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This skill evaluates JavaScript at build time with Bun macros to inline results, enabling faster bundles and easier environment embedding.
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---
name: Bun Macros
description: Evaluate JavaScript at bundle time and inline results. Use when optimizing compile-time code generation, embedding files, inlining environment variables, or executing code during the bundling process.
version: 1.0.0
---
# Bun Macros
Bun macros run JavaScript at bundle time and inline the results into the output.
## Quick Start
```typescript
// src/config.ts (macro file)
export function getVersion() {
return "1.0.0";
}
export function getBuildTime() {
return new Date().toISOString();
}
// src/index.ts (consumer)
import { getVersion, getBuildTime } from "./config" with { type: "macro" };
// At bundle time, these become:
const version = "1.0.0";
const buildTime = "2024-01-15T12:00:00.000Z";
```
## Macro Syntax
```typescript
// Import with macro attribute
import { fn } from "./macro-file" with { type: "macro" };
// Call the macro (evaluated at build time)
const result = fn();
```
## Common Use Cases
### Environment Inlining
```typescript
// macros/env.ts
export function env(key: string): string {
return process.env[key] ?? "";
}
// src/index.ts
import { env } from "./macros/env" with { type: "macro" };
const apiUrl = env("API_URL");
// Becomes: const apiUrl = "https://api.example.com";
```
### Git Information
```typescript
// macros/git.ts
export function gitCommit(): string {
return Bun.spawnSync(["git", "rev-parse", "HEAD"])
.stdout.toString().trim();
}
export function gitBranch(): string {
return Bun.spawnSync(["git", "branch", "--show-current"])
.stdout.toString().trim();
}
// src/index.ts
import { gitCommit, gitBranch } from "./macros/git" with { type: "macro" };
const BUILD_INFO = {
commit: gitCommit(),
branch: gitBranch(),
};
// Inlined at build time
```
### File Embedding
```typescript
// macros/embed.ts
export function embedFile(path: string): string {
return Bun.file(path).text();
}
export function embedJSON(path: string): unknown {
return Bun.file(path).json();
}
// src/index.ts
import { embedFile, embedJSON } from "./macros/embed" with { type: "macro" };
const license = embedFile("./LICENSE");
const config = embedJSON("./config.json");
```
### Build Constants
```typescript
// macros/constants.ts
export function isDev(): boolean {
return process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production";
}
export function buildDate(): number {
return Date.now();
}
export function randomId(): string {
return Math.random().toString(36).slice(2);
}
// src/index.ts
import { isDev, buildDate, randomId } from "./macros/constants" with { type: "macro" };
if (isDev()) {
console.log("Development mode");
}
const BUILD_ID = randomId();
```
### Directory Listing
```typescript
// macros/files.ts
import { readdirSync } from "fs";
export function listRoutes(): string[] {
return readdirSync("./src/routes")
.filter(f => f.endsWith(".tsx"))
.map(f => f.replace(".tsx", ""));
}
// src/router.ts
import { listRoutes } from "./macros/files" with { type: "macro" };
const routes = listRoutes();
// Becomes: const routes = ["home", "about", "users"];
```
### Code Generation
```typescript
// macros/codegen.ts
export function generateTypes(schema: string): string {
// Parse schema and generate types at build time
const types = parseSchemaToTypes(schema);
return types;
}
export function generateAPI(spec: string): string {
const openapi = JSON.parse(Bun.file(spec).text());
// Generate API client code
return generateClientFromOpenAPI(openapi);
}
```
## Return Types
Macros can return:
```typescript
// Primitives
export function getString(): string { return "hello"; }
export function getNumber(): number { return 42; }
export function getBoolean(): boolean { return true; }
export function getNull(): null { return null; }
// Objects (serializable)
export function getObject(): object {
return { key: "value", nested: { a: 1 } };
}
// Arrays
export function getArray(): string[] {
return ["a", "b", "c"];
}
// Response (for bundler plugins)
export function getResponse(): Response {
return new Response("content", {
headers: { "Content-Type": "text/plain" },
});
}
```
## Async Macros
```typescript
// macros/fetch.ts
export async function fetchSchema(): Promise<object> {
const response = await fetch("https://api.example.com/schema.json");
return response.json();
}
// src/index.ts
import { fetchSchema } from "./macros/fetch" with { type: "macro" };
const schema = await fetchSchema();
// Fetched at build time, inlined as object literal
```
## Parameters
```typescript
// macros/parameterized.ts
export function repeat(str: string, count: number): string {
return str.repeat(count);
}
export function formatDate(format: string): string {
return new Date().toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
dateStyle: format as any,
});
}
// src/index.ts
import { repeat, formatDate } from "./macros/parameterized" with { type: "macro" };
const separator = repeat("-", 20);
const date = formatDate("long");
```
## Conditional Code
```typescript
// macros/platform.ts
export function platform(): "node" | "bun" | "browser" {
if (typeof Bun !== "undefined") return "bun";
if (typeof process !== "undefined") return "node";
return "browser";
}
// src/index.ts
import { platform } from "./macros/platform" with { type: "macro" };
if (platform() === "bun") {
// This block is kept or removed at build time
console.log("Running on Bun");
}
```
## Bundle-Only Execution
Macros ONLY run during bundling:
```bash
# Macros executed
bun build src/index.ts --outdir=dist
# Macros NOT executed (runtime)
bun run src/index.ts
```
## Error Handling
```typescript
// macros/safe.ts
export function requireEnv(key: string): string {
const value = process.env[key];
if (!value) {
throw new Error(`Missing required env var: ${key}`);
}
return value;
}
// Build fails if env var missing
import { requireEnv } from "./macros/safe" with { type: "macro" };
const secret = requireEnv("API_SECRET");
```
## Debugging Macros
```typescript
// macros/debug.ts
export function debug(label: string, value: unknown): unknown {
console.log(`[MACRO] ${label}:`, value);
return value;
}
// See output during build
bun build src/index.ts --outdir=dist
// [MACRO] config: { ... }
```
## Best Practices
1. **Keep macros pure** - Avoid side effects
2. **Return serializable values** - Must be JSON-compatible
3. **Handle errors** - Throw meaningful errors for build failures
4. **Document dependencies** - Note what files/env vars are required
5. **Test separately** - Macros can be tested as regular functions
## Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|-------|-------|-----|
| `Cannot find module` | Wrong import path | Check macro file location |
| `Not serializable` | Function/class returned | Return plain data |
| `Macro failed` | Runtime error in macro | Debug macro separately |
| `Not evaluated` | Missing `with { type: "macro" }` | Add import attribute |
## When to Load References
Load `references/advanced-patterns.md` when:
- Complex code generation
- Plugin integration
- Build pipelines
Retrieve and present patterns for custom macro implementations, integration examples with build systems, and advanced bundler plugin workflows.
Load `references/debugging.md` when:
- Macro not evaluating
- Unexpected output
- Performance issues
Retrieve debugging techniques, provide step-by-step diagnostics, and offer optimization strategies tied to the user's specific issue.
This skill evaluates JavaScript at bundle time and inlines the computed results into your output. It enables compile-time code generation, embedding files, inlining environment values, and executing arbitrary build-time logic. Use it to move work off runtime and produce deterministic, optimized bundles.
Mark an import with the macro attribute (import ... with { type: "macro" }) and call the exported functions; the bundler runs those functions during build and replaces calls with their serialized return values. Macros may be synchronous or async, return primitives, arrays, serializable objects, or Response objects for plugin workflows. Macros only execute during bundling—runtime runs receive the inlined data, not the macro code.
Will macros run at runtime?
No. Macros execute only during the bundling step; runtime code receives the inlined results, not the macro implementation.
What return types are supported?
Return primitives, arrays, serializable objects, null, and Response objects for bundler plugins. Avoid returning functions or class instances.
How do I debug failing macros?
Run and test the macro function directly in Node/Bun, log with console during build, and ensure required files/env vars are present; builds will show macro logs and thrown errors.