slugify vs github-slugger vs slug vs url-slug
Slug Generation Libraries Comparison
3 Years
slugifygithub-sluggerslugurl-slugSimilar Packages:
What's Slug Generation Libraries?

Slug generation libraries are used in web development to create URL-friendly strings from text. These libraries help convert titles or phrases into a format suitable for URLs by removing special characters, converting spaces to hyphens, and ensuring the string is lowercase. This is essential for SEO and user-friendly URLs, making it easier for users and search engines to understand the content of a page based on its URL.

Package Weekly Downloads Trend
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slugify5,708,239
1,68820.9 kB442 years agoMIT
github-slugger5,282,967
38215.9 kB0-ISC
slug351,494
38133 kB74 months agoMIT
url-slug239,312
8934 kB12 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: slugify vs github-slugger vs slug vs url-slug

Customization

  • slugify:

    slugify excels in customization, allowing users to define custom replacements for characters, handle different languages, and specify how to treat special characters. This makes it highly adaptable for various applications.

  • github-slugger:

    github-slugger offers limited customization, primarily focusing on generating unique slugs from Markdown headers. It is designed to work seamlessly with Markdown content, making it less flexible for other use cases.

  • slug:

    slug provides basic customization options, allowing you to specify a custom separator and handle case sensitivity. However, it lacks advanced features for localization or special character handling.

  • url-slug:

    url-slug offers some customization options, such as defining separators and handling specific characters, but it is primarily focused on ensuring the generated slugs are URL-safe and compliant with web standards.

Performance

  • slugify:

    slugify may have a slightly higher overhead due to its extensive customization features, but it is still performant for most use cases. It strikes a balance between flexibility and speed, making it suitable for applications that require both.

  • github-slugger:

    github-slugger is optimized for performance when generating slugs from Markdown headers, making it efficient for applications that need to process multiple headers quickly. However, its performance may vary with large texts due to its specific focus.

  • slug:

    slug is lightweight and performs well for basic slug generation tasks. It is designed for speed and efficiency, making it suitable for applications where performance is a priority and complexity is minimal.

  • url-slug:

    url-slug is efficient for generating URL-safe slugs, focusing on performance while ensuring compliance with URL standards. It is designed to handle typical use cases without significant performance drawbacks.

Localization Support

  • slugify:

    slugify provides excellent localization support, allowing users to define custom rules for different languages and character sets. This makes it a strong choice for applications that need to support multiple languages and special characters.

  • github-slugger:

    github-slugger does not provide localization support, as it is primarily designed for generating slugs from English Markdown headers. It is not suitable for applications requiring multilingual slug generation.

  • slug:

    slug offers minimal localization support, primarily focusing on English text. It does not handle special characters or different languages effectively, making it less ideal for international applications.

  • url-slug:

    url-slug has limited localization capabilities, focusing more on URL safety than on handling various languages. It is best suited for applications that do not require extensive localization.

Ease of Use

  • slugify:

    slugify has a slightly steeper learning curve due to its extensive customization options, but its documentation is comprehensive, making it accessible for developers willing to invest time in learning its features.

  • github-slugger:

    github-slugger is easy to use, especially for developers familiar with Markdown. Its straightforward API allows for quick integration, making it a good choice for projects that already utilize Markdown.

  • slug:

    slug is very easy to use with a simple API that requires minimal setup. It is ideal for developers looking for a no-fuss solution for basic slug generation.

  • url-slug:

    url-slug is user-friendly, with a simple API that allows for quick slug generation. It is suitable for developers looking for a straightforward solution without complex configurations.

Community and Maintenance

  • slugify:

    slugify boasts a larger community and is actively maintained, providing a wealth of resources, plugins, and examples. This makes it a strong candidate for developers looking for support and community-driven enhancements.

  • github-slugger:

    github-slugger has a smaller community compared to other slug libraries, but it is actively maintained, especially for projects that involve Markdown. It may lack extensive third-party support or plugins.

  • slug:

    slug has a moderate community and is well-maintained, making it a reliable choice for basic slug generation. However, it may not have as many resources or plugins as more popular libraries.

  • url-slug:

    url-slug has a smaller community but is maintained with a focus on URL safety. It may not have as many resources as larger libraries, but it is reliable for generating compliant slugs.

How to Choose: slugify vs github-slugger vs slug vs url-slug
  • slugify:

    Choose slugify if you need a more robust solution with extensive customization options. It allows for localization and can handle various character sets, making it suitable for applications that need to support multiple languages or special characters.

  • github-slugger:

    Choose github-slugger if you need to generate slugs that are unique and suitable for GitHub-style links, especially when dealing with Markdown headers. It is particularly useful for applications that require consistent slug generation based on headings.

  • slug:

    Choose slug for a lightweight and straightforward solution that focuses on basic slug generation without additional features. It is ideal for projects that require simple and fast slug creation without any dependencies.

  • url-slug:

    Choose url-slug for generating slugs specifically designed for URLs, with a focus on ensuring the slugs are safe and compliant with URL standards. It is useful for projects that prioritize URL safety and need to avoid problematic characters.

README for slugify

slugify

npm-version coveralls-status

var slugify = require('slugify')

slugify('some string') // some-string

// if you prefer something other than '-' as separator
slugify('some string', '_')  // some_string
  • Vanilla ES2015 JavaScript
    • If you need to use Slugify with older browsers, consider using version 1.4.7
  • No dependencies
  • Coerces foreign symbols to their English equivalent (check out the charMap for more details)
  • Works in the browser (window.slugify) and AMD/CommonJS-flavored module loaders

Options

slugify('some string', {
  replacement: '-',  // replace spaces with replacement character, defaults to `-`
  remove: undefined, // remove characters that match regex, defaults to `undefined`
  lower: false,      // convert to lower case, defaults to `false`
  strict: false,     // strip special characters except replacement, defaults to `false`
  locale: 'vi',      // language code of the locale to use
  trim: true         // trim leading and trailing replacement chars, defaults to `true`
})

Remove

For example, to remove *+~.()'"!:@ from the result slug, you can use slugify('..', {remove: /[*+~.()'"!:@]/g}).

  • If the value of remove is a regular expression, it should be a character class and only a character class. It should also use the global flag. (For example: /[*+~.()'"!:@]/g.) Otherwise, the remove option might not work as expected.
  • If the value of remove is a string, it should be a single character. Otherwise, the remove option might not work as expected.

Locales

The main charmap.json file contains all known characters and their transliteration. All new characters should be added there first. In case you stumble upon a character already set in charmap.json, but not transliterated correctly according to your language, then you have to add those characters in locales.json to override the already existing transliteration in charmap.json, but for your locale only.

You can get the correct language code of your language from here.

Extend

Out of the box slugify comes with support for a handful of Unicode symbols. For example the (radioactive) symbol is not defined in the charMap and therefore it will be stripped by default:

slugify('unicode ♥ is ☢') // unicode-love-is

However you can extend the supported symbols, or override the existing ones with your own:

slugify.extend({'☢': 'radioactive'})
slugify('unicode ♥ is ☢') // unicode-love-is-radioactive

Keep in mind that the extend method extends/overrides the default charMap for the entire process. In case you need a fresh instance of the slugify's charMap object you have to clean up the module cache first:

delete require.cache[require.resolve('slugify')]
var slugify = require('slugify')

Contribute

  1. Add chars to charmap.json
  2. Run tests npm test
  3. The tests will build the charmap in index.js and will sort the charmap.json
  4. Commit all modified files

Originally this was a vanilla javascript port of node-slug.
Note that the original slug module has been ported to vanilla javascript too.