Simplifying Frontend Development with Rome

Frontend development can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to setting up a new project. The numerous configurations and tools required can be daunting. However, a new tool called Rome aims to simplify this process by providing an all-in-one solution for code linting, formatting, compiling, and more.

What is Rome?

Rome is a build tool that aims to become a more performant replacement for existing tools like ESLint, Prettier, and others. Its philosophy is centered around strong conventions and minimal configuration, allowing developers to focus on what matters most – development.

Migrating from Prettier to Rome

One of the key features of Rome is its ability to replace Prettier as a code formatter. In this article, we’ll explore the process of migrating a project’s code formatter from Prettier to Rome. We’ll cover the necessary steps, differences, and verify the claims made by Rome.

Changing Your Setup for Code Formatting

To change your setup from Prettier to Rome, you’ll need to perform the following steps:

• Install Rome and uninstall Prettier.
• Initialize the Rome configuration file, rome.json.
• Update the formatting step in your commit process.
• Configure Rome to be your default formatter (and linter) for VS Code.

Configuring Rome

Rome’s configuration file, rome.json, is where you’ll define your formatting rules. You can configure the formatter and JavaScript settings separately. Rome also allows you to exclude files from formatting using the ignore field.

{
  "formatter": {
    "formatWithErrors": true,
    "indentStyle": "space",
    "indentSize": 2,
    "lineWidth": 80
  },
  "javascript": {
    "quoteStyle": "single",
    "quoteProperties": "consistent",
    "trailingComma": "all",
    "semicolons": "always"
  },
  "ignore": ["node_modules/**", "dist/**"]
}

Migrating Formatting Rules

Rome supports a limited number of formatting options, which are similar to Prettier’s. The available rules include:

• formatWithErrors
• indentStyle
• indentSize
• lineWidth

For JavaScript and TypeScript files, the available rules include:

• quoteStyle
• quoteProperties
• trailingComma
• semicolons

Rome’s opinionated approach can help streamline your development workflow, making it an exciting new build tool for frontend development.