Bootstrap Min Js CDN

Bootstrap is not just a styling library as it also comes with other features to support standard interactivity, animations, and event handling. The additional JavaScript goodies are bundled in a compressed minified file called bootstrap min js. You can choose to download both the CSS file and min js file or just make it easier for yourself by using a CDN instead.

What is Bootstrap JS CDN ?

Bootstrap min Js contains the JavaScript plugins and modules bundled with the free and open-source Bootstrap fronted design library. While it’s not mandatory to have the JavaScript bundle if you do not require it, having it will give access to the full Bootstrap design toolkit that includes interactive and dynamic design elements like the carousel, modals, tool tops, specific event handlers, and other goodies.

It’s called min JS because it is a compressed and compiled version of the library. This usually means that you can download it and add it to your project in a few steps. It’s recommended that you use the minified and compressed version of the library on a live project as opposed to the uncompiled source code.

However, modern web design best practices dictate that you should try as much as possible to minimize the number of libraries or dependencies attached to a project especially those used on the frontend. This is why it’s advisable to use a CDN when you take your project live as opposed to downloading and hosting the entire Bootstrap library on your server.

How to Use Bootstrap Min Js on Your Projects

There three ways you can add Bootstrap min JS to your projects to utilize its readymade JavaScript goodies. The first method involves adding it alongside other required Bootstrap assets using a package manager if you are using one. Running the following command on the command line will add Bootstrap min JS to your project folder so you can start using its plugins right away:

$ npm install bootstrap

Running the above command will initiate a direct download of the entire bootstrap library to your current folder. Make sure that you navigate to the correct folder on your project that you can easily reference with a simple path when it comes to using bootstrap in your project.

There are alternative methods to add the entire bootstrap library to your project using the other package managers as follows:

For Yarn: $ yarn install bootstrap

For Composer: $ composer require twbs/bootstrap:4.3.1

The second method is a straightforward one as it involves a normal download. Head over to the Bootstrap website and grab the correct version of Bootstrap you want to use on your project. After downloading it, decompress the zip file and move the files in it to the correct folder on your project. You can then add bootstrap to your HTML’s header section using the following code:

For example, if the Bootstrap files were in the current home folder on your project, your code would look something like this:

Remember that the above code should be placed in the head section of your HTML file. Some people do choose to have the script tag at the end of the file for faster loading as JavaScript modules can take a bit of time to load. This is precisely why it’s advisable to use the next method that involves a CDN to ensure your pages load smoothly and alongside other assets.

Using Bootstrap min js with a CDN

The third and most preferred method for adding bootstrap min js on your live project is to use a CDN hosted version of Bootstrap. Skip the whole downloading and unzipping process and grab a bootstrap CDN URL for the version of bootstrap min js you want to use. Here is an example of how you would add both the CSS and js files from an open-source CDN service:

Another option could be to download the minified and compiled versions of Bootstrap and upload them to the correct folder on your webserver. You will then place your entire website behind a CDN so that all the libraries you are using on your website can be loaded from the CDN. Using a CDN has many advantages such as making your pages load fasters and from the nearest servers to your visitors.