Eliminate or Reduce Unused JavaScript

[jeromehardaway]

Description: Our analysis has highlighted an opportunity to enhance the performance of the Vets Who Code web app by reducing unused JavaScript. By cutting down on unnecessary JavaScript code, we can decrease load times and significantly improve page interactivity. This effort is expected to yield a potential savings of approximately 74 KiB.

Action Items:

1. Implement Code Splitting: Apply code splitting techniques within our Next.js framework to ensure that only the JavaScript necessary for the initial page load is fetched. This strategy involves dynamically loading other scripts as needed based on user interaction or route changes.

2. Defer Non-Critical JavaScript: Identify JavaScript that is not critical for the initial page rendering and modify the loading strategy to defer these scripts until after the main content has been loaded. This includes scripts for features that are not immediately visible or required by the user.

3. Audit JavaScript Libraries and Scripts: Conduct a thorough audit of all JavaScript libraries and scripts currently integrated into the web application. Identify and remove any libraries or scripts that are no longer in use or that provide redundant functionality that can be achieved with existing code.

4. Optimize Third-Party Scripts: For third-party scripts that are essential to the web application, investigate methods to optimize their loading strategy. This may include using the async or defer attributes, ensuring they are loaded only on pages where they are needed, or seeking more performance-friendly alternatives.

5. Monitor and Evaluate Performance: After implementing these changes, closely monitor the web application's performance using tools like Google Lighthouse. Evaluate the impact of the changes on load times and interactivity, and adjust strategies as necessary to further optimize performance.

Expected Outcome: The completion of these action items is anticipated to reduce unnecessary JavaScript usage significantly, leading to faster load times, improved page responsiveness, and a better overall user experience.

Priority: High

Estimation: 3 days