slugify vs slug vs url-slug
JavaScript Slug Generation Libraries Comparison
1 Year
slugifyslugurl-slugSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript Slug Generation Libraries?

Slug generation libraries are essential tools in web development for creating URL-friendly strings from text. They convert titles or phrases into a format that can be safely used in URLs, typically by replacing spaces with hyphens and removing special characters. This ensures that URLs are clean, readable, and SEO-friendly, which is crucial for enhancing the visibility of web pages in search engines. Each of these libraries offers unique features and capabilities that cater to different use cases and preferences in slug generation.

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slugify4,979,0711,63120.9 kB432 years agoMIT
slug297,95036134.5 kB66 months agoMIT
url-slug242,9858934 kB12 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: slugify vs slug vs url-slug

Simplicity

  • slugify:

    While 'slugify' also maintains a simple interface, it offers more options for customization, such as the ability to specify different separators or to handle special characters. This added complexity can be beneficial for projects that require specific formatting rules for slugs.

  • slug:

    The 'slug' package is designed for simplicity and ease of use. It provides a straightforward API that allows developers to generate slugs with minimal configuration. This makes it an excellent choice for projects where a quick and efficient solution is needed without any overhead.

  • url-slug:

    'url-slug' focuses on performance and efficiency, providing a clean and simple API. However, it may not offer as many customization options as 'slugify', making it less flexible for specific use cases but ideal for straightforward slug generation.

Performance

  • slugify:

    'slugify' is also efficient, but its additional features may introduce slight overhead compared to 'slug'. It is still performant enough for most applications, especially those that require more complex slug generation.

  • slug:

    The 'slug' library is lightweight, which contributes to its fast performance in generating slugs. It is optimized for speed and is suitable for applications where performance is critical, especially in scenarios with frequent slug generation.

  • url-slug:

    'url-slug' is optimized for high performance, making it the best choice for applications that need to generate a large number of slugs quickly. Its design prioritizes speed, ensuring that it can handle heavy loads without significant delays.

Customization

  • slugify:

    'slugify' excels in customization, allowing developers to specify separators, handle special characters, and even define custom rules for slug generation. This makes it ideal for applications that need tailored slug formats, especially for multilingual content.

  • slug:

    The 'slug' package offers limited customization options, focusing primarily on generating standard slugs. It is best suited for projects that do not require specific formatting or character handling.

  • url-slug:

    'url-slug' provides basic customization options but is primarily focused on performance. It may not be as flexible as 'slugify' in terms of formatting, making it better suited for applications where speed is more critical than customization.

Use Cases

  • slugify:

    'slugify' is well-suited for applications that require more complex slug generation, such as e-commerce platforms or content management systems where slugs need to adhere to specific rules and formats for SEO purposes.

  • slug:

    'slug' is perfect for small to medium-sized projects where simplicity and speed are paramount. It is ideal for blogs, personal websites, or any application that requires basic slug generation without additional features.

  • url-slug:

    'url-slug' is designed for high-load environments, making it an excellent choice for large-scale applications or websites with extensive content that require efficient slug generation to maintain performance.

Community and Support

  • slugify:

    'slugify' has a larger user base and community support, providing more resources, examples, and documentation. This can be beneficial for developers who may need assistance or want to explore advanced features.

  • slug:

    The 'slug' library has a smaller community compared to the others, which may result in fewer resources or examples available for troubleshooting. However, its simplicity often means less need for extensive documentation.

  • url-slug:

    'url-slug' has a growing community, but it may not be as extensive as 'slugify'. However, its focus on performance has garnered attention in scenarios where speed is essential, leading to increasing adoption.

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

    Opt for 'slugify' if you require a more robust solution with additional features like customizable separator options and support for various character sets. It is suitable for applications that need flexibility and enhanced slug generation capabilities, particularly for internationalization.

  • slug:

    Choose 'slug' if you need a simple and straightforward solution for generating slugs without additional dependencies. It is lightweight and focuses solely on the core functionality of slug creation, making it ideal for small projects or when minimalism is a priority.

  • url-slug:

    Select 'url-slug' if you are looking for a library that emphasizes performance and efficiency, especially in high-load environments. It is designed for speed and can handle large volumes of slug generation, making it a great choice for applications with extensive content management needs.

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.