# What does the default asset pipeline do?

**Published by:** [Λki](https://paragraph.com/@ki-3/)
**Published on:** 2023-04-25
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@ki-3/what-does-the-default-asset-pipeline-do

## Content

JAVASCRIPT done by import maps, gem: importmap-rails It lets you use Javascript libraries made for ES modules (ESM) without the need for transpiling and bundling. In turn, this eliminates the need for Webpack, yarn, node or any other part of the JavaScript toolchain. https://edgeguides.rubyonrails.org/asset_pipeline.html#what-are-import-maps-and-why-should-i-care-questionmark CSS done by sprockets, gem: sprockets-rails concatenate all CSS files into one main .css file, which is then minified or compressed. higher-level language for CSS. SHA256 fingerprinting done by sprockets It inserts a SHA256 fingerprinting into each filename so that the file is cached by the web browser and CDN. This fingerprint is automatically updated when you change the file contents, which invalidates the cache.

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