Origami modules are written as Sass and JavaScript and need ‘building’ before they can be delivered to users’ browsers. There are two ways to ‘build’ a module. You can use the Build Service which is quick and simple but inflexible. For a more customisable build process Origami has the Origami Build Tools (OBT).
| Feature | Using the build service | Building manually |
|---|---|---|
| Server-side technology requirements | None, there is no need for any server-side code | Node and Ruby. You'll need Node.js (for package management and build automation) and Ruby (for Sass linting) |
| Set up time | Quick, a few minutes at most | Slower. If you're not familiar with Node.js and don't have any pre-requisites installed, getting set up could take you a couple of hours |
| Can I add custom code into the Origami bundle? | Not easily. You'd have to publish that code as a standalone repo | Yes |
| Can I use public open source JavaScript modules like jQuery? | Yes, provided that they have a CommonJS interface | Yes |
| Can I develop without being online? | No, you need to be online if your pages pull resources from the build service | Yes |
Once you’ve decided how to build Origami’s modules, we have a tutorial for each method.