Script Editor Web Part Limitations: Why It’S Not Ideal For Javascript And Css

The SharePoint Script Editor web part allows inserting custom JavaScript, CSS, and HTML into SharePoint pages. However, it has several limitations that make it not well-suited for larger JavaScript/CSS solutions.

Limitations of the SharePoint Script Editor Web Part

No IntelliSense or Debugging

The Script Editor web part does not provide IntelliSense or debugging capabilities for JavaScript/CSS found in traditional integrated development environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code. IntelliSense is code auto-completion that offers contextually relevant suggestions as you type. Debugging allows stepping through code line-by-line to identify issues. Without these tools, coding is more difficult and bug fixing becomes challenging.

For example, simple typos will not be caught by the editor:

// Typos will not be caught by the editor
functin test() {
  console.log("Hello World"); 
}

The lack of error-detection in the Script Editor means bugs could go unnoticed until run time. The absence of debugging support also means tracking down bugs relies solely on console logging. This hampers developer productivity.

Lack of Code Formatting

The Script Editor web part does not automatically format code, making scripts less readable, especially larger ones. Proper indentation, spacing and line breaks must be inserted manually. Unformatted code hampers readability:

  
// Code is all left aligned
var foo=function(){
    console.log("Hello World");
} 

Formatting code properly takes time and discipline. Production JavaScript apps typically leverage formatters like Prettier to automatically apply code styling rules. The lack of formatting causes developers to waste time indenting and spacing code.

Character Limits

SharePoint imposes an 8,192 character limit per Script Editor web part. This can be restrictive for larger JavaScript/CSS solutions which must be split across multiple web parts. Tracking code spanning separate editors makes development and maintenance difficult as projects scale.

Exceeding the limit also causes frustrating truncation of code:

// Remainder of script gets cut off due to size limits
function myLargeFunction() {
  // Lots more code...
} 

Code must be small enough to fit or split across web parts. Remembering arbitrary size constraints while coding interrupts flow. Character limits are counterproductive for complex solutions.

No Code Reuse

The Script Editor lacks built-in features for reusing code across SharePoint sites or pages. Copying and pasting identical scripts into multiple editors causes code duplication which quickly becomes unmaintainable.

Consider a script for a custom navigation bar to be embedded across subsites:

  
// Nav bar script
var createNav = () => {
  // Nav logic
}

This script would need to be manually pasted into the editor web part on each page, rather than referenced from a single source. Edits would also need replicated everywhere. Code reuse is a best practice that avoids duplication.

Recommendations

For small one-off scripts, the Script Editor may suffice as a quick customization option. However, for larger production JavaScript/CSS applications, more robust solutions should be considered.

SharePoint Framework Extensions

The SharePoint Framework (SPFx) allows developing client-side web parts with modern tooling like Node, npm, TypeScript and React. SPFx leverages capabilities like:

• Integrated debugging in VS Code
• Automated bundling and minification
• Reusable components across sites
• Enterprise-grade deployment pipelines

These capabilities match and exceed traditional web development tools for building scalable, maintainable solutions. The SPFx approach should be leveraged for robust apps.

Alternative Web Development Tools

Developers comfortable with traditional web stacks can utilize alternatives like bundlers such as Webpack and Parcel to overcome Script Editor limitations:

• Transpiling from TypeScript adds type safety against bugs
• Minification reduces payload size to bypass limits
• Bundling allows code splitting and reuse
• Plugin ecosystems provide friendly abstractions

Modern tooling delivers enhanced developer productivity over working solely in the browser.

Conclusion

While handy for small one-off scripts, the SharePoint Script Editor web part poses limitations at scale like lack of debugging, formatting, and code reuse. Production solutions require leveling up to more capable tools.

For enterprise JavaScript/CSS applications, SPFx delivers integrated tooling exceeding the Script Editor’s capabilities. For custom apps, alternative bundlers and compilers provide optimization and reuse missing from the editor.

In summary, while convenient for minor customizations, the Script Editor is not ideal for large production JavaScript and CSS solutions, which require more full-featured developer tooling. Attempting complex projects solely in the editor will quickly become unproductive.