gulp-svg-sprite vs svg-sprite vs svg-sprite-loader vs svgstore
SVG Sprite Management Libraries
gulp-svg-spritesvg-spritesvg-sprite-loadersvgstoreSimilar Packages:

SVG Sprite Management Libraries

SVG sprite management libraries provide tools for optimizing and managing SVG files by combining multiple SVG images into a single sprite file. This approach reduces the number of HTTP requests, improving load times and performance. These libraries offer various features, including automation, modularity, and integration with build systems, making them essential for modern web development where performance and efficiency are critical.

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svg-sprite-loader02,027-1515 years agoMIT
svgstore0191-65 years agoMIT

Feature Comparison: gulp-svg-sprite vs svg-sprite vs svg-sprite-loader vs svgstore

Integration

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    Integrates seamlessly with Gulp, allowing for easy automation of sprite generation as part of your build process. It supports various output formats and can be configured to suit different project needs.

  • svg-sprite:

    Designed for standalone use, it can be integrated into any build system or workflow. It provides a command-line interface for generating sprites, making it versatile and easy to adopt.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Specifically built for Webpack, enabling SVG files to be imported as modules in JavaScript, which is ideal for modern front-end frameworks like React and Vue.

  • svgstore:

    Focuses on inlining SVG sprites directly into HTML, making it easy to manage and use SVGs without additional HTTP requests, suitable for projects where performance is a priority.

Customization

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    Offers extensive customization options for sprite generation, including control over the output structure, CSS styles, and naming conventions, allowing for tailored solutions to fit specific project requirements.

  • svg-sprite:

    Provides a range of configuration options to customize the sprite generation process, including output paths and file naming, but may require more manual setup compared to gulp-svg-sprite.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Allows for configuration through Webpack, enabling customization of how SVGs are processed and included in your application, making it flexible for various use cases.

  • svgstore:

    Customization is limited to how SVGs are inlined in HTML, focusing on simplicity rather than extensive configuration options.

Performance

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    Optimizes SVG files during the sprite generation process, reducing file sizes and improving load times. The Gulp ecosystem also allows for additional performance enhancements through plugins.

  • svg-sprite:

    Generates optimized SVG sprites that can significantly reduce the number of HTTP requests, improving overall site performance, especially for projects with many SVG assets.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Enhances performance by allowing SVGs to be bundled with JavaScript, reducing the number of requests and enabling better caching strategies when used with Webpack.

  • svgstore:

    Inlines SVGs to minimize HTTP requests, which can lead to faster rendering times and improved performance, particularly for sites with many small SVG icons.

Ease of Use

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    User-friendly for those familiar with Gulp, providing a straightforward API and documentation, making it easy to set up and use in existing projects.

  • svg-sprite:

    Requires some command-line knowledge but provides clear documentation, making it accessible for developers who are comfortable with terminal commands.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Easy to use for developers already familiar with Webpack, allowing for quick integration and usage within modern JavaScript applications.

  • svgstore:

    Very simple to use, especially for those who want to inline SVGs directly in HTML without complex setup, making it ideal for quick implementations.

Community and Support

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    Backed by a strong Gulp community, with plenty of resources, plugins, and examples available for support, making it a reliable choice for Gulp users.

  • svg-sprite:

    Has a dedicated user base and good documentation, but may not have as many community resources compared to Gulp-based solutions.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Part of the Webpack ecosystem, benefiting from a large community and extensive resources available for troubleshooting and best practices.

  • svgstore:

    While it has a smaller community, it is straightforward enough that users can easily find solutions to common issues.

How to Choose: gulp-svg-sprite vs svg-sprite vs svg-sprite-loader vs svgstore

  • gulp-svg-sprite:

    Choose gulp-svg-sprite if you are already using Gulp as your build system and want a straightforward way to automate the creation of SVG sprites with customizable options for output formats and styles.

  • svg-sprite:

    Select svg-sprite for a standalone solution that provides a command-line interface and can be easily integrated into various build processes without being tied to a specific task runner.

  • svg-sprite-loader:

    Opt for svg-sprite-loader if you are working with Webpack and want to import SVG files directly into your components, allowing for dynamic usage and better integration with modern JavaScript frameworks.

  • svgstore:

    Use svgstore if you need a simple and effective way to inline SVG sprites directly into your HTML, enhancing performance by reducing HTTP requests while keeping your markup clean.

README for gulp-svg-sprite

gulp-svg-sprite

npm version npm downloads Build Status

gulp-svg-sprite is a Gulp plugin wrapping around svg-sprite which takes a bunch of SVG files, optimizes them and bakes them into SVG sprites of several types:

  • Traditional CSS sprites for use as background images,
  • CSS sprites with pre-defined <view> elements, useful for foreground images as well,
  • inline sprites using the <defs> element,
  • inline sprites using the <symbol> element
  • and SVG stacks.

Features & configuration? → svg-sprite

This document covers only gulp specific installation and configuration aspects. For a full list of features and options, please see the svg-sprite manual.

Usage

First, install gulp-svg-sprite as a development dependency:

npm install --save-dev gulp-svg-sprite

Then, add it to your gulpfile.js:

const gulp = require('gulp');
const svgSprite = require('gulp-svg-sprite');

gulp.src('path/to/assets/*.svg')
  .pipe(svgSprite(/* ... Insert your configuration here ... */))
  .pipe(gulp.dest('out'));

NOTICE: By default, svg-sprite doesn't send any files downstream unless you configure it. There are tons of options available — please see below for some basic examples. Also, you should possibly take care of errors that might occur.

API

svgSprite(options)

As options argument you may provide a main configuration object as described in the svg-sprite manual. Configuration-wise, svg-sprite and gulp-svg-sprite differ only in one respect:

options.dest

Type: String Default value: '.'

With Gulp, there is no need to specifiy a main output directory, as the generated files are piped to the next step of the running task anyway. The options.dest value (if given) is simply ignored.

Examples

Basic example

In this very basic example, mostly default settings will be applied to create a traditional CSS sprite (bundle of SVG sprite and CSS stylesheet).

const gulp = require('gulp');
const svgSprite = require('gulp-svg-sprite');
// Basic configuration example
const config = {
  mode: {
    css: { // Activate the «css» mode
      render: {
        css: true // Activate CSS output (with default options)
      }
    }
  }
};

gulp.src('**/*.svg', { cwd: 'path/to/assets' })
  .pipe(svgSprite(config))
  .pipe(gulp.dest('out'));

The following files and directories are created:

out/
├─ css/
│  ├─ sprite.css
│  ├─ svg/
│  │  ├─ sprite.css-495d2010.svg

The cryptical looking part in the SVG's file name is the result of svg-sprite's cache busting feature which is enabled by default for CSS sprites. We'll turn this off in the next example.

Gulp 4 basic example

const { src, dest, parallel } = require('gulp');
const svgSprite = require('gulp-svg-sprite');

// Basic configuration example
const svgspriteConfig = {
  mode: {
    css: { // Activate the «css» mode
      render: {
        css: true // Activate CSS output (with default options)
      }
    }
  }
};

function buildSvg() {
  return src('**/*.svg', { cwd: 'src/assets' })
    .pipe(svgSprite(svgspriteConfig))
    .pipe(dest('out'));
}

exports.default = parallel(buildSvg);

More complex example

The following example is a little more complex:

  • We'll create a «view» CSS sprite and a «symbol» sprite in one go.
  • Instead of CSS, we'll render a Sass stylesheet resource for the «view» sprite.
  • We'll turn off cache busting for the «view» sprite and create extra CSS rules specifying each shape's dimensions.
  • We'll downscale the SVG shapes to 32×32 pixels if necessary and add 10 pixels padding to all sides.
  • We'll keep the intermediate SVG source files.
const gulp = require('gulp');
const svgSprite = require('gulp-svg-sprite');
// More complex configuration example
const config = {
  shape: {
    dimension: { // Set maximum dimensions
      maxWidth: 32,
      maxHeight: 32
    },
    spacing: { // Add padding
      padding: 10
    },
    dest: 'out/intermediate-svg' // Keep the intermediate files
  },
  mode: {
    view: { // Activate the «view» mode
      bust: false,
      render: {
        scss: true // Activate Sass output (with default options)
      }
    },
    symbol: true // Activate the «symbol» mode
  }
};

gulp.src('**/*.svg', { cwd: 'path/to/assets' })
  .pipe(svgSprite(config))
  .pipe(gulp.dest('out'));

The following files and directories are created:

out/
├─ intermediate-svg
│  ├─ weather-clear.svg
│  ├─ weather-snow.svg
│  ├─ weather-storm.svg
├─ symbol/
│  ├─ svg/
│     ├─ sprite.symbol.svg
├─ view/
│  ├─ sprite.scss
│  ├─ svg/
│     ├─ sprite.view.svg

Error handling

Errors might always happen — maybe there are some corrupted source SVG files, the default SVGO plugin configuration is too aggressive or there's just an error in svg-sprite's code. To make your tasks more robust, you might consider using plumber and adding your custom error handling:

const gulp = require('gulp');
const svgSprite = require('gulp-svg-sprite');
const plumber = require('gulp-plumber');

// Basic configuration example
const config = {
  mode: {
    css: {
      render: {
        css: true
      }
    }
  }
};

gulp.src('**/*.svg', { cwd: '' })
  .pipe(plumber())
  .pipe(svgSprite(config))
  .on('error', function(error) {
    /* Do some awesome error handling ... */
  })
  .pipe(gulp.dest('out'));

Advanced features

For more advanced features like

please refer to the svg-sprite manual.

Changelog

Please refer to the GitHub releases for a complete release history.

Legal

Copyright © 2018 Joschi Kuphal joschi@kuphal.net / @jkphl. svg-sprite is licensed under the terms of the MIT license. The contained example SVG icons are part of the Tango Icon Library and belong to the Public Domain.