Remove VERSION from libraries.yml

[millnut]

The version: VERSION lines in libraries.yml create a version query string using the Drupal Core version number for the asset files. This causes the files to be cached in the browser and will only invalidate when the core version changes due to the dependency on the version.

<script src="/modules/contrib/localgov_alert_banner/js/alert_banner.js?v=10.4.1"></script>

When using edge caching or CDN caching this makes it difficult to invalidate the cache if there are changes to these assets and it requires users to manually clear their browser cache to get updated asset files.

By removing the VERSION Drupal will generate a hash id to the file which can be invalidated and new hash IDs generated when the Drupal cache is cleared e.g. drush cr

The string changes on every update or full cache flush, forcing browsers to load a new copy of the files as the URL changed.

See: web/core/lib/Drupal/Core/Asset/JsCollectionRenderer.php:62

Examples with no VERSION set showing changes based on cache clears;

<script src="/modules/contrib/localgov_alert_banner/js/alert_banner.js?sqjnfy"></script>

<script src="/modules/contrib/localgov_alert_banner/js/alert_banner.js?sqjnm9"></script>

[andybroomfield]

If this is the standard other module implement, and if it is causing an issue we remove it.

Interesting though I'm seeing the hash being added.

[millnut]

Interesting @andybroomfield I don't seem to get the hash as well as the version number. I'm using 10.4.1 at the moment.

I also noticed a few modules which seem to be removing VERSION

• devel - https://gitlab.com/drupalspoons/devel/-/issues/548
• klaro - https://www.drupal.org/project/klaro/issues/3497609

[andybroomfield]

@millnut As most sites will use css and js aggregation, this issue wouldn't occur for those sites?

[millnut]

Let me check that @andybroomfield just incase Drupal does anything unexpected as part of the aggregation, I know recently there have been a lot of changes in and around the aggregation of js/css

[andybroomfield]

Quick check in my near default LGD install shows 218 results in 67 files for version: VERSION.

Has there been a change in the recommendation recently? It seems the done thing is to add it.

[andybroomfield]

Searching led me to this article which explains the version key and a Drupal issue that this is not available to contrib modules.

So I agree, we should remove it even if it is standard to use it because:

• It doesn't use the module version number, but the Drupal Core version number
• We won't have an automatically generated version number until we move this module to Drupal.org for packaging.

Subject to checks that this does not effect css and js aggregation (I don't think it should).

We should do the same in any other LGD module.

[millnut]

Thanks for finding that issue @andybroomfield I was searching for that in my history/bookmarks but couldn't find it