# How to bootstrap javascript project with esbuild
This article will present a simple code generator for kicking off a browser project that uses [esbuild](https://esbuild.github.io/) as a bundler.
# Code generator
For generating code, I'm using [degit](https://www.npmjs.com/package/degit). It allows you to start a new project directly from a GitHub repository without dragging anything besides flat files from the original repository. So you can focus on your project instead of cleaning up the starter references.
# Code
The application is greatly simplified, and it's very similar to the minimal code example I use in my blog.
`index.html`:
```HTML
webpack
```
`src/index.js`:
```JS
console.log("Hello!");
```
the build command:
```JSON
"build": "esbuild --bundle src/index.js --outfile=dist/main.js"
```
# Usage
To start a new esbuild project, you can run:
```shell
npx degit how-to-js/esbuild-starter new-project
npx: installed 1 in 1.968s
> cloned how-to-js/esbuild-starter#HEAD to new-project
```
After getting basic files, we can install dependencies:
```shell
npm install
> esbuild@0.12.24 postinstall /home/marcin/workspace/github/tmp/new-project/node_modules/esbuild
> node install.js
npm notice created a lockfile as package-lock.json. You should commit this file.
added 1 package and audited 1 package in 0.664s
found 0 vulnerabilities
```
and build our code:
```shell
$ npm run build
> esbuild-starter@1.0.0 build /home/marcin/workspace/github/tmp/new-project
> esbuild --bundle src/index.js --outfile=dist/main.js
dist/main.js 58b
⚡ Done in 1ms
```
the build output:
```JS
(() => {
// src/index.js
console.log("Hello!");
})();
```
# Links
* [esbuild-starter](https://github.com/how-to-js/esbuild-starter)
* [my video course about esbuild](https://bit.ly/esbuild-course)
# Summary
I hope this little code generator will help you start with esbuild.