News

Build Your Own AWS SDK for JavaScript

• By David Ramel
• 07/07/2015

Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) last week announced a software development kit (SDK) builder tool that lets users specify the configuration of the AWS SDK for JavaScript in the browser to meet their own needs and reduce download size.

"The SDK builder allows you to customize and download the AWS SDK for JavaScript in the Browser," exec Aditya Manohar said in a blog post. "You can now include support for just the service clients you are using, which reduces the size of the browser distributable of the AWS SDK for JavaScript and improves the efficiency of your Web applications."

The tool lets customers choose a core version of the SDK upon which to base their customized package. They then select from 65 different available services. There are 16 default services, such as EC2 and CloudWatch, that can be selected, and users can mix and match choices from those and the remainder, such as CloudTrail and Glacier.

The default services all support the Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) standard that enables client-side cross-origin requests, normally forbidden in JavaScript Web apps as a security precaution against cross-site scripting attacks. "If you are using the AWS SDK for JavaScript in an environment that doesn't enforce the CORS standard (for example, Google Chrome extensions and Windows Store Applications), then you can include support for all AWS services," Manohar said.

Users can also customize the service client API version before they select a bundle type -- minified or development -- and create their SDK package.

All modern browsers are supported by the tool, which Manohar said he hopes "makes it easier for you to optimize your application's JavaScript footprint. We're eager to hear what you think. Leave us a comment, tweet about it @awsforjs, or report an issue at github.com/aws/aws-sdk-js/issues."