Concepts
Metro is a JavaScript bundler. It takes in an entry file and various options, and gives you back a single JavaScript file that includes all your code and its dependencies.
Metro has three separate stages in its bundling process:
- Resolution
- Transformation
- Serialization
Resolution
Metro needs to build a graph of all the modules that are required from the entry point. To find which file is required from another file Metro uses a resolver. In reality this stage happens in parallel with the transformation stage.
Transformation
All modules go through a transformer. A transformer is responsible for converting (transpiling) a module to a format that is understandable by the target platform (eg. React Native). Transformation of modules happens in parallel based on the amount of cores that you have.
Serialization
As soon as all the modules have been transformed they will be serialized. A serializer combines the modules to generate one or multiple bundles. A bundle is literally a bundle of modules combined into a single JavaScript file.
Modules
Metro has been split out into multiple modules corresponding to every step in the flow, each with their own responsibility. This means that we have a resolver, transformer, and serializer. These modules can be swapped out depending on your needs.