Gulp.js

⏱ 7 min read📚 9 sources🔄 Updated Nov 4, 2026🖼 2 images📍 5 places

gulp is an open-source JavaScript toolkit, used as a streaming build system (similar to a more package-focused Make) in front-end web development.

Gulp.js is covered here in 6 connected parts: Gulp.js, Accounts payable, workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline, History of workflow automation for beginners, workflow automation for beginners in the Philippines, Autodesk Fusion.

Gulp.js

gulp is an open-source JavaScript toolkit, used as a streaming build system (similar to a more package-focused Make) in front-end web development. It is a task runner built on Node.js and npm, used for automation of time-consuming and repetitive tasks involved in web development like minification, concatenation, cache busting, unit testing, linting, optimization, etc. gulp uses a code-over-configuration approach to define its tasks and relies on its small, single-purpose plugins to carry them out. The gulp ecosystem includes more than 3500 such plugins.[1]

Overview

gulp is a build tool in JavaScript built on node streams. These streams facilitate the connection of file operations through pipelines. gulp reads the file system and pipes the data at hand from one single-purposed plugin to another through the .pipe() operator, doing one task at a time. The original files are not affected until all the plugins are processed.[1]

Need for a task runner

Task-runners like gulp and Grunt are built on Node.js rather than npm because the basic npm scripts are inefficient when executing multiple tasks.[1]

Operation

The gulp tasks are run from a command-line interface (CLI) shell and require two files, package.json, which is used to list the various plugins for gulp, and gulpfile.js (or simply gulpfile), These, as per build tool convention, are often found in the root directory of the package's source code. The gulpfile contains most of the logic that gulp needs to run its build tasks. First, all the necessary modules are loaded and then tasks are defined in the gulpfile.[1]

Anatomy of gulpfile

gulpfile is the place where all the operations are defined in gulp. The basic anatomy of the gulpfile consists of required plugins included at the top, definition of the tasks and a default task at the end.[1]

Plugins

Any installed plugin that is required to perform a task is to be added at the top of the gulpfile as a dependency in the following format.[1]

Tasks

The tasks can then be created. A gulp task is defined by gulp.task and takes the name of the task as the first parameter and a function as the second parameter.[1]

Default task

The default task is to be defined at the end of the gulpfile. It can be run by the gulp command in the shell. In the case below, the default task does nothing.[1]

Image Task

The module definition can be at the beginning of Gulpfile.js like so:[1]

Scripts Task

In the following example, all JavaScript files from the directory scripts/ are optimized with .pipe(uglify()) and gulp.dest('scripts/') overwrites the original files with the output. For this, one must first return to the required gulp-uglify plugin on npm package installer and at the beginning of gulpfile, the module should be defined.[1]

Related: Accounts payable · workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline · History of workflow automation for beginners

External references: [1][2][3]

Accounts payable

Accounts payable (AP) is money owed by a business to its suppliers, shown as a liability on a company's balance sheet. It is distinct from notes payable liabilities, which are debts created by formal legal instrument documents. An accounts payable department's main responsibility is to process and review transactions between the company and its suppliers and to make sure that all outstanding invoices from their suppliers are approved, processed, and paid.[4]

Overview

An accounts payable department is typically located within an organisation's finance function.[4]

Internal controls

A variety of checks against abuse are usually present to prevent embezzlement by accounts payable personnel. Separation of duties is a common control. In countries where cheques payment are common nearly all companies have a junior employee process and print a cheque and a senior employee review and sign the cheque.[4]

Audits of accounts payable

Auditors often focus on the existence of approved invoices, expense reports, and other supporting documentation to support checks that were cut. The presence of a confirmation or statement from the supplier is reasonable proof of the existence of the account. It is not uncommon for some of this documentation to be lost or misfiled by the time the audit rolls around.[4]

Automation

Many companies are involved in work to streamline or automate the business process of their accounts payable departments. This process is straightforward but can become very cumbersome, especially if the company has a very large number of invoices. This problem is compounded when invoices that require processing are on paper.[4]

History

Since the mid-1960s companies have established data links between their trading partners to transfer documents, such as invoices and purchase orders. Inspired by the idea of a paperless office and more reliable transfer of data, they developed the first EDI systems. These systems were unique to the respective company that developed them, meaning they were difficult to deploy across a large number of corporations.[4]

Related: Gulp.js · workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline · History of workflow automation for beginners

External references: [4][5][6]

workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline

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Related: Gulp.js · Accounts payable · History of workflow automation for beginners · Marketing automation · Marketing automation

History of workflow automation for beginners

Write this section, then cite a source for it.

Related: Gulp.js · Accounts payable · workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline · Marketing automation · Marketing automation

workflow automation for beginners in the Philippines

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Related: Gulp.js · Accounts payable · workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline · Marketing automation · Marketing automation

Autodesk Fusion

Fusion 360 screenshot of a pokeball being designed.
Fusion 360 screenshot of a pokeball being designed.I took the screenshot. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Autodesk Fusion (formerly Fusion 360) is a computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE) and printed circuit board (PCB) design software application, developed by Autodesk. It is available for Windows, macOS and web browsers, with simplified view-only applications available for Android and iOS. Fusion is a commercial software product, licensed as a paid subscription; a free limited home-based, non-commercial personal edition is available.[7]

History

Fusion was introduced by Autodesk on 24 September 2013. It incorporated many features from Inventor Fusion, which it replaced.[7]

Features

Fusion has built-in capabilities for 3D modeling, collaboration, simulation and documentation. It can manage manufacturing processes such as machining, milling, turning and additive manufacturing. It also has Electronic design automation (EDA) features, such as schematic design, PCB design and component management.[7]

Extensions

Autodesk offers a number of paid extensions that add extra functionality to Fusion. These extensions are priced through a monthly or yearly subscription.[7]

Languages, compatibility

Autodesk Fusion supports Windows 11 (and 10), plus the latest versions of MacOS. It is also available as a web browser version. In its preferences, multiple languages are selectable: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish (and Czech, through a free add-on).[7]

Licensing

Fusion has split licensing levels into four different options for users to choose from. The first of these options is Fusion for personal use, which is free and has limited functionality. Fusion for startup use is also free but contains all existing software capabilities and requires approval.[7]

Market share

According to a survey of 500 users conducted by CNCCookbook.com, Fusion has continued to own a large percentage of the CAD package market share throughout 2018 and 2021. This software's wide range of features and pricing make it a choice for beginners, hobbyists, and professionals. Fusion, as of 2021, dominated the CAD package market share when it came to overall top packages and hobbyist purchases.[7]

Related: Gulp.js · Accounts payable · workflow automation for beginners: key facts and timeline

External references: [7][8][9]

References

Source mixWeb page · 17Encyclopedia · 3News · 1
  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k “Gulp.js”. Wikipedia. Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewrite it in your own words where you can. Encyclopedia Retrieved 2026-11-04
  2. ↑ ^ “github.com / gulpjs/gulp/blob/master/LICENSE”. github.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04
  3. ↑ ^ “github.com / gulpjs/gulp/blob/4.0/docs/API.md”. github.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g “Accounts payable”. Wikipedia. Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewrite it in your own words where you can. Encyclopedia Retrieved 2026-11-04
  5. ↑ ^ “www.costperinvoice.com”. costperinvoice.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04
  6. ↑ ^ “www.adp.com / p2p/pdf/White_Papers/Aberdeen_ePayables_Solution.pdf”. adp.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h “Autodesk Fusion”. Wikipedia. Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. Rewrite it in your own words where you can. Encyclopedia Retrieved 2026-11-04
  8. ↑ ^ “www.autodesk.com / products/fusion-360/blog/fusion-360-mobile-ios-android”. autodesk.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04
  9. ↑ ^ “knowledge.autodesk.com / support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-change-the-default-language-for-Fusion-360.html”. knowledge.autodesk.com. Link found on the Wikipedia page. Open it, check it and fix this title before relying on it. Web page Retrieved 2026-11-04

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