Javascript library: to obfuscate or not to obfuscate - that is the question
- by morpheous
I need to write a GUI related javascript library. It will give my website a bit of an edge (in terms of functionality I can offer) - up until my competitors play with it long enough to figure out how to write it by themselves. I can accept the fact that it will be emulated over time - thats par for the course (its part of business).
However, what I cannot bear, is the idea of effectively, simply handing over all the hard work that would have gone into the library to my competitors, by using plain javascript that anyone can download and use.
It is an established fact that no none in the industry I am "attacking" has this functionality, so the value of such a library is undeniable and is not up for discussion (i.e. thats not what I'm asking here).
What I am seeking to find out are the pros and cons of obfuscating a javascript library, so that I can come to a final decision.
Two of my biggest concerns are debugging, and subtle errors that may be introduced by the obfuscator.
I would like to know:
How can I manage those risks (being able to debug faulty code, ensuring/minimizing against obfuscation errors)
Are there any good quality industry standard obfuscators you can recommend (preferably something you use yourself).
What are your experiences of using obfuscated code in a production environment?
