- **Not as widely used as Node.js**: Bun is a new runtime, so it is not yet as widely used as Node.js. This means that there may be fewer resources available for learning and using Bun.
- **Less mature:** Bun is still under development, so it may not be as mature as Node.js. This means that there may be bugs or missing features.

Overall, Bun is a promising new JavaScript runtime that offers a number of advantages over Node.js. However, it is important to weigh the advantages and disadvantages before deciding whether to use Bun for your project.